CorpComms Magazine

1 Formalise your corporate values

Corporate values should encompass the beliefs, attitude and conviction of a company as well as its goals and standards of employee behaviour. A company's values should guide, unite and inspire the firm's leaders, managers and employees. The values should become part of the DNA of the business, help create the organisation's character, and help it stand out from its competitors.

2 Establish a corporate vision

A company vision is important to give a clear sense of where the organisation is going and what it aspires to be. The vision should focus on how the company plans to get there and be constantly communicated to the business. This will inspire employees and help them feel engaged in the future success of the business.

3 Open lines of communication

In order to build and maintain a successful corporate culture it's imperative that a company communicates effectively with its employees. This should involve not only newsletters, intranets, notice boards, and so on, but also face-to-face communications from line managers and senior management. Two-way communication is also critical in creating a strong and sustainable corporate culture, whether through surveys, employee forums or departmental updates.

4 Involve senior management

Senior management members are central to the process of building a corporate culture, including the branding, vision and value. Corporate culture is bigger than HR, marketing or internal communications, and senior management must be engaged to make it a success. Everyone in the business must be able to contribute positively to the culture, but it needs to be led from the top, with clear vision and support from all.

5 Build a strong team

People and strong corporate cultures are the keys to success in today's market place. Businesses need to put their money where their mouth is; companies need to invest in developing their culture by spending on training and leadership, developing their teams, improving internal communication vehicles and looking for increasing numbers of ways to engage employees. Corporate values, beliefs and culture should be reflected in the training and development of employees (as well as the recruitment process) to ensure the right people are hired at the right time.

6 A joint approach

Everyone in the business is responsible for creating a strong corporate culture. Building it, however, requires a joint approach from marketing, communications, human resources and public relations as well as support down the line. It will not succeed if one party isn't on board, so ensure everyone has bought into a single approach to company values and employer branding, and plan regular meetings to stay on track.

7 Investing in the community

Being a good corporate citizen is the right thing to do. Becoming involved in charity and community work also helps your firm build a favourable brand image. This strategy can improve staff engagement, particularly if employees are involved throughout the process and you offer a variety of flexible ways in which the team can participate.

8 Ask for feedback

Staff satisfaction surveys and feedback are crucial if you are to fully understand exactly what people think about an organisation. Staff input and continual feedback are invaluable when developing culture and values, highlighting any areas that need more focus. Again, this will make employees feel included. Other areas that can be measured are employee retention levels and absence rates - if retention is low and absence high, there's a problem.

9 Promote your team's successes

Celebrate your successes. All new company wins and staff successes should be communicated throughout the business via internal communications channels, awards and recognition schemes. This will engender pride and loyalty in employees and generate positive word of mouth. It's also important to communicate successes externally to promote your corporate culture and employee brand to potential future employees. Press releases, newspaper articles, awards and accreditations are great for getting your company culture and success noticed.

10 Share the passion

Have passion for what you do and others will look for ways to support you. Believe in yourself and your team, be positive and continue to search for ways to raise the bar and exceed your customers' expectations. Surround yourself with the best possible team you can find and make sure you develop and inspire it. And while you're doing all this, don't forget to have a bit of fun in the process!

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