What are the Key Factors in Building A Startup Culture?

A Startup Culture

Startup culture has been the buzzword for quite some time now. The new businesses consider it a successful work model. Before we discuss how to establish the core values of the startup culture further, let us first understand what startup culture is and what its significance is.

Startup culture is a work environment that is based on a flat hierarchy and creative problem-solving with open communication. It is a modern and energetic workspace where there is open communication and collaboration between the top management and employees. This culture encourages employees to speak up about their opinion about solutions. Of all the corporate cultures, startup culture is the most progressive and rewarding.

In a startup, culture employees get acknowledgment and appreciation for their hard work and innovative ideas. They can openly approach the top management, unlike in other corporate cultures. More perks and benefits are also offered to employees in a startup culture.

The next thing that you need to understand is the key factors of startup culture to incorporate it into your organization. Let us discuss this in detail.

What are the key factors of startup culture?

Startup culture is synonymous with a comfortable working environment encouraging innovative thought processes. Gaming rooms, no requirement of wearing suits, pet-friendly offices, and free food, make this the perfect office for generation X. 14% of the fresh graduates want to work in large corporations while 44% want to work in startups and small enterprises. The reason is the lax environment and freedom given by the startup culture.

The following elements are the key factors that make up the startup culture. If you want to incorporate it into your organization, then these factors are a must:

Encourage team participation:

Team participation is the base of startup culture, it allows taking initiative. Unlike large corporations where job descriptions and roles are defined and structured, the startup cultures welcome solutions and ideas coming from the team members. It also encourages discussions and brainstorming sessions to find the best possible solutions.

Acknowledge the hard work and effort:

In big corporations, most employees wait for appreciation and acknowledgment for almost all of their work life. It makes their work environment unfulfilling and discouraging. Acknowledging the effort your employees put in, can motivate them to be upfront in meetings and discussions. Many startups have an employee of the month award or the most innovative idea award. The award is not necessarily monetary, just acknowledging and celebrating the accomplishment is all they want.

Keep communication open:

Communication is the essence of the startup culture. To keep it evolving, you need to maintain open and good communication. Employees can message top management easily if they want to discuss something, they don’t have to jump hoops just to interact with them. Even the offices of the managers are accessible to all the employees. In many tech startups, there are no offices. Rather there are shared and open desks where seasoned managers and fresh grads work alongside each other to find out-of-the-box solutions.

Recreation is as important as work:

Startup cultures are famous for the office amenities they provide. Game rooms, pools, free food, and other activities can help the employees relieve the work stress they feel. It is also very important that the environment is relaxing and comfortable. Many tech companies have trendy and homely ambiance, but they are different from other businesses. Create the environment as per your business requirements but don’t forget the basic rule; make it easygoing and comfortable.

Feedback is vital for improvement:

Customer feedback is important to improve your business and service. Similarly, employee feedback is vital for workspace improvement. Only feedback can tell how to improve the office environment and point out things it lacks. You can get periodic surveys done or have chat sessions with employees to get a feel about what they think and what they want to be changed.

Identify the core value you want to be incorporated:

You must define the core values of your organization so that it trickles down to every new and old employee. Quality is the first core value and there should be no compromise on that. Then comes passion and diversity. Accountability earns trust inside and outside the workspace. Governing the environment, and strategic and innovative thinking are all part of the basic features of the startup culture. The best part of startup culture is that you are the one who is paving the path to the new values of the organization. You are the innovative leader who is molding the company’s culture through driving decision-making and modern workspace ideas.

Conclusion

Startup culture is the new and modern way of working. It is envious to see young people going to work in casual clothes and working in a relaxed environment. This is not just a trend but a better and result-oriented way to work. It gives due opportunity and acknowledgment to employees to speak up and voice their ideas. There is no red line between the management and the employees. They can communicate freely and openly and it works both ways. This relationship is the trust that not only improves the workspace but also the quality of the service/product. The startup culture promotes working hard but it also encourages recreation. It values time and effort. That is the reason [startup culture] is valued among young employees and new businesses.