Penquin Blog

The importance of company culture and great internal communication

Written by Annemie Burger and Nicole Glover | June 28, 2019 at 5:00 PM

Company culture has never been more important than it is today. Company culture pushes us to think about the way we work while allowing us to do better as individuals and as a team. Without having a solid foundation in our internal communications, it wouldn’t be possible to ensure our company culture is felt internally and externally.


As a Human Resources Director, it’s important for me to ensure that our internal communication embodies Penquin’s company culture. Social Media Manager, Nicole Glover explains how we at Penquin make sure our culture comes out on our various social media platforms.
 

Good internal comms = Great company culture

Reputation Today says, “Internal communication is key to any organisation’s success. So providing employees with good information will help them go about their work confidently, and also project a face that adds to the corporate reputation.” I believe that without internal communication there wouldn’t be company culture.

It’s important to always set the tone for new employees by giving a proper introduction. “A proper introduction into the company culture, which is something that Annemie does so well, ensures that the new staff aren’t left shocked and confused,” says Nicole. Otherwise, as Staffbase says, “ the resulting trickle of information which stems from poor internal communication often leads to delays, limited feedback, and a dependence upon the efforts of individuals along the chain of communication.” 

Consistent and effective internal communication plays a big role in creating comradery and togetherness within the office. Things change in the office and it’s important that even those who have been around for a long time are always kept up-to-date on changes. When we have training within the office for new employees, we often invite staff who have been with us for a while to join if they would like a refresher. These refreshers are important to keep our company culture strong.

 

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Cool Culture

It’s always great to hear from people outside the company say that they love the feeling of our company culture that they get from our website and social media platforms. Company culture is important to consider when applying for a job and  even when considering a job offer. HR systems developing company Breathe says, “Cultivating a great company culture is important not only for employee engagement, happiness and retention but also plotting the blueprints for a thriving business regardless of the economic climate.” 

I have often been told during job interviews by potential candidates that they are excited to work here at Penquin. I believe that the way our office space is designed lends itself to the company culture. You’ll find in many agencies that the Managing Director will have a separate office. With our MD sitting in an open plan office, we convey a culture of approachability and collaboration.

Penquin likes to keep things fun on our Instagram page.  Nicole says, “We wanted to have a platform where we can show who we are as a team and share with our clients the fun we have in the office.” We have different generations in the office who all use social media differently, so we try a number of things to get them to interact with the Penquin brand on social media,” says Nicole.

 

 

The Panda

The Panda is our alter ego on our website and social media platforms that we use when we want to be more tongue-in-cheek. He really embodies everything we value - being unapologetically yourself and being awesome! “Not all our team members were active on social media and we launched Panda to get them to engage more by having Panda ‘kidnapped’ and posting clues on Twitter,” says Nicole. You can read more on Panda here.

Keeping internal communication to an excellent standard to fuel a strong company culture takes a lot of work but it’s completely worth the effort when I get to see the people I work with enjoy being in the office and part of the Penquin family. We want our employees to be purpose-driven and having good internal communications and an awesome and active company culture is what helps.

 

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