Corporate standards presuppose the creation of a unified model of behavior for staff. They create the basis of the company's culture, dictate its values, determine the norms of work in a team and often even adjust the appearance and characteristics of the working day of employees.
Advantages of corporate standards
Most often, corporate standards are used in large companies whose management wants all team members to feel part of the overall system. Thanks to the use of this method, the team turns into a kind of family, and the office into a home. The attitude of the staff to work is also changing: employees feel a great responsibility towards colleagues and superiors and make efforts to win the respect and trust of others.
Workflows are made simpler and more efficient through the use of corporate standards. All employees are well aware of the "rules of the game" in the company and strictly adhere to them, which helps to avoid many problems associated with conflicts in the team. Moreover, each employee learns the basics of the adopted hierarchy and their own responsibilities, thanks to which it is possible to avoid misunderstandings leading to more serious problems.
Corporate standards make it easier for employees to respond to ordinary situations. In this case, the actions of the staff are simplified as much as possible, so the working day passes without annoying delays and serious mistakes.
Why corporate standards are bad
Employees, especially newcomers, may not always get used to corporate standards. Some people begin to rebel, not wanting to obey a whole set of rules and restrictions, while others fear that they will make a mistake and will be punished for it. In both the first and second cases, the company risks losing a valuable employee. It is especially difficult for experienced professionals who have worked in another company for a long time and are accustomed to different norms of behavior in a team to study corporate standards.
Corporate standards force people to follow the same pattern. This is convenient for those who only have to follow simple orders. However, if a situation arises in which workers have to take the initiative or make a decision in a non-standard environment, problems are likely to arise. For creative teams in which the individuality of each person is important, strict corporate standards are simply contraindicated.
If there are too many standards, it inevitably creates bureaucracy, which can significantly complicate the work in the company and cause many questions for newcomers. That is why it is better to choose the main moments that are most significant for the company and indicate exactly them, without driving the staff into a rigid framework.