20 Jul Why care about culture?
Here at OVID we’ve recently been refocusing on our culture along with how it drives our success as a company, and our collective happiness as a team. In this blog post, Helen Pope, OVID Health Director, explores what makes for great company culture and why it matters to us.
When we talk about company culture, we are referring to the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that shape the way we work together within our organisation. This includes our company mission, vision, and goals, as well as the way we interact with each other and our clients.
Clear values and mission
A good culture is built on a strong foundation of shared values and a clear mission that everyone in the company understands and supports. We have recently worked as a company to review and reflect on our values to ensure they truly resonate with us, both internally and externally, and that everyone had a voice and the ability to input into our shared vision for OVID Health.
Open communication
Communication is key to a positive culture. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, and senior leaders should be open to feedback. We have been working collectively as part of our agency development, to encourage open and honest feedback, working on our radical candour skills and building in regular staff surveys and feedback sessions.
Supportive leadership
Leaders should be supportive, empathetic, and prioritise the wellbeing of their employees. Agency life is busy and fast paced but making the time to support and listen to everyone in the team is essential. Regular one-to-one meetings, being aware of other things that are going on in people’s lives outside of work and playing to people’s strengths are all ways in which employees can feel valued and supported.
Opportunities for growth
A good culture provides opportunities for employees to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. We place great importance on having personal development plans, bespoke training and opportunities to work on new and unfamiliar topics to build everyone’s skills.
Work-life balance
A positive culture recognises the importance of work-life balance and supports employees in achieving it. Organising team get togethers, socials and team building exercises, making sure people take their annual leave allowance, offering hybrid working and having a work from anywhere policy are just a few of the things that we do, to make sure we provide a working environment that supports a health work-life balance for our team.
To sum up, having a good company culture is essential to the success of any business. It can lead to increased productivity, improved retention, higher employee satisfaction, and better results overall. By prioritising a positive culture, organisations can create a supportive and engaging environment that benefits everyone involved.