Growing team? Eight Ways to Keep Your Desired Company Culture Intact

When you start your business, you basically have to build your company culture from scratch. This can often mean considering the personalities and values ​​of your small team and also defining what the overall company values ​​and mission will be. But as your business grows and you add more members to your team, the original culture can become confused or completely lost as you face new challenges.

But that doesn't mean you can't return to that same culture once you've found your way. To help you out, eight members of the Young Entrepreneur Council each share a piece of advice they would recommend for maintaining the desired culture as you begin to hire more people on your team.

1. Keep culture at the forefront of the recruitment process

My one piece of advice for maintaining the desired culture as you start hiring more people is to keep your culture at the forefront of the hiring process. It is imperative to let candidates know what you are looking for in terms of culture. Once the candidate is aware of the culture you are trying to create, it becomes easier to select candidates who strongly identify with and exemplify your company culture. As you onboard more people, intentionality is key because you risk diluting your culture with each hire if the hire doesn't fit the culture. So ultimately, make sure you, the new hire, and your team are all aligned with your culture and what you're looking for in a new candidate. If you do, you're well on your way to building a strong culture while continuing to grow your business. - Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc.

2. Make sure you have a well-documented policy

My only advice for maintaining the desired culture as your business grows is to have a well-documented policy. It allows you to clearly communicate your values ​​as you grow. Plus, it helps you convey your message clearly and establish ground rules that everyone should follow. A well-documented policy not only helps you build the company culture from the ground up, but it also helps your onboarding process and makes it easier for new team members to get acquainted with company values. business. - Stephanie Wells, Terrific Shapes

3. Establish core values ​​that everyone agrees with

I think it's essential to establish a set of core values ​​that everyone in the company agrees with. Your values ​​guide who you hire and how you handle interpersonal crises and conflict, and it can even help you decide whether to sell, buy, merge, or make any other important decision. In my company, the core value of “people first” has played a huge role in our success. That's why we continue to hire even when it looks like the rest of the world is entering a hiring freeze and layoffs. So don't take your core values ​​for granted, they can make or break a business. -Syed Balkhi,