Culture is worth thinking about from the beginning as it is all that matters in a startup. A startup is more like a dream craft in which people board, and culture holds them firmly. What kind of company do you want to build? How do you want your team to treat each other? It all depends on the culture the startup defines. If your startup culture is set right, it is capable of handling the startup by itself.
Here are few tips to get your startup culture right👇
✨Sell Your Vision
As stated, a startup is nothing more than a dream-craft. Nobody wants to board a directionless craft. People board the vessel with hope. And to do justice to the hope, you need to sell your vision. A good picture will help your team members visualize their future both personally and professionally. The initial core team or your initial hires are the ones defining your company and your culture, so make sure that they share the same vision as you become critical. A study says 80% of a company's culture emanates from its founder, and hence the transfer of the founder's inspirations, roots, the founding story to the core team is paramount for alignment on the same axis. This idea will enable a robust cultural base in your organization.
✨Hire Well
If you hire the right people, that's half of your company's culture. A wrong hire can cause a lot of damage to your organization. The HR/recruiter can spot the right hire in many ways, and one of the simplest ways is to hear a lot of 'We' than 'I' from the prospective candidate.
Also, when hiring, look more for attitude than skills. Skill-set is something that trainable over time. In a startup, one must have the right attitude to learn, grow, team spirit, listen, persist, and hard work. These attributes matter more than that of skill-sets. One can improve their skills over time, so does attitude — yet through social interactions and experiences. Hence, hire people with the right attitude. Since businesses are built on people, hiring right becomes the most crucial aspect in setting the culture right.
✨Set the Environment Right
Clever people require a bright work environment. The smart environment need not necessarily mean a high-end posh office. It could also be a garage, but the environment related to infrastructure, co-workers, processes, and surroundings should be conducive to growth, learning, and happiness.
✨Promote Talent
Recognizing and promoting talent is very important. The organizational culture should foster the identification and appreciation of vital potential performers- a monthly or a weekly activity. This matter will boost morale and a productivity-led culture.
✨Work Attitude Based on Inspiration & Personal Growth, Not Fear
Let your startup have a work attitude that focuses on inspirational and personal growth. Fear might drive productivity but only as a short-term measure and will also cause attrition. Nonetheless, inspiration-driven work shall cause more productivity over a long-term period. "Nobody wants to work for a dictator boss!"
✨Share Growth & Celebrate Victory
Learn to communicate and appreciate, and share growth & victory-related accolades. Celebrating for even the smallest of accomplishments will induce happiness within the organization, build a responsible team and boost productivity. This point will facilitate a culture of ownership for both failures and successes.
✨Provide Ownership & Promote Leadership
Most startups make the mistake of not delegating ownership due to fear of failure. But only from failures will the team learn their mistakes. And only by learning from failures are leaders born. Great leaders build great organizations.
Thus, have fun learning startup culture, and good luck finding your dream job! If you're keen to read more of our blog posts, make sure to subscribe and stay tuned every week. Also, follow our Instagram for fascinating news about career development @baikgp @ayureadypodcast!