In order to be able to create Corporate Culture for employee growth and development we must first understand what corporate culture is. Corporate or Organizational Culture is defined as “the core values, beliefs, and assumptions that are widely shared by members of an organization.”

Keeping this in mind, we asked both employees and employers what they thought was necessary to create a Corporate Culture to allow their employees to grow and develop. We heard that challenges in the workplace and opportunities for learning and mentorship created a culture where growth and develop were possible. The idea of being challenged in your work creates an opportunity to not only make mistakes, but to learn from these mistakes. When learning and mentorship opportunities are present employees are able to master their current roles, but also are challenged to explore the role of their mentor and other roles in the company. This provides employees with an opportunity to determine if they could grow in their career within the same organization. Together these concepts create a culture of learning and development for the company. When a culture of learning is present there is an importance placed around employee development. When employee development is of importance to an organization it can draw employees to have stronger commitment to an organization, because the organization can offer them many opportunities to strengthen and enhance their skills.

Overall, you can think of Corporate Culture as a mosaic. The employees are each unique like each piece of a mosaic and the corporate culture is the glue keeping the company together. When the glue is spoiled or rotten the mosaic can’t bond together to form one beautiful piece of art, however when the glue is strong and of good quality the work of art is able to bond together and emerge as one. Corporate or organizational Culture is a huge factor in the ability to attract and retain top talent. When a culture that supports the growth and development of its employees is present, employees are more likely to stay with the organization. However when the opposite is present it can force employees to leave prematurely or prevent potential employees from joining.

Sources:
Dessler, Gary and Chhinzer, Nita. Human Resources Management in Canada. Pearson Canada Inc., 2019.