A MEASURED APPROACH

Assessing Workplace Culture

Contributions by: Diane Jolicoeur  

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

This quote from Peter Drucker, a highly regarded management thinker and author, tells us that if you’re not measuring or tracking your progress, management becomes guesswork.

If we aren’t measuring our goals, how do we know if we’re succeeding? Measuring progress begins by taking a good look at our workplace culture to identify the areas that have the most impact so we, as leaders, can make adjustments that drive positive change. Without a clear picture of what success looks like, any wins are simply luck —and luck isn’t viable for long-term success.

On a worksite, what gets measured, gets managed, and workplace culture is no different.

Workplace culture has a profound impact on the success of a company. It can affect a company’s reputation, its ability to attract and retain workers, its safety rating, and the bottom line. But the strength of a company’s culture goes beyond posting a list of values and hoping for the best. It must be a proactive and considered effort.

So, we start by measuring.

We, at Builders Code have designed valuable resources to support employers and industry leaders in creating and maintaining a healthy and sustainable workplace culture. Among the easy-to-use, free resources is The Scorecard, which has recently been redesigned in digital format for greater efficiency. 

The Scorecard is a tool designed to simplify the work that goes into determining the strength of your company’s workplace culture. It helps companies evaluate and identify the culture’s strengths and challenges, and provides valuable insight along with instant feedback, suggestions, and resources to take your company culture to the next level.

The Scorecard assesses the adoption of policies and practices that support a positive and healthy work environment, including:

• Recruitment and hiring practices
• Training and development initiatives
• Benefits and compensation
• Workforce diversity and inclusion
• Partnerships and pathways into skilled trades

It’s estimated to take between 15 minutes and 1 hour to complete – the duration depends on the size of your company and the information you want to include. This may seem like a chunk of time many don’t have to spare, but considering the value of having a window into how your company is functioning at the workforce level, it’s worth it.

You can think of it as a risk assessment for your business. It makes good sense to know where your company is at, just as you would at the start of a construction project.

After all, we would certainly take this approach with a construction project.

A construction project involves vision, planning, assembling the right people, preparing the landscape, laying the foundation, building, monitoring, inspecting, and delivering. This can also apply to establishing and fostering workplace culture within an organization – it takes thought, time, money, effort, and care. 

Whether you’re a well-established business or a new company—ensuring that your work environment is serving your organization and your people, is something worth measuring.

Cultivating and fostering workplace culture takes time and attention, and measuring your progress allows you to evaluate what you’ve accomplished so far, where you are now, and where you want – or need – to grow.

“Emil Anderson completed the Builders Code Scorecard, and it reinforced our commitment to a safe, respectful workplace. It was eye-opening to see where we can still improve, and it clearly highlighted our strengths and areas for growth. The process was well worth the time—it gave us practical insights we can action. We encourage other companies to complete the scorecard too; it’s a valuable tool for benchmarking, strengthening culture, and making meaningful, measurable improvements.”

 – Crystal Asleth, Senior HR Partner -Emil Anderson Group – a Builders Code Champion Award Winner.

In the end, what gets measured, gets done. Demonstrate your commitment to workforce culture and development – take advantage of The Scorecard today.

If you have any questions in using The Scorecard,
please contact diane@builderscode.ca