Work culture is a cornerstone to business. And with a rising cultural emphasis on wellness, people are seeking out workplaces that allow them to cultivate a happier, more balanced life. A positive company culture not only leads to a happy team, but it also creates more dedicated employees who will offer more value to your company. Content employees are better able to focus, collaborate, and perform, which ultimately leads to the success of your business. Employees who feel appreciated and engaged at work will generate more creative solutions and will work with more efficiency. A positive work culture also means less turnover and a greater ability to recruit the best talent because job seekers will be eager to join your team. To promote a high-quality company culture, be sure to implement the 5 key components outlined below.

Define and Adhere to Company Values

What is the purpose of your company, and what is the future of your business? What values and characteristics are employees expected to embody to help reach these goals? Do you value accountability and autonomy? Do you want to cultivate a culture of collaboration and creativity? The answers to these questions not only provide employees with purpose and motivation, but they assist your company overall in reaching specific goals. Further, if employees continually see that coworkers, managers, and company members across all levels are consistent with these values, they will feel more respectful and supportive of the company and its vision. This will lead to greater retention levels and a higher level of dedication.

Without well-defined and adhered-to values, employees lack clarity on the company’s purpose and direction, and they are likely to lose motivation and interest. Further, if coworkers and leaders compromise on company values internally or to clients and customers, a toxic work culture can develop. An unhealthy culture is not conducive to quality work, and your company will be at risk of losing high performers.

Facilitate Functional and Respectful Relationships

When employees work well together, every aspect of your business will operate smoother. From the smallest of interactions, such as email exchanges and workplace banter, to more high-stakes scenarios, like client pitches and presentations, symbiotic employee relationships are essential.

Consider investing in a program like DISC, which is a personality assessment tool frequently used in a work context. It helps employees understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses across 4 main qualities: dominance (D), influence (I), steadiness (S), and conscientiousness (C). For example, if an employee is collaborating with a coworker who is a “high C,” or someone who values accuracy, expertise, competency, they will know to include a significant amount of detail in the exchange and to expect questions. On the other hand, if working with a “high D,” or someone who is focused on results and the bottom line, they will keep requests short and to the point.

Encouraging social interactions outside of the workplace also enables closer, more open and supportive relationships within your company. Consider planning volunteer opportunities, concerts, yearly parties, and monthly or weekly happy hours.

Allow for Effective Flexibility

With a rapidly changing mindset regarding work-life balance, new job seekers are expecting and desiring flexibility. Offering employees the opportunity to work remotely and to easily shift schedules when need be are both key components of a successful flexible work policy. A flexible schedule decreases stress by instilling a culture of agency, trust, and efficiency. It also shows that you care about your employees’ well-being.

Permitting telecommuting helps you 1) recruit the best talent from a larger pool, and 2) reduce employee turnover if employees relocate. According to Global Workplace Analytics, however, 80-90% of U.S. employees would like to at least be able to telecommute part time, with 2-3 days being the golden amount.

A combination of working from home and working alongside others is the best way to maintain a flexible work policy that promotes high-quality work. A creative solution for developing a flexible business plan, then, is to enable telecommuters to also work in nearby coworking spaces. Offering coworking spaces for your remote workers combats loneliness and further increases their productivity. A collaborative work environment has an essential place for remote workers, as it maintains a sense of community and offers an inspiring atmosphere of fellow remote workers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers doing diverse work. And, if multiple telecommuting employees are in the same location, having a coworking space enables employees to work with each other.

Motivate and Enable Professional Growth

If employees feel they are growing and that the company is invested in their growth, they will be more likely to stay and will be more engaged. In addition, offering opportunities for employees to continually expand their skills ensures that your company is up to date on the latest techniques and tactics in your industry. For example, if working in SEO, your team should be encouraged to do weekly readings, to follow SEO experts, and to stay aware of Google algorithm updates. You may even have weekly discussions and should encourage employees to create projects based on what they learn. Challenge is key to keeping high performers engaged and interested, so keep them around by creating a culture of curiosity and by creating opportunities for leadership in response to increased knowledge and skills.

Show Appreciation

Reward and recognize accomplishments. Congratulate a team with a free dinner, increased pay, or more PTO for meeting KPI’s. Spotlight employees at events, or offer growth opportunities to those who have truly exemplified your company’s values. This will make employees feel motivated to continue doing their best work, and they will be more likely to adhere to company values if they know they will be rewarded for it.

Generating a supreme company culture creates a larger meaning and benefit for employees and employers that extends beyond the mere work hustle. A stellar company culture creates a feedback loop in which the lives of your employees are continually improved, and the inner workings of your business continue thriving.