Why does the culture that HR helps to create matter so much?

Organizational culture can improve employee satisfaction. Employees spend 40 or more hours at work each week, likely spending more time with colleagues than with family. To be content employees, that time must be valuable for more than a dollar. Employees want to be engaged in their work because when they're engaged, they are safer on the job, more productive and more willing and able to delight customers. These are the basic reasons why organizational culture matters. And, here are seven others:

1. A strong culture is a talent-attractor. Your organizational culture is part of the package that prospective employees look at when assessing your organization. The best potential employees want more than a salary and good benefits. They want an environment they can enjoy and succeed in.

2. A strong culture is a talent-retainer. How likely are employees to stay if they have other options and don't love where they are? Your organizational culture is a key component of a person's desire to stay.

3. A strong culture engages people. People want to be engaged in their work and your culture can engage them. Engagement creates productivity, which can impact profitability.

4. A strong culture creates energy and momentum. Build a culture that is vibrant and allows people to be valued and express themselves and you will create a very real energy. That positive energy will permeate the organization and create a new momentum for success. Energy is contagious and will build on itself, reinforcing the culture and the attractiveness of the organization.

5. A strong culture changes the view of work. Most people have a negative connotation of the word work. When you create a culture that is attractive, people's view of going to work will change.

6. A strong culture creates greater synergy. A strong culture brings people together. When people have the opportunity to communicate and get to know each other better, they will find new connections. These connections will lead to new ideas and greater productivity-in other words, you will be creating synergy.

7. A strong culture makes everyone more successful. The bottom line is that an investment of time, talent and focus on organizational culture will give you all of the above listed benefits. Not only is creating a better culture a good thing to do for the human capital in the business, it makes good business sense too.

Source: Kevin Eikenberry, a leadership expert and the chief potential officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company, wrote "Seven Reasons Organizational Culture Matters" for Oi Partners; August 9, 2007.