Apr 22, 2024
What is the greatest key to unlocking a workplace’s unlimited potential? Culture.
Sure it’s a big buzzword—but not every company can rise to the occasion and build an exceptional place to work.
Workplace culture is so much more than who you talk to at work, who you report to, or your work modality. Workplace culture as a whole refers to the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that characterize an organization. It encompasses the collective norms and practices that shape the work environment, interactions among employees, and overall organizational identity. Everything that impacts culture also influences how employees perceive their roles, engage with colleagues, and approach tasks and challenges.
Andrei Antonescu is a passionate community builder and culture creator—currently the Employee Engagement & Communications Specialist at Racepoint Global.
“The role that I'm currently in is focused on the overall employee experience,” he explains. “The entirety of my job is within the lens of an employee’s journey: beginning with recruitment, initial onboarding, the first 90 days, and throughout the entirety of their tenure in the agency to their exit.”
“We want Racepoint Global to be the most rewarding place anyone will ever work - knowing that folks could be here during any point of their career. What I love about the work that I do is that I wear many hats to ensure that employees feel connected, valued, and rewarded.”
“What are the first things that come to mind when you consider company culture?”
“Everyone brings a unique value and perspective to the table — and it's very important to meet a person where they already are. That is something that I think we do well and where many companies could miss the mark. It instills a sense of belonging already because instead of considering how a person will ‘fit’ into an organization, we focus on how they will ‘add’ to the culture” he adds.
Another important insight Andrei stressed with us was that culture sharing does not end during onboarding - you should be continuously sharing and invited to live your company’s values and behaviors. He also mentioned the importance of promoting communication and transparency in all things and establishing clear goal-setting for performance. These are sure-fire ways to increase employee retention, which correlates to a stronger employee culture.
“What are dead giveaways showing a company has a solid, positive culture? What about the opposite?”
“One thing that stands out among the rest is a true investment in your employees - not just talking the talk but walking it too. Do they have access to the best tools that make their jobs easier? Are your employees organically talking about culture without being prompted? Are there advocates for your culture in your organization talking about their experiences?” Andrei tells us excitedly.
“Something to be curious about exploring is if your organization has a high percentage of voluntary turnover in your industry as this could be a negative indication of workplace culture. It’s important to ground yourself and have a healthy relationship with your industry metrics as a way to gain insights.”
Andrei mentions a lot of intangibles that help create amazing workplaces—inclusivity, recognizing good work, and authenticity. When companies uphold these values and remain accountable to uphold them, we build cultures that last.
“In your opinion, what is easy for companies to lose sight of or not consider in the employee experience?”
“I mentioned earlier the importance of having a healthy relationship with industry benchmarks. I believe it’s important to gain insights into the data from your engagement surveys, performance reviews, and feedback loops - and compare these with what’s going on in your industry. But results alone shouldn't define everything that you do. It’s definitely a balance.” Andrei explains.
Andrei gave us an example of how they incorporated engagement survey data to make key investments that would overall improve the work life and culture at Racepoint Global.
“Over the past year, we’ve sought to invest in the right tools and software. Through our engagement survey, we've discovered gaps that were important to close and invest in. We knew that giving access to these tools would in turn increase our employee experience and in turn, have a positive effect on employee culture.” These investments included the most optimal project management tool and performance management tool.
“It’s always important to keep testing and not only ask for employee feedback but incorporate it,” Andrei says.
How can leaders/employees come together to nurture their work culture?
“I think it's important to integrate constant touch points where leaders and employees can chat specifically about their interactions that feed culture — whether that's 1:1 during recurring weekly or monthly meetings or in a small peer group. Checking in on where folks celebrated culture or could improve interactions is key.” Andrei emphasizes.
“Asking questions such as; where do people feel like they’re adding to the culture or where they are showing up? It’s about being fearless with giving and receiving feedback, inviting folks to be their authentic selves, and grounding yourself in an organization’s values and behaviors,” he adds.
Great workplaces start with great foundations within the culture. It’s up to team leaders and decision-makers to support and champion their team. Andrei leaves us with this:
“We have to remain compassionate with each other and respect that there are many external factors that play into the work we do. People have good days and bad days, but it’s our responsibility to create a rewarding culture together and always assume positive intent. This isn’t a one-sided relationship, it’s a two-way street that is grounded in behaviors and values that are unique to each company.”
