In an interaction with Higher Education Review, Ruby Kumar, Head - HR, Macawber Beekay Pvt Ltd, shares her view on what are the  role does organizational culture play in the decision-making processes and overall organizational performance, and what are some of the key measures every organization must implement to encourage continuous learning and growth among its employees and more.Ruby is a seasoned HR professional with over two decades of experience in the various industries. Prior to joining Macawber in 2016, she has handled the HR function across numerous companies such as ITC, Traxon India, Reliance Retail, Angel Broking, Faithful+Gould, BEUMER Group and EFS.

   Briefly explain the role and impact of communication on the company culture.

As I mentioned earlier, Communication is the Key. It’s very important that how we are driving Communication at the Organization Level, Department Level, and employee’s level.Having a clear line of communication within a team and with other teams/departments not only strengthens the relationships among employees, but also enables them to easily collaborate with each other and collectively work in achieving the organization objectives. However, it is also important for the business leaders to work on the roadmap with detail plan on the culture journey with milestones and the same has to be communicated repeatedly at all the level thorough various modes while focusing on two most important factors – trust and openness. Also, managers and team leaders must have periodic team meetings as well as one-to-one informal meetings with their team members so that their emotional quotient is also taken care of by the company.We also need to understand the mode of communication. Face to Face communication, online communications, or digital communications to create more visibility.

What role does organizational culture play in the decision-making processes and overall organizational performance?

Organizational culture has a direct impact on the employees engagement and experience with the company. Culture has to be aligned with Company’s Mission, Vision Core values which should decide the Culture Archetypes. Culture is nothing but the set of behaviors Or the way of working that employee demonstrate in the organization and others feel it.When an organization promotes a culture of transparency, has clear expectations, provides continuous feedback, and offers the right recognition, employees can easily understand what is expected of them.

Secondly, Organization Culture directly impacts the employee motivation and engagement, and employee engagement directly impacts the Organization’s performance.Creating and nurturing a strong organizational culture does not only help in employee engagement but also impacts the : Loyalty and Openness, Attract the best talent, Reduce turnover rates and retain employees, Be more competitive. And these all improve the organization’s performance and productivity.Engaged and committed employees ensure the well performed and motivated organization for better productivity and growth.

As a successful business leader, what are some of the key measures every organization must implement to encourage continuous learning and growth among its employees?Gone are the days when organizations used to have fixed annual training programs that were common to employees across the entire company. Given the rapid rate at which new technologies are coming up in the market today, companies have realized the importance of constant upskilling of their employees based on skills and improvement areas thus investing a lot of time & money in this regard.Currently, Organizations are using various methods and ways to encourage continuous learning and growth among its employees. Such as.

Buddy and Mentoring System – It helps the employees in the initial day to connect with the organization and understand the organization culture.

Set Learning Goals for employees. – By setting Learning Goals for employees, gives clarity about their learning goals for the year so that employees are focused and motivated to learn and grow.

Technology for Learning Support - that Offer employees the opportunity to attend training sessions or workshops that focus on their specific areas of expertise. Utilize eLearning platforms and digital tools to provide employees with flexible and convenient learning options. 

Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing: Foster an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their knowledge and expertise with one another.

Offer incentives and recognition for learning achievements: Reward employees for successfully completing training programs or achieving learning milestones.

Foster a growth mindset among employees: Promote a culture where learning and personal growth are valued, and employees are encouraged to view challenges as opportunities to develop their skills. This can be achieved by celebrating effort and progress, rather than just focusing on outcomes.

Encourage personal developments with Customized training programs - Many companies are even going an extra mile in this regard by devising custom-built training programs for each department as per their functional areas.