Management inSites

Ensuring a Positive Company Culture

Aside from offering a competitive salary and solid benefits when setting up your subsidiary in the U.S., establishing a positive company culture can be one of the most important steps you take to acquire and keep talented employees. This can be especially challenging when you throw in the inevitable cultural differences foreign managers face when hiring a US workforce.

Company culture is somewhat intangible, but when done right it can result in loyal employees who not only do their best work but also stay with the company over time. Poor culture can lead to high turnover, low morale, and mediocre output.

As you focus your efforts on enticing valuable talent, it is important to ensure a positive workplace. Here are some ideas to improve your company’s culture:

  • Encourage an open-door policy. If your employees feel that they can go to a supervisor with an issue or idea without judgment or retribution, they will be more likely to work with you to solve the problem than to quit unexpectedly. Job hopping is much more common in the U.S. than in other parts of the world. We all know there is a cost to recruiting and training talent, so it is best to try and keep them if you like their work and attitude.
  • Celebrate wins—even the small ones. Acknowledging your team for hard work – whether it be for a particularly lucrative year, a happy client, or simply long, hard hours worked – goes a long way. You can do so with something as small as cupcakes in the break room or a half day off, or something as large as an annual bonus. But if you do opt for something on a yearly basis, be sure to punctuate the year with smaller celebrations so the team knows it is appreciated.
  • Trust. If your employees know that you trust them, they will be more likely to not betray that trust. If they need to work remotely because of a family situation, or have a few doctors’ appointments to take care of a medical issue, it is best to believe them, rather than ask for proof every time they make a request. This should be, of course, within reason. If you see that an employee has needs that you deem unreasonable, sit him or her down for a chat to get to the heart of the situation. Don’t assume the worst. You hired them, so they clearly have qualities you respect.
  • Talk to your employees. Obviously, everyone is at work to work, but it is also important to ask your team how they are doing outside of work. Learn about their families, their hobbies, and their passions. These are not automatons who work for the company, but people with lives that extend far beyond the walls of the office. By letting them know that you care about them beyond what they produce for the company, they’ll see you as a person to whom they want to remain loyal as well. This would also be a prime opportunity for them to learn more about the culture of the parent company, and for you to learn more about what Americans enjoy.
  • Hold yourself accountable. Managing a team is no easy feat, but one way to ensure your employees have your back is to let them know that you have theirs. If things aren’t going well, if people are unhappy, or if mistakes are being made, the first step is to look at yourself, your managing style, and the processes and procedures that have been put in place. Perhaps things that worked well for your parent company just do not work with an American workforce. Rushing to blame your team for problems will only lead to resentment. If they know that you hold yourself to the same standards to which you hold them, you’ll have a much more productive, content group of people with whom to work.
  • Know the Why. Employees who believe in what your company does will make for more committed workers. Not what you do or how you do it, but why you do it. Make sure everyone knows your mission and values and ensure it aligns with those of the people you hire.
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How can we help you?
Contact us or submit a business inquiry online.
Read more
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    When it comes time to ship inventory to the United States, many foreign companies are unaware of the standards surrounding palletizing their shipments. While it is possible to ship a container oversees without pallets, it might not be the most cost-effective solution, especially when using an established warehouse or 3PL.

    May 31, 2023
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    National culture is a key factor with the power to influence culture within an organization. In the third installment of our Lost in Translation series, we’ll explore the different elements of national culture and how to identify your own country’s culture within the presented framework.

    May 24, 2023
  • Lost in Translation: Company Culture

    Management inSites knows that establishing a U.S. subsidiary is an exciting and transformative step for any company. However, it also presents a unique challenge: how do you maintain your company’s core values, culture, and traditions while blending them with American expectations from both an employee and customer perspective?

    May 1, 2023
  • To Palletize or Not to Palletize?

    When it comes time to ship inventory to the United States, many foreign companies are unaware of the standards surrounding palletizing their shipments. While it is possible to ship a container oversees without pallets, it might not be the most cost-effective solution, especially when using an established warehouse or 3PL.

    October 4, 2021
How can we help you?
Contact us or submit a business inquiry online.

Ensuring a Positive Company Culture

In our previous post on the topic, we covered some important things to remember when setting up your company in the U.S. market. Beyond operations, sales, and marketing, a manager would be remiss not to focus on how cultural differences might impact the success of a subsidiary.

The U.S. is not homogenous

Unlike several other countries, the U.S. is vast – and not just in its size. Americans tend to break up the country into its East and West coasts, and the Midwest. But there are even more segments, like the South, Pacific Northwest, the Northeast, Florida, and Texas – all of which differ greatly from each other. There are several big cities, countless medium-sized markets, and even more rural or suburban areas. Interacting with people living in big cities will differ greatly from interacting with people in smaller towns. While it would be unwise to generalize, it is best to understand the culture of the part of the U.S. in which you are doing business before having expectations.

Patience is not always a strength among Americans

When in negotiations or conducting business, Americans tend to want to just get the deal done. While many other cultures take their time, get to know everyone involved, and move along at a comfortable pace, those in the U.S. do not always see a need to drag things out. Get ready for what looks like impatience, when in reality it is just a desire to be efficient and effective.

Don’t plan on in-person meetings 

At least not all the time. The tendency for Europeans and Asians to conduct most business in person is not the same in the U.S. Phone calls, emails, and now even video conference calls are the norm. Businesspeople like to work efficiently, and don’t gather in person unless it is necessary. First meetings, larger negotiations, and important topics are generally discussed in-person. Otherwise, don’t be offended or surprised if many of your interactions are taking place remotely.

Open-minded over traditions

A positive aspect of Americans in general is their ability to have an open mind. Many other cultures rely heavily on traditions, and act in certain ways because history dictates that they should. That is not the case in the U.S. Americans tend to welcome new ideas and concepts perhaps more freely than their foreign counterparts.

That being said, Europeans tend to rely on strongly forged bonds in which trust is paramount. Loyalty is key. Americans tend to be looser and more pragmatic when it comes to doing business. They don’t necessarily need to have known someone for years to begin working with them. At the end of the day, it’s about getting the deal done.