Just like we are drawn to elaborate creations, Candidates are often drawn to nice offices, freebies, and gimmicks. Companies too, trying to replicate initiatives from well-known brands, all with good intent.

Trouble is when reality hits, inevitably falling short of expectations, this will be followed by disappointment. Employees leave or worse they stay with a bitter taste leading to disengagement.

Just like baking a cake, creating a strong company culture requires a set of key ingredients and a carefully crafted process to ensure success.

Recipe

Just as a cake recipe outlines the necessary steps and ingredients, a company culture plan needs to have clearly defined values, behaviours, and expectations that guide the organisation.

Ingredients

You need high-quality ingredients to make a delicious cake, just like you need to have the right people to build a strong company culture. Each employee brings their unique talents and personality to the mix, much like the different flavours and textures in a cake.

Time to develop

Slowly adding ingredients and carefully mixing them creates a cake that rises to perfection, while taking time to own your culture, guiding it with strong values and having thoughtful policies and procedures with a positive employee experience in mind creates a company culture that stands the test of time.

Consistency

When making a cake, you need to follow the recipe carefully and ensure that each step is done consistently to achieve the desired outcome. Similarly, building a strong company culture requires consistency in how you communicate, lead by example and celebrate successes.

Start with a simple cake, it will surprise with every bite leaving them wanting more. 

Once the recipe can hardly be improved on then the decoration can begin. Be careful not to overdo it, compromising the consistency and taste of the cake itself.

Attention to Detail Matters

The details matter when making a cake and building a company culture. Every step in the process, from measuring ingredients to establishing policies, contributes to the overall outcome. Focusing on small details such as office decor, team activities, and social events can all contribute to the overall experience and sense of belonging for employees.

Experimentation and Creativity

When baking a cake, you can experiment with different flavours, toppings, and decorations to create something unique and appealing. In the same way, companies can encourage employees to be creative and innovative in finding new ways to promote a positive company culture.

So next time you have an idea to add a decoration or you want to ask busy leaders to help you add more cherries on top be mindful – is it the right step?

Would time in better served going back to the recipe first?

Just like building a cake, building a company culture takes patience, consistency, creativity, attention to detail, and quality ingredients to achieve the desired outcome.

If you would like to follow my recipe for a great culture - you can get your free 8 page step by step copy now - Just message me CAKE here or DM me on linked in.