This is a guide to the importance & best practices of company culture committees.
A company culture committee is a cross-functional group of employees responsible for promoting and driving the organization’s intended culture. This committee guarantees that the company considers employees’ perspectives when making decisions that affect them. However, this committee does not manage nor change the company’s overall culture, and executive leadership still bears this obligation.
The aim of this group is to improve company culture and improve the working environment for employees. Culture committees are an example of employee engagement strategies.
This article contains:
- definition
- benefits
- importance
- best practices
- announcement examples
- sample meeting agenda
- culture committee goals
Let’s get right into it!
What is a company culture committee?
A company culture committee is a team of employees from different parts of the company who come together to ensure the company’s culture is strong and positive. This group is like the “culture guardians” of the organization. The team’s main role is to ensure that the whole company shares the same values, beliefs, and working methods.
To accomplish this goal, the committee plans and organizes various activities and events. These activities aim to bring employees closer together, help them understand the company’s values, and make work more enjoyable. For example, the committee might set up fun team building games or create awards to recognize outstanding employees. By doing these activities, the committee helps create a sense of belonging and motivation among the employees.
The committee also acts as a voice for the employees. This group listens to what folks think about the company’s culture and then shares this feedback with the company’s leaders. This way, the team ensures that the culture is always evolving and improving to meet the needs and expectations of the employees. Ultimately, one of the leading company culture committee benefits is to make sure that working at the company feels like being part of a supportive and positive community.
The importance and benefits of a company culture committee
The company culture committee can potentially be a driver of progress. Members work to identify, discuss, plan and expose issues pertaining to corporate culture. The committee’s size, objectives, and structure depend on the company’s size, budget, and employee engagement levels. The development of well-thought-out committees may have a tremendous impact on companies.
Some of the company culture committee’s importance include:
1. Represent diverse employees’ interests
A company will potentially become more diverse as it expands. If you are not speaking with different employees, it might be difficult to represent the demands of a broad group. Representation is a major consideration when forming committees. You can form the group using factors like gender, color, ethnicity, or any other demographic elements. The culture committees may help you better understand the broader audience’s feelings.
The company culture committee’s importance includes:
- Act as eyes and ears: Members of the committee may act as your foot soldiers when it comes to hearing and seeing workers’ opinions about their work environment, their bosses, working conditions, and company objectives.
- Come up with fresh ideas. Employees frequently come up with the finest ideas. A culture committee is a systematic method for obtaining a steady supply of new and innovative ideas.
- Create a sense of community: Employees are more likely to accept change when they have a role in the decision-making process. Before implementing new procedures or regulations, a culture committee can help solicit opinions, suggestions, and commitments from the workforce.
Executive leadership is not always correct. Employees’ ability to adapt to organizational changes will get a considerable boost if they can get a grassroots perspective on these changes.
2. Ensure the progress of the objectives of the company’s culture
One of the company culture committee benefits is the progress of the culture’s objectives. Forming a company culture committee ensures that there are workers within the company, ensuring accountability. You can develop SMART objectives relating to corporate culture and share them with your committee members. After that, urge your staff to review your objectives and inquire about the promised deliverables.
For example, your committee can hold you accountable if your objective is to have six corporate culture events each year. If you fail to plan and hold these events annually, then you are deviating from your objectives. If you miss a target deadline, you may delegate responsibility for following through to your culture committee.
Also, the company culture committee may assist in developing business culture objectives. It seems reasonable that this group would assist with goal preparation, given that their committee would focus on culture. Either way, your organization will have a more positive culture.
3. Improve the company’s retention rate
A culture committee plays a pivotal role in increasing employee retention by fostering a positive and engaging work environment. Through recognition programs and professional development initiatives, the committee ensures that employees feel valued, appreciated, and supported in their careers. The committee also shows a commitment to aligning company values with employee goals. Further, this group channels employee feedback into tangible improvements. By reducing turnover and its associated costs, a culture committee enhances employee satisfaction and workplace stability.
A culture committee’s roles and responsibilities
An organization’s culture is evident in task execution and contributes to employee productivity. Thus, a culture committee may drive change in the senior leadership team by concentrating on the methods and approach to doing business.
Here are a few examples of what a culture committee does for an organization:
1. Review and refine corporate values
All company’s actions stem from its basic values. These are the values that the firm aspires to uphold and their actions to achieve them. The committee has the authority to assess the degree to which the company’s workforce shares its current values.
2. Plan and organize events
The culture committee has the important job of planning and organizing events. The group starts by coming up with ideas that fit the company’s culture. Then, the committee plans each detail, like where the event will happen and when. The team also tells the company whole about the activity. During the event, the team makes sure participants have a good time. Afterward, the team asks folks how they liked the experience and write down what happened. This process helps make sure events are fun and meaningful, and it brings employees closer together.
3. Be a catalyst for change
The committee can make suggestions for improvements to their executive sponsor and their senior leadership team, even if they do not control corporate culture. Rather than only serving as a reservoir for employee sentiment, the committee members should serve as a “voice of the people” who actively works to dismantle obstacles to change.
4. Identify and acknowledge progress
The committee will celebrate progress towards their model culture every time they meet a minor objective. Team-building activities, birthday parties, and friendly contests amongst departments are all examples of ways to celebrate the small wins.
How to create a company culture committee
The following are key factors for creating a successful culture committee:
1. Announcement and Gauging Interest
Announcements play a crucial role in launching and maintaining company culture committees. When introducing the concept of a culture committee, team leaders should make clear and enthusiastic announcements highlighting the committee’s purpose and potential benefits.
Announcement examples include:
- Exciting News! We’re launching our company culture committee. This group will enhance our workplace environment and foster a sense of community. Join us in shaping a brighter future for our organization!
- Want to make a positive impact at work? The new culture committee is looking for enthusiastic team members to help create a more inclusive and enjoyable workplace. Learn how you can get involved in our next announcement!
- Introducing our culture committee’s mission: To make our workplace more vibrant and engaging. Stay tuned for announcement updates on upcoming projects, and discover how you can contribute to our shared success.
Further, gauging interest is essential for ensuring the success of these committees. Surveys, open discussions, and feedback mechanisms can help the committee tailor their efforts to match the interests and needs of the workforce.
2. Representation
A Korn Ferry study shows that businesses that value diversity outperform their counterparts in terms of innovation and productivity. However, these employees must get a place at the table and on your committee if they are to make a real impact.
The company’s culture committee members should be as diverse as possible. Having a diverse representation on your company’s culture committee means including members from all levels of the business, regardless of position, tenure, seniority, or department. This system ensures every worker has a say, irrespective of their place in the company. You also need a diverse population in terms of age, color, and gender to create an inclusive and positive environment.
3. Budget allocation
Budget allocation for a culture committee means giving the group the money they need to do their important work. This money helps the committee plan and organize events that make work more enjoyable and meaningful for employees. The budget covers aspects like renting places for events, providing food, and getting materials for workshops. Some of the budget also goes toward recognizing employees who do outstanding work, which makes workers feel good about their jobs.
Besides events and recognition, some of the money goes into communication. Writing a clear culture committee announcement means making posters, newsletters, and emails to inform the company about events and activities. This money can also pay for tools that help committee members talk and work together.
A part of the budget is used for training committee members so they can do their jobs well. Training could include learning about how to be good leaders or how to plan events effectively. This budget allocation shows that the company cares about its culture and employees.
4. Leadership participation
Company culture committees are crucial to ensure employee participation and enhance culture generally, but grassroots initiatives conducted entirely by workers can only go so far. These initiatives will not succeed unless a leadership team member offers support.
Leadership sponsorship is vital for a few reasons. When it comes to cultural projects, you will usually need a budget, however small. It is unlikely that your committee will get access to the company’s finances unless you have a member who works in finance and dares to undertake some creative accounting.
However, it is not only money that makes a difference in leadership support. The company’s culture committee members need to fulfill their work responsibilities. It is entirely up to members how much effort they put into preserving the corporate culture. Leadership support shows that the committee’s efforts are worthwhile. The support demonstrates acknowledgment that the committee’s jobs benefit the company’s culture.
5. Dedication
An organization’s culture committee’s output tends to be easier to notice than its input. By working themselves into the DNA of a company’s culture, the committee can influence processes, from team-building activities to the company’s basic values to even the onboarding. However, this situation requires significant time and effort.
As committee organizers, one of HR’s roles will be to clarify the time commitment required. Before joining, each member of the company’s culture committee should understand the level of dedication expected. There is no guilt in rejecting a candidate who is not a good match for the team. There will be limitations on what you can do if a committee member cannot put in the required effort and dedication.
6. Good policies and guidelines
Even if your committee comprises people who are really committed to promoting workplace culture, that dedication might mean little if they cannot bring new ideas to fit the culture committee meeting agenda. Even if you have a plethora of drivers who are eager to contribute to the development of culture, stagnancy is still a problem. The dynamism of fresh ideas and the sparkle of creative thought are the lifeblood of culture. If you want to maintain a healthy committee, you need regulations in place to prevent members from overstaying their tenure. This system will ensure new workers can join.
When putting up a committee, It is crucial to note that culture changes constantly. Of course, the committee’s efforts will play a role, but so will the natural course of events. In part, this is because the vitality of culture is constantly contingent on the company’s demands.
A company’s culture committee must thus be in constant communication with other employees to keep tabs on shifts in the culture’s demands. However, if your committee is well-equipped, it will ensure that culture flourishes.
Company culture committee best practices
If you have decided to launch your company culture committee, the following are best practices to consider:
1. Note the team’s demographics
You should know your team’s demographics before beginning a committee. This knowledge will ensure adequate representation. You can identify the demographics by sending out a survey.
This information from the survey will help you fill up your committee, as you will be able to notice any intriguing patterns. Be sure to take a closer look at your company’s diverse constituencies. A few examples include female managers, administrative personnel, long-tenured workers, and new hires, as well as ethnic groupings. Regardless of how you decide to strike the right balance, build a committee that represents your company. Also, avoid making this decision hastily.
It is important to have a committee with a wide range of experience so that your firm may benefit from the richness of ideas that come from a diversified range of perspectives.
2. Secure leadership support
A culture committee is doomed to fail unless it has the support of the company’s executives. A senior executive, such as the CEO or CHRO should sponsor the team. This executive should commit to discussing your results with the organization ongoingly, both officially and informally. Executive reports should include goals and successes. You should ensure that leadership is willing and committed to executing the change proposals.
3. Get volunteers
Volunteers are the best way to start a committee. You should look towards employees with a natural interest in improving the organization for their coworkers. After that, determine underrepresented voices based on your demographics. You should be ready to explain why you think the employee would be a good addition to the company culture committee.
While at it, you need to create a detailed explanation of the culture committee goals and responsibilities. The document needs to include details like the committee member’s tenure, selection criteria, and meeting times. Employees may fill out this form to show their interest in the company’s programs. You should let your employees know about this opportunity. You can also make culture committee announcements during meetings to keep employees aware.
4. Work with other departments
Other company departments should get regular updates while you search for volunteers. Focusing on culture from a leadership standpoint is great, but it can also hinder gaining participation from other employees.
After deciding to form a committee to address corporate culture issues, talk to other executives about how they would want to participate.
6. Establish a process and draft a charter
You can get a template online to outline the committee’s purpose and how it will work. Determine the length of each member’s tenure and the procedure for adding and removing committee members. The terms and conditions should be in writing.
As soon as your charter is in place, you should document your committee’s objectives and the process of communicating processes with your executive sponsor. As a committee member, you should be reporting to your sponsor at least once a quarter, if not more often. You want your committee’s update to be in the official leadership update as a reminder.
7. Measure and evaluate initiatives
Measurement and evaluation involve checking how well the culture committee’s activities are going. The committee sets clear targets, like making employees happier or more engaged. Then, the team uses special tools, like surveys or employee feedback, to see if they are hitting those targets. By doing this process regularly, the committee can figure out what is working well and what needs to change.
8. Document plans and activities
Documentation helps keep track of all the activities and initiatives the culture committee plans. The team writes down their plans, event activities, and employee opinions. This journal helps the committee remember what worked and what did not in the past. This documentation also helps the group communicate and explain to others, like the company’s leaders, what they have been doing to make the workplace better. This way, all stakeholders can see the progress the committee has made and their impact on the company’s culture.
Sample meeting agenda
Company culture committee meetings should aim to improve the workplace environment and foster community spirit.
To get you started, here is a sample meeting agenda for a company culture committee:
1. Welcome and Introductions (5 minutes)
- Chairperson welcomes attendees
- Quick round of introductions for new members
2. Review of Previous Meeting Minutes (5 minutes)
- Briefly go over the minutes from the last meeting
- Address any outstanding action items or follow-ups
3. Committee Goals and Objectives (10 minutes)
- Review the mission and objectives of the culture committee
- Discuss progress toward achieving goals and identify any challenges
4. Upcoming Culture Initiatives (15 minutes)
- Present and discuss any upcoming events, programs, or initiatives
- Assign responsibilities for planning and execution
- Set timelines and deadlines for each initiative
5. Employee Feedback and Ideas (10 minutes)
- Share feedback and ideas collected from employees
- Brainstorm potential improvements or new initiatives based on feedback
6. Communication and Promotion (10 minutes)
- Discuss strategies for promoting culture initiatives within the company
- Plan how to communicate updates to all employees effectively
7. Budget and Resources (10 minutes)
- Review the committee’s budget and available resources
- Discuss any funding needs for upcoming projects
8. Training and Development (10 minutes)
- Explore opportunities for committee members to enhance their skills or knowledge related to culture-building
- Determine if any training or resources are required
9. Open Floor for Additional Ideas and Concerns (5 minutes)
- Allow committee members to raise any additional matters or suggestions
10. Next Meeting and Action Items (5 minutes)
- Schedule the next meeting, confirm date, time, and location
- Summarize action items and responsible parties
11. Closing Remarks (5 minutes)
- Thank members for their participation and contributions
- Encourage ongoing collaboration and engagement
12. Adjournment
This sample meeting agenda can serve as a template for your company culture committee meetings. To fit your specific needs and priorities, you can customize this template in any way you wish.
List of company culture committee ideas
In today’s workforce, many employees say they consider the company’s culture over the pay rate. Furthermore, companies where team members do not feel important often have high turnover rates. Here are some of the best company culture committee ideas you can implement in your workplace to keep team members happy and engaged.
1. Create a Company Culture Committee
If you have not already done so, establish a committee to organize and plan positive workplace culture activities. This team of employees will be responsible for tracking the pulse of the workplace and ensuring the company embodies its values.
Having a team in charge of this task helps keep the desired culture the main focus in the busyness of everyday work. Therefore, when you are filling this committee, be sure to select team members representing a variety of ages, cultures, and genders.
Learn more about company culture committees.
2. Host Regular Team Meals
Eating together is one of the best company culture committee events and a great way to build relationships. There are different ways to implement team meals depending on your budget.
For example, consider feeding the team once a week or a month. The comped meal will be a nice treat for employees, and it also takes a slight sting off their grocery bills. However, if hosting a company-wide dinner is not feasible, then consider planning regular potlucks. With this approach, team members bring food to share, and everyone enjoys a delicious meal together. Feel free to change up the theme and focus on different types of food each session.
3. Establish a Buddy System
In large companies, separate departments operate in vastly different spheres. When respective teams have little to no contact with each other, they might not know what is going on with the other. When there is little to no communication between departments, productivity suffers.
A great way to combat this problem is to set up a buddy system. You can create partnerships between departments by encouraging relationships between groups. If you pair up a team member from one department with someone from another, communication and productivity will increase. You can encourage these pairs to plan monthly coffee or lunch dates. Plus, stronger relationships lead to a more robust company culture.
4. Start Interest Groups
Often, employees only focus on work tasks together. However, when team members keep all their attention on the job, they often overlook personal aspects that would develop deeper relationships.
Starting interest groups in the office is a great way to enhance relationships among team members, and to connect colleagues that might not otherwise interact. You can ask coworkers who are passionate about a topic to lead a group or encourage volunteers to plan some activities. Examples might include hiking clubs, woodworking demonstrations, or crafting nights.
If your office is virtual, then you can create Slack channels for these clubs. For example, TeamBuilding has had online interoffice Slack clubs for cooking, Tarot reading, learning sign language, makeup, and roleplaying games.
5. Focus on Diversity
Thanks to culturally diverse backgrounds, employees have unique thoughts, ideas, and skills to bring to the workplace. Employers should acknowledge and recognize these differences.
If you create an environment that encourages diversity, employees feel comfortable being their true selves. With this comfort comes inspiration and ideas. When team members come together from different cultures and backgrounds, good things happen, and dynamic ideas follow.
Here is a list of diversity and inclusion activities for the office.
6. Encourage Employees to Follow Their Passions
One of the best ways to create a positive work culture is to encourage team members to chase their dreams. If you have the budget, then consider offering employees a stipend each year to grow their hobbies. This stipend can go towards classes, equipment, or events. If there is no room in the budget, then offering monthly classes on various topics might be a suitable alternative.
Encouraging individual growth among team members will directly relate to company growth. Creating a work-life balance is imperative to happy and invested employees.
7. Have an Open Door Policy
One of the best culture committee activities to implement is an open-door policy, especially among senior leadership. This policy does not mean employees have 24/7 access to the CEO. Instead, leadership should establish times when team members know they can approach upper managers throughout the week.
When executives set up weekly or monthly office hours where employees know they can bring their questions and concerns to the boss, it creates an open and accountable work environment. Plus, setting up specific times encourages those with concerns or ideas to prepare their ideas for a timely presentation. It is impactful to create a dynamic where junior employees know leadership will listen to their ideas.
8. Celebrate Together
Getting in the holiday spirit is a wonderful way to enhance the culture of the workplace. Culture committee activities should include holiday parties throughout the year. For example, host Valentine’s, July 4th, Labor Day, and Halloween parties. Or, choose whatever holidays are important to your team.
If you have an in-office environment, then coworkers spend most of this time in close quarters. Focusing on building relationships is essential for a positive work environment.
Some of the best company culture committee events are social activities planned for the whole group. For example, host a company picnic, plan a watch party for a major sporting event, or organize an Office Olympics. There are many ways to build up your team while encouraging fun. These events encourage social relationships among team members outside of work.
Here is a list of office party ideas for inspiration.
9. Celebrate Milestones
Recognizing important milestones and anniversaries is meaningful for new and established team members. There are many large and small ideas depending on how important or impactful the event is. For example, consider a mug or plaque for a first anniversary. However, offer a more substantial gift like a large cash bonus or sabbatical at the ten-year mark. If your team is remote, then you can mark milestones by making an announcement in a Slack channel and sending the team member a digital gift card.
10. Focus on Wellness
Stress is bound to happen even in the most productive and adjusted work environments. Finding ways to deal with stress enhances the culture of the company.
Encouraging team members to focus on their health is beneficial to employees and the company. For example, you can focus on wellness by offering a monthly stipend for gym memberships, hosting a weekly yoga session on-site, or encouraging daily meditation. You can also institute wellness and fitness challenges that encourage team members to adopt healthy habits by tracking progress publicly on a shared spreadsheet.
Check out more employee wellness ideas.
11. Utilize All Positions
There are many roles in office settings that go under-utilized. Analyzing what roles perform which tasks can drastically increase productivity. For example, consider if a task an employee is doing should go to the office administrator, or potentially hire someone to tackle odd jobs.
Furthermore, be sure you properly use interns. Often, summer interns become experts at daily coffee runs. However, these young and ambitious temporary employees can meaningfully contribute to the company. Plus, investing in interns often yields high-quality employees down the road. Utilizing all positions better improves job satisfaction among all employees.
12. Plan Regular Townhall Meetings
A town hall is an informal meeting where participants are encouraged to ask questions to a leader. This setup is essential because it gives team members, an active part in the discussion. If you give employees a chance to ask open and honest questions, then they will feel seen and heard.
You can either plan a town hall meeting virtually or in person, depending on your company’s logistics. If you have a smaller team, then an in-person meeting once a month or quarter is a fantastic way to encourage participation. However, a remote town hall via Zoom or Google Meet allows all team members to sign in, observe, and ask questions. Town hall meetings are excellent company culture committee events.
Companies can also use town halls to recognize good things happening in the group, give shoutouts to exceptional employees, and welcome new team members. Town halls are significant in remote offices with limited daily interaction.
Here is a list of all-hands meeting ideas.
13. Do Not Ignore Failures
One of the worst pitfalls to a company’s culture is to pretend failure does not exist. No company in the history of work has been without mistakes and mishaps. Furthermore, to be successful in the long run, it is essential to learn from mistakes.
One of the best company culture committee ideas is to find a way to address and move forward after a team member makes a mistake. A mature and appropriate way to deal with failures will encourage new ideas and risk-taking. Employees aware of their company’s support are more likely to innovate. Learning happens through trial and error. As a culture committee, you can plan events and initiatives that encourage team members to share failures in a group setting so that employees can see that their peers are not perfect and that leadership treats mistakes as learning moments.
14. Ask the Team
Many participants do not want to take the time to answer survey questions about a random topic. However, office surveys offer essential insight into the thoughts and opinions of team members. By asking employees for their feedback, you show them their ideas matter. However, be careful not to send out too many surveys as they can get tedious, and employees will start to ignore them.
Check out this list of sample employee engagement survey questions.
15. Set Up a New Hire Mentorship Program
Getting hired at a new company can be overwhelming. Establishing a mentorship or ambassador program is one of the best ways to ease the transition and set new team members up for success. You can assign an experienced mentor to guide each new hire through the onboarding process.
This mentorship is beneficial while the new employee settles in and beyond. A senior team member can be a sounding board and work friend to younger or newer employees. This partnership can help develop both teammates and enhance the work environment.
Here is a list of mentorship program ideas.
16. Focus on Work-Life Balance
Creating an atmosphere with work-life balance is essential. There are many policies a company can put in place to increase happiness and encourage a good balance for employees. Paid family leave, flexible scheduling, or hosting company picnics are great ways to include families in team members’ work lives. If possible, allow team members to be partially or fully remote.
Along the lines of focusing on families, consider your new parent policies. Frequently, new parents feel overwhelmed when it is time to leave to have their new baby and upon returning to work. Having policies in place that take the stress off of these transitions will help team members. For example, consider longer paid leave periods for births and ease team members back into the workplace by offering a flexible work-from-home period.
Here is a list of work-life balance tips.
17. Encourage PTO
Many team members love to travel and would likely take more trips if they had more opportunities. If employees are hard workers who consistently get their work done, then consider offering vacation perks. Some companies even offer unlimited vacation policies!
While this type of policy is not realistic for all companies, offering additional paid time off is a fantastic bonus for diligent employees. Companies might interest employees with extra benefits over a slight pay increase. Traveling rejuvenates team members and prepares them to get back to work post-trip.
18. Host Happy Hours
Whether your team is in-person or virtual, happy hours are a wonderful way to build relationships while unwinding at the end of the day. These events can bring teams together in a relaxed setting.
If your company has the space to host an event at your location, then team members can stop work a little early one day a month to socialize. Or, choose a nearby location to accommodate a group to host a happy hour.
If you are remote, there are many ways to plan a virtual happy hour. First, set up a time for team members to log in with Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Then, have ice breakers and fun games to keep participants entertained and encourage relationship building.
Check out this list of work happy hour ideas.
19. Ensure Company Perks Reflect Culture
If you offer benefit packages to employees, be sure these options reflect the core values of your company. For example, if employee retention is a priority, then focus on competitive raises and offer sabbaticals and flexible time off. Or, if service is an important focus, then offering paid time off for volunteering is a great way to show employees where your values are.
Making sure your values and benefits align puts your money where your mouth is. Remember, actions speak louder than words.
20. Reconfigure the Office
The physical layout of an office can go a long way to creating a positive culture. As team members are happier and feel more connected to coworkers, their performance increases. If you can rearrange the layout of your office, then consider a more conducive structure. For example, ensure all team members have exposure to sunlight if possible. Also, consider whether separate office spaces or cubicles are the best setups for your space. Open floor plans encourage collaboration and are also more visually appealing for employees.
21. Finish Strong
Finally, be sure to celebrate a successful year. You can plan an end-of-year party to recognize accomplishments and praise the hard work of all employees. This event closes out a great year and launches the team into a new one on a good note. Be sure to encourage team members to share favorite memories and set goals for the following year.
Conclusion
A company must not only focus on making a profit but also on doing good for other people and the environment. With the strength of your workplace culture, you may align your business’s short and long-term objectives. Your company’s success may help your community and the globe at the same time by promoting volunteerism or encouraging the growth of your local economy. Regardless of how you and your cultural committee decide to meet the company’s goals, make sure it resonates with your company’s entire culture and values.
Next, check out this list of Fun Friday ideas.
