As referenced in the related article entitled, 'Making a Case for Investing in Culture', published first in the Solar Review, thriving organizational culture often results in positive reviews from both customers and employees. This is yet another driver of a thriving business, and can serve to bolster the case for investing in a thriving organizational culture.
From a customer's perspective, it's easy to imagine how a positive culture affects and directly benefits the services offered and received. When employees feel supported, from their boss as well as their co-workers, they have less to worry about, and can spend more of their energy and brain capacity on the install or the sale. As evidenced by Jordan Weisman of Sunbridge Solar, "When culture is thriving, we operate more efficiently. We get more accomplished with less work. There is laughing and joking and the atmosphere is professional but light."
You may have heard of Glassdoor, one of the fastest growing job and recruiting sites on the internet today. According to its website, "Glassdoor holds a growing database of more than 8 million company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits, reviews, office photos and more. Unlike other job sites, all of this information is entirely shared [anonymously] by those who know a company best -- the employees."
From the back end, it pays to treat your employees well. A happy satisfied employee, from a company with a thriving culture, is far more likely to write a positive review of a company with a "professional but light" culture than of one where employees yearn to be heard, valued and respected. Their positive review of their employer on Glassdoor or similar has the direct potential to attract both committed team members as well as potential customers.
From the front end, a thriving culture breeds positive customer reviews. When customers feel supported and served, as they generally do when interacting with happy employees, they are also more inclined to write a positive review. It goes to reason that the atmosphere in a thriving culture is seen, felt and experienced by customers. This ultimately increases not only their likelihood of writing a review but increases the chance that what they write will be positive. Jordan has seen this direction connection at Sunbridge, as well, "definitely noticing improved customer reviews when [their] culture is thriving."
You can see this if you take a look at various reviews on public sites. On Solar Reviews, there is a review of truesouth solar that references their "team of installers [who] were the nicest, most professional team I've ever had out to my house."
Of Elemental Energy, reviewed in the Best and Worst Solar Companies in 2016, it is stated that, "while Elemental Energy is still fairly young...[..]....the reviews from customers are all positive and their 24-year warranty is right up there with the industry standard." In their Ranking Criteria, Best Company weights customer reviews at 20% -- clearly there is value on what the customer thinks.
Sunbridge, as well, has multiple public reviews on Guild Quality from customers, which stands to highlight the value of a thriving culture. Many of them reference both Jordan and the team, and how "amazing" and "great they are to work with," while others refer to the "personnel [who] projected great friendliness, knowledge, efficiency, [and were] very accommodating and courteous."
People matter. And treating them well, from both the inside and the outside, affects the bottom line. While it seems like an easy concept, it can be challenging to know just what to do to find a balance between prioritizing people and profits.
For more information on how to create a thriving culture in your organization, or to share where you see examples of thriving culture in your company, contact me and check out the forthcoming articles on my exclusive column, 'The Value of a Thriving Culture', published monthly in the Solar Review.
