What is Culture Hacking?
Culture hacking is a way to create positive organizational and employee-specific changes that allow team members to showcase their best talents, as driven by the global pandemic remote work changes. People strive to find companies that are updated with the “work less, make more” approach and for those that work with its employees’ values and needs instead of against them.
These past three years have been everything but ordinary. Companies have been tested by the pandemic and have had no choice but to allow employees to work remotely and for possibly longer hours. Due to this, there have been many changes in employment, where employee turnover rates have been at an all-time high. Individuals have been quitting their long-time 9-5 jobs in search of more money, more flexibility, and for jobs that positively impact their mental health.
In this blog post, not only do we talk about what culture hacks are and how to implement them in the workplace, but we also examine case studies of companies that have successfully implemented culture hacks that have resulted in employee satisfaction.
It is all about finding simple changes your company can make to create a more positive, engaging and uplifting work environment.
Understanding Culture Hacks in the Workplace
Culture hacking is derived from the computer science idea that organizations are adaptive systems and that every system can be hacked. Traditionally viewed, corporate culture is the operating system of companies, firms and other social communities. A culture hack is a small and immediate change tackling an area where your company culture is vulnerable to change. Although the changes are small, they are significant, fun and different enough to increase employee fulfillment.
Culture hacking is about focusing on constant motives that can be done on a regular basis instead of trying to take on fixing bigger challenges.
Company culture sets the tone of your company. Beyond a paycheck, it’s the biggest positive reinforcement that makes employees want to come into their workplaces daily. For your company to succeed, having an affirmative company culture is crucial. Consider implementing these company culture hacks for your team to appreciate:
Potluck Lunch: Whether your workplace is big or small, organizing a potluck lunch commemorating different observances that occur throughout the year is a great way to celebrate and honor your colleagues. This can be done by making a list of traditional foods that staff can bring in and coordinating with employees to ensure there is diversity in the dishes. The planning that goes into potlucks encourages employees to collaborate and interact with each other, which will increase their engagement and job satisfaction.
Provide flexible hours: Depending on the work tasks companies assign their staff, they usually require their employees to come in on a fixed schedule. Employers should consider having flexible hours to motivate their staff to become more productive. Flexible hours allow employees more freedom to choose their work hours, which will help improve the work-life balance.
Celebrate achievements: Celebrating achievements, big or small, on a regular basis is an important part of building and maintaining an effective, self-assured team, boosting confidence, and making your organization a great place to work. This could involve employers taking the team out to a staff lunch or catering food in the office, recognizing staff during team meetings, or giving staff bonuses and raises for a job well done.
Invest in Health and Wellness: Telling your employees that their mental health comes first is one thing, but providing support and resources to staff for them to maintain a healthy well-being confirms it. Incorporating health and wellness programs into a company culture can boost team members’ mental and physical health overall, reduce burnout, and increase productivity. To introduce wellness programs into your company, first, ask your employees what kind of programs they are interested in. Ideas may include organizing fitness or yoga classes, craft sessions, or offering a fund that is used strictly for wellness-related expenses and activities. Sending out a survey asking for feedback can allow your employees to contribute to their own company culture. Such opportunities can cultivate a positive company culture and may even aid recruiting efforts.
Let people design the culture they want: Allow team members to take ownership by investigating what kind of culture they want and how they establish cohesion with the rest of the organization’s set of values. Perhaps it may be a good idea to hold meetings where employees can pitch new ideas and talk about what areas they’d like to see improve, or by putting out surveys if they don’t feel comfortable sharing their ideas out loud. These initiatives are designed to foster a culture of openness and trust, which increases innovation output.
Implementing Culture Hacks in the Workplace
When considering putting a culture hack into motion, keep in mind a few things:
The culture hacks that your company chooses should be specific to the needs of your team. Have a good understanding of your organization’s current culture and its needs and wants.
Culture hacks are successful when they are acted upon quickly and on time. Once a company implements a new change, get feedback from the team on whether or not they are satisfied. If employees aren’t as receptive as once envisioned, take the feedback into consideration and make adjustments as needed.
Make sure that the culture hacks are practical and within budget. In some cases, companies may not have adequate funding to execute culture hacks. A way to address funding concerns is to build a business strategy plan that lays out the cost and funding of all expenses. Justify the importance of these DEI initiatives and the specific details of the budget. The more evidence, statistics, and information you provide to prove that culture hacks will have measurable effects, such as growth opportunities, the better your chances of getting your budget approved. Think realistically about office space, time, resources, etc.
When implementing culture hacks, there may be resistance to change from employees, which is normal and expected. When organizing new culture hacks, consider the different perceptions of those being impacted by it. Here are different tactics that your company can utilize to overcome any resistance to change:
Be understanding and respectful: People find change overwhelming, regardless of how big or small it is. Always be accommodating and ensure that participation is not mandatory.
Manage conflicts and concerns quickly: Encourage honesty, trust, and effective communication. During periods of change, tensions may run high, and anxieties may be increased. Keeping staff up to date on any changes or new policies is crucial to ensure full transparency with the team. When communication is effective, it leaves everyone involved satisfied and feeling accomplished.
Encourage collaboration: Give opportunities for feedback and remain flexible as you alter course toward your change goals. Encourage people to be creative, discover solutions to unfolding problems, and become part of the change process. This will aid the pollination of innovative ideas in an environment in which people develop greater knowledge and expand their professional capacity to think more creatively.
Case Studies of Culture Hacking at Work
Squarespace: This successful website-building and hosting startup has a company culture that is “flat, open and creative.” A flat organization is one where there are no levels of management between staff and executives. Squarespace also offers great benefits, including “100 percent coverage of health insurance premiums, flexible vacations, attractive office space, catered meals, stocked kitchens, monthly celebrations, relaxation spaces and periodic guest lecturers.” In this company, employees feel accepted and valued, with their voices heard, as the whole team is on an equal playing field in terms of management. This level of freedom and empowerment increases the morale of employees and boosts confidence.
Chevron: Chevron is dedicated to safety, supporting employees, and putting an emphasis on health and wellbeing. Chevron provides on-site health and fitness centers, health-club memberships, and other wellness programs such as massages and personal training. Chevron cares about employees' mental and physical health and lets employees know they are valued.
Warby Parker: This company has been making and selling prescription glasses online at an affordable price since 2010. Culture hacks at Warby Parker instigate creating a positive work culture, setting up fun lunches, events and programs based on the wants and needs of staff. The company makes sure that there is always an upcoming event so the entire team has something to look forward to, and it uses methods to make sure the entire team works well together.
