How to Conduct a Post-COVID Organization Culture Audit

Why Conduct a Culture Audit Now?

The changing look of work. COVID-19 changed today’s workforce in profound ways and the hybrid and work-from-home models are here to stay. Data shows that 44 percent of employees and 51 percent of employers prefer a hybrid work model and many job seekers will choose a job based solely on schedule flexibility. 

Despite fears that hybrid and work-from-home models would completely erode company culture, most employees say a flexible work environment is advantageous to their organizations. In fact, 64% of hybrid and remote employees say it has had a positive impact on their job compared to only 52% of on-site employees. 

However, it can take extra work to keep your corporate structure strong as hybrid and work-from-home models, at times, can inhibit communication, hamper creativity, and undermine coordination. That is why it is crucial to take the pulse of your organization to help understand how it can stay strong so it can adapt and grow.  

Post-COVID-19 DEI efforts. Overall, remote work and flexible work models have boosted diversity. A survey conducted by Slack’s research consortium found that 88% of Asian/Asian American workers, 81% of Hispanic workers, and 83% of Black workers desired more flexibility, compared to 79% of Caucasian workers.

The remote/hybrid work model has allowed companies to hire from a broader pool of people based on talent rather than location, which has included minorities and those with physical disabilities. However, as organizations bolster the hybrid model and other DEI efforts, some employees find this model alienating, with 42% of employees saying their company’s DEI efforts are divisive. A culture audit can assess employees’ attitudes toward DEI efforts to ensure they don’t contribute to resistance or attrition and continue to focus on employee development through Inclusive Leadership.

What Does a Culture Audit Assess?

A culture audit can analyze your company’s culture, history, and identity to assess its current operating environment. Here’s how it works:

• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your culture. A culture audit can help organizations identify the aspects of their culture that are working well and the areas that need improvement. 
• Measure the overall health of your culture. Understand areas where further improvement is needed and develop a plan for changing organizational culture.
• Improve employee engagement. By identifying the factors that are important to employees and the areas where employees are feeling disengaged. 
• Increase transparency and accountability. And provide employees with a forum to share their thoughts and feelings about the organization's culture to create a more open and honest working environment.
• Improve decision-making. By helping leaders make decisions that are more likely to be supported by employees.
• Greater innovation. Placing importance on the culture of your organization can create a more open and collaborative environment that encourages employees to share their ideas and take risks.
• Attract and retain top talent. By identifying factors that are important to top talent and the areas where top talent is feeling undervalued.
• Boost productivity. And help your organization boost productivity by identifying the factors that are contributing to low productivity and the areas where it can be improved. 

Why AchieveNEXT?

AchieveNEXT approaches its custom culture audits using a data-driven, employee-centered process. We begin with an Assessment, coupled with focus groups and historical enterprise data to establish a baseline and identify underlying root causes of culture issues. We then Analyze the data captured to create an agile and strategic roadmap specifically designed to lead change within your organization. These metrics are then used to Adopt an effective and measurable implementation process with recommendations for utilizing the people elements of your business to develop your organizational strategy.

Learn more about our culture audits and how we can help strengthen your organization’s transparency and productivity.