What does your business do and why? Beyond growth and profits, what’s important to you? Those are your core values; they can be written, formalized, and recirculated frequently.

“Effective leadership is about bringing people together and making them feel like they’re working together and contributing to a common cause,” says Ina Purvanova, Ph.D, professor of leadership and management and department chair at Drake University’s College of Business and Public Administration in Des Moines, Iowa. 

In addition, articulate how employees’ roles contribute to those core values. Acknowledging shared goals “helps people feel connected and ‘in it’ together, creating culture from the inside out,” says Peggy Shell, CEO, and founder of Colorado-based recruiting firm Creative Alignments.

There tends to be a perception gap between employers and employees in how they feel appreciated, understood, and valued. That includes an understanding of advancement opportunities, work-life fit, satisfaction with managers, and satisfaction with compensation.

As you work on the question prompts below, ask employees what’s important to them and what makes them feel valued—their employee sentiment.

Your business culture is a product of the people that make it up. An ideal work environment supports employees doing their best work and ensures they interact with you and one another positively and appropriately.

“Don’t underestimate the impact that every small interaction can have on making or breaking company culture,” says Kara Hoogensen, senior vice president of specialty benefits at Principal^®. “Make sure leaders in the organization have their pulse on how employees want to be communicated with and what ultimately leads to meaningful connection for them—both aggregate and on an individual basis.”

For example, you may check in with an employee through a quick message if they have a heavy workload to make sure they’re coping. That’s informal communication and connection. You may ask department managers to hold bi-weekly meetings with direct reports to review workload and other needs; that’s formal. And you may encourage (and offer resources for) casual team meetings—virtual or in-person—giving members opportunities for formal and informal connection.

A positive business culture focuses on counting contributions, not counting hours. Flexibility demands different ways to hold people accountable, which may entail a shift in mindset and your culture.

If you’ve shifted to hybrid or remote, you may be feeling a loss of control; that’s natural. Try to replace control with trust, Purvanova suggests: “How do you feel when someone trusts you? Valued, accountable, and responsible.”

 Accountability expectations for your hybrid business culture may include:

• Noting planned, significant time away on a shared calendar
• Creating measurable goals for teams and identified accountability members
• Embracing transparency on performance
• Instituting expectations for communication
• Letting go of intrusive monitoring (think activating webcams or questioning why someone didn’t respond right away)

Current employees feel valued when benefits support their work-life needs and goals. Potential employees view your workplace as desirable when a well-rounded benefits package makes up part of compensation. Your existing benefits may do both already, but it’s worth it to consistently review what you’re offering for traditional benefits such as retirement, health, and income protection insurance (disability) as well as non-traditional perks. And think outside the box when it comes to hybrid and remote workers; an online workout subscription may be more desirable than an onsite gym, for example.

 Connect with and involve employees, whether it’s a working group made of people from all locations, levels, and demographics, or a company-wide initiative. A survey ranking existing and potential new benefits works, too. “People change, and the environment changes. Make a deliberate effort to revisit on a periodic basis,” Hoogensen says.

 Benefits to appeal to a hybrid or remote workplace may include:

• House cleaning services
• Wi-Fi reimbursement
• Coffee shop credits
• Fitness programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Workstation and office supply stipends
• Pet insurance
• Travel discounts
• Caregiving support
• Telehealth services
• Mental health benefits
• Flexible monthly stipend to use as see fit
• Access to a choose-your-own perks platform

Employees that struggle with burnout, work schedules, or feeling undervalued are less likely to be able to contribute their full selves to work. “People-first cultures are rooted in a philosophy that values people over profits. The ironic twist is that when employees are valued as whole individuals and provided the opportunity for well-being, connection, and fulfillment, companies are generally more innovative, resilient, and even profitable,” Shell says.

Support for mental health may include:

• Providing—and communicating access to—a confidential employee assistance program (EAP)
• Stress surveys—with action to follow
• Work schedule evaluation, including hours worked (particularly for those working extra)

 “It comes back to creating an environment where employees are going to be best positioned to deliver their best work,” Hoogensen says. “If employees feel they’re supported while at and away from work, they have more mind space available to deliver great results.”