Have you ever worked in one of those jobs where you’re counting down the hours until it’s time to leave? Or where you feel stifled and unsupported by your manager? Of course you have, we all have!

Not at Afea though. We have worked hard on growing a positive and nurturing company culture. We believe having a good company culture is beneficial not just to our own happiness but to the happiness of our Clients.

What is company culture?

According to Frances Frei and Anne Morriss at Harvard Business Review:

“Culture guides discretionary behavior and it picks up where the employee handbook leaves off.”

Having a good company culture has always been important to us. After all, our jobs occupy most of our waking hours. We know our values and we try to make sure everyone who joins us matches up with them. We’ve even recently created a culture book which defines exactly what it’s like at Afea and what we believe in.

For us, there are three elements to having a good company culture.

1. We have a culture of empowerment

One of our core missions at Afea is empowerment. This culture of empowerment starts at the very top. It means our managers empower us to make decisions and use any mistakes as opportunities for growth. We have a culture of development, support and mentorship. We don’t feel afraid to speak our opinions and are trusted to manage our work in the best way possible.

As a result, we extend this empowering culture to our community. We help our Clients learn and grow to the best of their ability. We help rebuild confidence and improving lives day-by-day. Empowering people leads to amazing results, which inspires us to continue caring and helping.

2. We have a culture of good mental health

The mental health of our people is something we place a huge emphasis on. Recently, our CEO, Esha Oberoi ran a series of introductory meditation sessions for our Carers, explaining its benefits and how to start doing it.

We often run meditation sessions in the office and remotely for Carers. We believe we can’t truly take care of others without first taking care of ourselves. It’s this culture of prioritising our mental health that ensures our staff, Carers and Clients feel safe and nurtured.

3. We have a culture of fun!

At Afea we believe the office is a space for fun, not just for work. We jump at the chance to celebrate anything and everything we can, especially when it’s for a good cause.

In the last few months, we have celebrated:

• Stress Down Day – we wore pyjamas to work to recognise the good work that Lifeline does in the community.
• We were decked out in denim for Jeans for Genes Day, to raise awareness for children born with genetic diseases.
• We love celebrating diversity by learning about each other’s cultures and often mark the occasions with home-cooked traditional meals.

What do you think makes a good company culture?