The culture of a workplace is now a very important thing, as it says a lot about the company and the type of people that work there. There are many things that can be done to improve a workplace culture, but one of the simplest changes that can be made is through the introduction of lanyards.
In this article, We Print Lanyards explore the meaning of a workplace culture and take a look at what impacts lanyards can have on this.
What is a workplace culture?
A workplace culture refers to the personality and character of your organisation and is therefore very important to employees as part of their job satisfaction levels and loyalty towards the business. Workplace culture is a term that can describe the environment that your employees work in and will combine your traditions, attitudes, values and behaviours to determine whether this is a positive or negative experience.
When a workplace fosters a healthy culture, it will align with the values and policies of the business and will work towards the goals of a company whilst also focusing on the wellbeing of the people who work within it. The culture of a workplace can now play a big part in building the reputation of a business and influencing how it is viewed from the outside as well as the inside.
If you strike the balance right, it can become much easier to attract new talent to the business, and you will also find that more employees will remain loyal and decide not to move on to pastures new.
So, what roles can lanyards play in this?
Security
One of the key reasons that many businesses adopt the use of lanyards is to help improve their security. They are most commonly used to hold identity cards and access control cards or fobs. This makes it much easier to recognise individuals and ensure that they are in the correct place and are authorised to be in the building.
Carrying ID cards in any other way usually leads to them getting lost, and if they are not being openly displayed then it can force employees to have to challenge people and this can result in conflict.
A clearly visible lanyard can help to eradicate many of these concerns and can therefore play a big part in helping employees to feel much safer while they are at work.
Efficiency
When moving around a building during a busy working day, no employee wants to search through their bags or pockets to find an ID card or a key fob, and they certainly don’t want to have to trek back to their desk when they realise that they have forgotten to take it with them in the first place. It can slow many things down and gradually wear down the patience of many individuals.
By having all of this in one place on a lanyard, employees can move much more freely around knowing that their cards are always with them and easily accessible, making them more efficient and more productive.
Unity
Most lanyards can now be personalised, which means that they can be manufactured in the company colours and can include things such as a business logo, website or even a strapline to make them easily recognisable as part of the business branding.
When everyone in the business is wearing one it can help to draw people together and create a sense of unity. This can help everyone to feel as though they are part of a team and can help to build relationships and develop feelings of trust and loyalty.
Self expression
Even when wearing a uniform, many employees like to find a way in which they can still express themselves, but this is not always practical or in line with company policies, however, lanyards are a great way to give people a little bit more freedom. You may want to give them a choice of colours or let them add pin badges and clips to the strap to help show a little bit more of their own personalities.
Collaboration boosting
When working for a large organisation, it can sometimes be difficult to know exactly who everyone is, and this can make it quite daunting. It can also mean that those who work together form their own little groups and never deviate from them.
However, lanyards can be a great way to break down barriers as they can display the name and job role of each individual or be colour coded according to their department or level of seniority. This can serve to be a useful icebreaker and can also be helpful when looking for someone from another department.
Over time, this can help to build bridges between different areas of the business, and people will find it much easier to collaborate with one another.
Recognition
At some time or another, many of us will have realised that the manager we are speaking to does not know who we are. This can be a particular problem when working in large organisations where it can be difficult to remember the name of every person that you speak to.
By wearing a lanyard with a clearly displayed badge, it can increase the recognition of employees, both when dealing with other members of staff or with customers.
Convenience
As a lanyard can have a number of different holders, it can help to make a lot of things more convenient. By including attachments for keys, hand sanitiser, mobile phones, USB drives or just a pen, you can help to ensure that employees always have everything that they need right at their fingertips. This can be much more convenient and can be another step in helping employees to work better and more effectively.
Workplace culture is a very important factor for most employees and so it is important that businesses embrace this and try to encourage a culture that is positive and enjoyable. Introducing your own custom lanyards can be one step towards achieving this and making your workplace a happier place for everyone.
Malcolm Humphreys is the Director of We Print Lanyards, a family business who specialise in recycled custom lanyards, ID cards, name badges & more.
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