4 Ways to Preserve Company Culture as You Scale Your Business

4 Ways to Preserve Company Culture as You Scale Your Business

by Anne Bachrach (USA)

Your business is scaling, which is great! It means that your business is successful and growing, as is your team. And it’s more important now than ever to preserve your company’s culture, or what made it so great in the first place.

A symptom of rapid expansion can be feeling like the spirit of the company is not the same as it once was. With more people joining your team, they can have an impact on the overall culture of the company. More individual personalities means more voices, and the core set of values that you once established may be lost among the noise.

Scaling your business does not mean you need to choose between success and a strong company culture—in fact, if your culture is well-defined, many of your new hires will echo those values and uphold them as they help you grow your business.

Let’s explore four ways to preserve your company culture as your team continues to grow.

1. Have a well-defined set of company values.

Your company culture is what is demonstrated through actions, not words. That being said, start with a well-defined and well-documented set of company values. Reflect on what sets your company apart, but make sure to focus on the qualities you value, not the perks and benefits.

For example, it’s more meaningful to say that part of your company culture is to value work-life balance and recognising that it means something different to each person, than to say you offer 15 vacation days per year.

To go even deeper, you could say your company values work-life balance, but if every manager is staying up late working and not using their vacation days, that trickles down to the culture of the individual team members. Nobody wants to be caught stopping work earlier than their boss. Actions, like in this example, speak much louder than words.

Your company values should be documented where every team member can easily find it, such as an employee handbook or onboarding document, and the values should also be talked about. Remind team members of your values in weekly stand-ups, or on company branded presentations, or in meetings with clients. Make it a priority to routinely assess whether you’re setting an example of these values and if they still make sense for your company as you scale.

2. Hire for culture fit first.

Preserving company culture starts with who you hire. Technical skills can be taught, but at the core of your company is its people. What are the qualities you’re looking for in a potential candidate? What are their values?

When you begin the interview process, make sure your values are clearly defined to the candidate and create a set of interview questions that can assess culture fit. About 46% of newly hired employees will fail within the first 18 months—set them up for success before they even come on board.

Look for candidates who have done their research and are self-aware about their strengths and weaknesses. If you have clearly defined your company culture before and during the interview and the candidate feels like they align with your values, they will feel a part of the team from day one.

Source: iCN Issue 46  (Group & Team Coaching); pages 42-44

About Anne Bachrach

She has over 25 years of experience training and coaching.  Business owners and entrepreneurs who utilise Anne’s proven systems and processes work less, make more money, and have a more balanced and successful life. Anne is the author of the books, Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule!, and Live Life with No Regrets; How the Choices We Make Impact Our Lives, No Excuses!, and The Work Life Balance Emergency Kit.

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