What is Company Culture and Why do I need a Video promoting it?
This may be the question you are asking. Your company has asked you to put something together to demonstrate your company’s positive culture. You are looking to impress potential employees enough to want to become a part of your team. Let’s take a look at the definition and some key aspects we need to focus on to create a Company Culture Video. One that will set you apart from the competition.
There are no doubt many aspects of a work environment that could be considered Company Culture. Here is a list of ten that stand out as particularly worth paying attention to:
• Purpose or Mission
• Values or Ethics
• Work environment
• Expectations and Goals
• Enjoyment
• Learning
• Caring
• Order
• Safety
• Authority
But if you prefer to watch a video instead, click here:
What is Company Culture?
Company Culture speaks to the personality and feel of a company, typically from the perspective of an employee. It answers the question, ‘What is it like to work here?’ as well as specifically speaking to different aspects of the working environment, as seen in the above list. How does the machinery and process of working within this particular space happen?
Company Culture historically was a more subconscious understanding of the ways things are in a space. This would involve processes and communication, systems and hierarchies, what you are able to get away with and not. But more recently, companies have become aware of the significance of naming the culture of a company as well as producing written and visual content especially for people considering joining the company.
The Significance of Company Culture
Employees who fit comfortably into the culture of a company are much more likely to enjoy their time at their workplace which means an increase in their productivity and output. Workers tend to increase their effectiveness in a space where they feel like their values, goals, and needs are consistent with those in the workplace.
Thus it benefits both the company and those working there. This will often be communicated by way of a Company Mission statement. This communicates to everyone what the core values of the working environment are and how best to positively impact the company and its clients by fulfilling the role you have been placed in.
Company Culture Video
This is where the Company Culture Video comes in. A short captivating video is an ideal way to communicate both to present employees as well as possible future employees what your company is all about.
What is really exciting to know from the get-go, is that there is no standard format for what this looks like. Sheena Christensen, in this article ‘10 Companies that Totally Nailed the Company Culture Video’ demonstrates that there is a wide range of ways for you to achieve this.
Build your own voice
Because the point of this video is letting people know what it is like to work in this space, each one will obviously carry its own specific tone and style. This gives you a lot of creative freedom to play around with as you consider how to put yours together. Sheena looks at companies as diverse as Apple, TOMS, and Zendesk and shows how each company was able to put their specific spin on their company culture video.
Because there is no handbook. In a sense, there are no rules. What is most important is capturing the heart and spirit of your particular space. And who best to do that then the men and women who already understand what being part of your organization is all about.
The Call to New Employees
What better way to attract the kind of people you want working for you, than a short video which taps into the kind of culture they will choose to be a part of. A video is helpful because beyond simply sharing facts about working in the space, it can effectively communicate things such as tone, formality, enjoyment, and expectation and really help those who watch it get a feel for the space.
Good company culture is one where each employee knows the values of the company by heart. Beyond that, positive company culture often extends to the lives of the employees beyond the required work: personal and professional development, opportunities for employees to get together for personal activities, extra-mural experiences, and more. These can be both within and outside of company hours, like that shared drink after work on a Friday in a popular spot around the corner.
What does Company Culture include?
Any list of what makes up Company Culture is likely to have some gaps. Here are some of the more important aspects that you will likely want to prioritize:
- Purpose or Mission: Some type of mission statement that let’s those working with you know in the bigger picture what you are all about.
- Values or Ethics: This might be linked to, or part of, the Mission Statement. What good does your company do within the world at large?
- Work Environment: What kind of feel does this workspace have? Does this lean more towards a stricter, formal structure or is there a more casual looser approach with more space to arrive as yourself?
- Expectations and Goals: As a person working within this greater company, does it offer space for you to grow and pursue things that are important for you both in the professional and personal sphere?
- Enjoyment: Is there space made for people to have fun?
- Learning: What might be provided for me to learn and grow in my field? Or even possibilities to experience other areas beyond my initial qualification?
- Caring: Beyond simply being a corporate machine, is there evidence that this company will see me as a person? Will they take into account the fact that I have a life and family outside of their walls?
- Order: Is this a space that gets work done. Sometimes a company culture that tries too hard on the Enjoyment and Work Environment aspects might fail to give a sense of professionalism and accountability. Is this a place where I can play and also work hard?
- Safety: Have the proper channels been put in place to ensure that everyone who works here is safely looked after. From a physical but also an emotional or psychological area.
- Authority: Is this company taken seriously? Do we provide a service or create a product that I want to get behind and have my name next to?
As I said, this list is not exhaustive. But these are a number of helpful aspects you will want to keep in mind when designing your company culture video. It may also be that more than one video is required to communicate different of these aspects in a variety of spaces.
Telling your story
At the end of the day, having an effective Company Culture video is all about great communication.
How do you make something like working with insurance come across as interesting? What can you do to sell an accountancy workspace? How do you make a company doing the work many other companies do grab your attention? In today’s modern workspace, Company Culture videos have become one of the most effective ways for businesses, both large and small, to attract new talent or raise the morale of those already working there.
Great Videos Tell Great Stories
So there you have it – the Why and the What of effective Company Culture videos. All that’s left is the How. As we’ve already explored, so much of this will depend on your particular company. The culture you presently have and that which you are looking to create and invite others into.
There are really as many different ways of doing this as there are videos. But let me end by giving you some ideas of some of the aspects you might want to explore when planning yours.
- Great Videos tell Great Stories: More than anything else, you will want to keep this in mind. There is a story you want to share and that is going to be the absolute heart of your video
- The Best Videos have Heart: Company culture with regards to the work is important. But at the end of the day employees want to believe that your company has their best interests at heart.
- Let your Values Shine: People gravitate towards spaces that resonate with their Values. Make sure your video shares the Values of your working space front and center.
- Humor can be the most effective hook: Laughter is strongly linked to trust. When you put a smile on someone’s face, they know that this is the place for them.
- Music moves people: The right music accompanying a Company Culture video makes a world of difference. Music plays to the emotions and draws people in.
- Highlight your Strengths: You don’t have to tell the whole story in your video. Just enough to help people decide that this is where they want to be. Let your strengths do all the talking.
Above all, be honest. When you are honest about what it is like for someone to work at your company, then candidates can make better, more informed decisions that will be backed up when they start working with you.
The best-made company culture videos are going to do most of the work for you. Grab the attention of potential future employees while you sit back and watch them arrive.
All the best. You’ve got this!
