Harvard Business Review captures the issue well: “While hypergrowth companies face many obstacles, research shows that talent is their primary growth challenge. And one of their biggest talent priorities is how to scale and maintain culture. Culture, or the underlying beliefs and values that shape an organization, can indeed be difficult to manage when a company scales from 10 to 1,000 employees.”
Difficult, but not impossible. At my company, we work tirelessly to create and maintain a good culture from the moment a new team member is hired. We want to ensure that every new employee is a good culture fit. In fact, it is our number one priority when hiring.
Identify and Promote One Singular Mission
When a company is growing quickly, whether through acquisitions or steadfast hiring, it’s important to have a singular mission. Regardless of role or position, ensure that everyone is aligned to and passionate about that mission so that everyone is working toward the same thing.
When you’re leading brands in several different verticals or merging two businesses, it is important to have a singular mission and culture to synthesize it all into one family. When a company has many different functions carried out in multiple offices, a common mission helps foster a sense of community.
Simple, concise communication from the top helps steer the ship and reminds employees what culture they’re working to uphold. Strong top-down communication also allows for a robust, day-one initiation for new employees. Whether they come in as a new hire or through acquisition, you’ll be able to bring them into the fold swiftly and successfully without missing a beat.
At my company, we lead from the top. When everyone — including those in key positions — exemplify the mission and culture, the entire organization knows that these messages are more
than just words on a page. Regardless of what part, level, or location of the business the employee represents, they know they’re a part of something bigger.
Communication Drives Culture
However, as important as strong communication is when creating company culture, it’s important to recognize that communication is a two-way street. Survey all positions, regardless of level, to keep a pulse on your culture so you can gather feedback, double down on what is working, and correct what isn’t.
You can’t simply tell someone what the culture is and expect them to buy into it. They have to know the “why” and truly believe in it in order to work towards enhancing it. Take concrete steps to gather data on employee satisfaction. When you are able to tangibly measure intangible aspects of the employee experience, you can make real progress.
Inc’s insight into feedback — and the importance of leadership making an effort to get in the trenches alongside employees, really resonates with me: “One sure way to lose that tight-knit feel and culture is to stop getting feedback from employees. Maintaining an open-door policy helps your business stay grounded. Get out of the office. Work a day on your production line or ride along with the delivery driver. You will learn valuable things, and people will see that you still care.”
Embrace and Promote Traditions
As an organization grows quickly, it’s easy to let traditions fall to the wayside. Whether it’s ringing a big bell when something goes well or treating the team to lunch on Fridays, it’s important to keep the grassroots feel from the early days. This helps breed loyalty and reminds everyone to engage with their work community in fun, social ways.
When companies are growing at a fast pace, it’s critical to create and cultivate a strong and inclusive culture. In the time of The Great Resignation, a lack of culture and values is a surefire way to lose your best talent. Put in the time and build a positive company culture.
