Our Studio Manager Rachel Mackay discusses the importance of office culture in the success of a practice.
“It’s what makes your business unique and is the sum of its values, traditions, beliefs, interactions, behaviours and attitudes. Positive workplace culture attracts talent, drives engagement, impacts happiness and satisfactions and affects performance.”
At LBA, our office culture is an integral part of our day to day business. It affects all aspects of the company and is at the core of a maintaining a team who feel fulfilled, valued and can feel pride in their work. Our culture is cultivated by our team; everyone has a say in our values and how we action these to create a working environment which truly reflects our brand and personality.
I believe feeling satisfied and valued at work is determined by a positive and thriving office culture, helping us feel and perform our best. As we grow, our reputation for a supportive, friendly and thriving office environment is attracting talented staff; allowing us to stand out from the crowd in a sea of job ads. A company with a positive culture will attract the type of talent that is willing to make a long term commitment to their workplace, where they can be nurtured to realise their full potential. We want everyone to feel like an integral part of our close-knit family, and make a point to hire new staff who share in our values and can help to shape our future.
Strong company cultures are linked to higher rates of productivity; employees are encouraged to give meaningful input and to take ownership and pride of their projects. Staff are motivated and invested in their work, dedicated to employers who invest in their well-being and happiness. Of course, there are times when everyone feels pressure of workload, deadlines or modern life, but with a positive culture employees are encouraged to be open if they are struggling, and the team come together to support. There is no competition and no hierarchical boundaries, we want everyone to succeed and we trust that in stressful uncertain times we have the safety net of our work family.
Maintaining our culture is a constant ongoing process, which needs nurturing and updating as we grow to enable its success. Regularly looking at our values and assessing how we can live up to them is important as we evolve.
We have a hardworking and dedicated team at LBA, and fully promote a work-life balance. We offset busy, fast moving weeks with monthly socials, bi-weekly lunches, getting to know everyone’s families and, if you’ve been following along on our bake-off, copious amounts of CAKE. I think creating a positive and supportive culture which enhances talent, diversity and happiness is the easiest way to get your employees to invest their future with you.
Read more about our values here.