What is organizational climate?

The organizational climate is basically the combination of feelings and opinions of professionals about the workplace. Based on these feelings, people in the work environment will react in a certain way to day-to-day actions and demands that end up having a positive or negative impact on the company’s productivity.

The Human Resources sector , as well as sector leaders, must be aware of any negative deviations that may affect the company’s environment, as it is impossible to please everyone, but letting professionals adhere to a good organizational culture will help to grow individuals and the company itself.

To continually improve the atmosphere in the work environment, a measurement schedule is needed.

For this, we have organizational climate surveys that, through questionnaires answered by employees, are able to present what is working and what can be improved in the company’s day to day.

Do you want to carry out an organizational climate survey in your company? Then just download our FREE worksheet below . It has a form with ready-made questions and a field for you to add the answers of all collaborators, which will then give the results in graphics.

With this tool, HR will collect the information needed to increase internal satisfaction rates and plan innovations for talent development.

Organizational climate concept for companies

The concept of organizational climate is the collective perception of the organization, which affects the quality of the work environment and, consequently, the satisfaction and performance of employees .

Through different experiences, the employee creates an impression that may or may not favor the climate of the shared environment.

As organizations are composed of people with different interests, specific lifestyles and different personal and professional attitudes, they are unlikely to have the same interpretation and views on the concept of organizational climate.

Organizational climate dynamics are much more complex and need to be consistent with organizational culture components .

Currently, companies that are not committed to the concept of organizational climate already suffer competitive disadvantages and, in the long term, the sustainability of the company can also be compromised.

What is the difference between culture and organizational climate?

It can be seen that these two aspects are fundamental for any business, regardless of size or department.

Culture is something denser and harder to change. Any action aimed at changing culture must be considered for a long time, as it is very difficult to change the habits and beliefs of professionals who already work in the company. Even so, it is important to carry out daily actions that make the climate more positive and closer to what you want to achieve.

Therefore, any cultural change must also involve an organizational climate.

If the objective is to create a culture focused on high performance, a climate of urgency must be created that values ​​deadlines, quality standards and initially defined goals.

On the other hand, if your goal is to build a culture that focuses on overall customer satisfaction, you should first consider an atmosphere that benefits employees. After all, only satisfied employees can provide quality services to customers. In other words, one thing depends on the other.

Establishing an appropriate culture and environment is the responsibility of the entire company, not just human resources. Therefore, all managers must focus on results and act in accordance with the company’s future expectations, as this still requires joint efforts.

In short: organizational culture is directly linked to the company’s purpose, beliefs and values ​​– or a combination of these factors. The organizational climate, on the other hand, refers to the employees’ perception of the work environment, which can bring benefits to any type of company in healthy conditions.

What is the importance and advantage of having a good organizational climate in the company?

As we saw in the previous topic, a good environment can encourage people to do their best, performing tasks in a more active and dedicated way.

Happy people can communicate better and internal communication is essential to improve an organizational climate.

A transparent company can make talents aware of goals and events at any time, in addition to creating good habits among employees.

The importance of the organizational climate is that, by actively investing in it, the company can profit from production, engagement, creativity, motivation and talent retention, reducing staff turnover, rework, absenteeism and internal conflicts.

The organizational climate is not something implanted in the company. Its cultivation must be carried out every day and, regardless of any signs of deviation, corrective measures must be taken to avoid negative chain reactions, which would cause all previously obtained results to be lost.

A good internal environment does not only bring benefits to professionals and the company. He is responsible for the physical and mental health of people, who, when valued by the organization and colleagues, are motivated and facilitate interpersonal relationships.

Professionals who work in a healthy environment and maintain good interpersonal relationships are happier than people who earn high salaries, but some companies still do not value the internal environment and organizational climate, actively reflecting on the personal results of employees and the company.

Key points for a good organizational climate

The organizational climate mainly affects productivity . Currently, companies that fail to provide employees with a good working environment will lose their talents and will not be able to stand out.

However, several factors contribute greatly to a good organizational climate. Check out some of the main points for improvement to successfully apply the concept of organizational climate:

1-Strengthen internal communication

For any organization, one of the biggest problems is rumors. They destroy any organizational climate. Whether false or true, they will cause a lot of insecurity and instability among people.

However, if your company has a good internal communication strategy for the organizational environment, these rumors will not appear. And if professionals hear something, they will know that the organization will issue a statement to deny or clarify the matter at hand.

Remember, investing in good communication policies can keep information under control, preventing conflicts and misunderstandings.

2-Reduction of absenteeism and turnover

When the company understands what an organizational climate is and achieves a healthy structure, the decrease in employee absences and delays is a certainty, in addition to the lower number of employee turnover. Therefore, it is undeniable that productivity increases as a result.

HR needs to be aware of the influence of absenteeism and turnover in the work environment, identifying variations in behavior in preliminary phases, which can be managed before patterns are solidified and absorbed by the mass of workers.

Having a happy team is synonymous with optimized results. Investing in people management is the secret to enhancing the organization’s gains and competitiveness.

3-feedback

A healthy organizational climate values ​​the company’s workforce, so feedback is essential.

The more the leader participates in the process, the more transparent he can be to his team and, therefore, understand and motivate them for their achievements, making employees feel a sense of belonging, respect and trust.

In addition, the employee will feel respected by the manager, recognized and, consequently, will be more motivated to improve.

4-flexible working hours

The biggest advantage of work flexibility is that it allows employees to have greater autonomy. In this way, he will be able to organize himself to fulfill the requested task, while still having time to rest and enjoy his personal life.

A very common mistake in the lack of flexibility in the workday is that it prevents the company from being able to deal more lightly with delays or last-minute appointments of each employee.

Every company needs to understand that unforeseen events happen and, instead of punishing the employee for any delay, it must create a space for dialogue and understand the reasons. Therefore, tolerating small delays can greatly change the landscape of your company.

For this, adopting an hour bank system together with working hours gives your company more flexibility and avoids the wear and tear of relationships with your employees.

Tips to improve the company environment

Therefore, if the organizational climate in your company is not favorable, you need to find ways to change this scenario. Check out some practical tips!

1. Improve the physical structure of the workplace

Did you know that the structure of the work environment also interferes with the quality of the organizational climate?

When employees enjoy a pleasant space, consequently, their productivity also increases.

There’s nothing better than an efficient team to achieve planned goals, do you agree? Therefore, invest in the quality of your company’s physical environment.

The workplace must be comfortable, clean, well equipped and have the necessary technological resources to perform the tasks.

2. Value your employees

Professional appreciation is a feeling that must be promoted daily to maintain a good organizational climate.

Recognition for the service provided makes employees more satisfied, motivated and committed.

To adopt this practice in your routine, give praise and positive comments to recognize a job well done and to engage employees.

It is also important that managers are open to listening to team suggestions and implementing them whenever possible.

In this way, employees will feel important, respected and involved with the progress of the business.

It is worth remembering that compliments can be made in public, while criticisms and suggestions should always be made in private.

3. Establish horizontal communication

Leaders and followers need to communicate easily. Therefore, there should be no barriers to dialogue.

Try to develop horizontal communication, regardless of the hierarchy between positions.

It is important that directors and managers make themselves available to listen to employees whenever possible.

This practice, in addition to avoiding rumors and speculation, makes information more accessible and improves the relationship between team members.

Not only, it is in these moments that internal communication is put to the test. It is important to ensure that everyone has a space to express themselves effectively.

4. Invest in professional development

Training is another factor that contributes positively to the organizational climate. Do you know why? Well-educated employees, with knowledge that is always up to date, are more committed to the demands of the company.

Investing in training and improvement lectures is a guarantee of return for your business .

Technical capacity and self-confidence are also high in this process and it improves the organizational climate.

One suggestion is to create a program so that people who take a course or external training can share the knowledge acquired with their colleagues.

This contributes immensely to an organizational culture focused on knowledge and information sharing.

An interesting point to make here is that leaders also need to study about best leadership practices!

5. Promote moments of relaxation

As much as the work routine needs focus and concentration, moments of relaxation are also necessary. 

The corporate happy hour, for example, is an excellent time to promote integration among employees, encourage communication and even celebrate the results achieved.

Investing in this type of event is good for stimulating engagement between sectors and also the relationship with leadership .

So, if you’re not sure whether to promote happy hours to improve the organizational climate, try running a monthly edition and see the benefits!

6. Provide a rest area

Of course, no company grows while people are resting. However, recognizing that human beings need breaks to rest, whether due to discomfort or just to calm the mind, is a noble attitude that delegates autonomy and responsibility to the employee.

Structuring a rest space (also known as a decompression space) enriches the experience and values ​​the employee.

The most modern companies offer a fun space equipped with beanbags and games. Evaluate the possibilities of your office and see how five minutes of rest can increase productivity and contribute to a better organizational climate.

7. Stimulate interpersonal relationships

A work team must maintain a good relationship. This condition is essential for well-being.

After all, a pleasant environment, where everyone talks to each other and helps each other is fundamental to the organizational climate.

To encourage interpersonal relationships, promote integration events, training and happy hours .

In informal and relaxed situations people tend to be more receptive and interact with each other.