When you think of “company culture,” you may think of superficial elements like:

• Office parties
• Free snacks
• Casual dress

However, it’s important to realize that these elements don’t keep your employees around. Company culture encompasses almost every aspect of your business, and if you fail to realize the extent to which your culture affects your staff, you may have trouble retaining your top employees. According to our annual Hiring Outlook, here are the top 4 elements of company culture that professionals want:

#4 Flexible scheduling

With today’s technology, boundaries between work and life are becoming hazy. When you take the focus from hours to results, you give your employees the bandwidth to get their work done on their terms. Read also: Companies Should Bend Towards Flexible Scheduling

#3 Strong team rapport

Relationships within a team and with supervisors are critical to retaining top employees. To improve the culture within a team, it starts with transparency and communication. When managers work to understand team needs and build trust with their staff, it will go a long way.

#2 Professional development opportunities

The number one reason professionals left their last job was “lack of advancement opportunities.” As professionals take care to ensure that they are successful in their career in the long-term, companies who can’t offer that long-term growth for employees will suffer. To improve your employee development offerings as well as your company culture, professionals say they want the following opportunities:

• Coaching/Mentoring
• Hands-On Training
• Management Training
• Encouragement to Collaborate

#1 Support from leadership + management

Over 90% of professionals say that the actions of executive leadership affect the overall company culture. Not only should executives within your company be exemplary models of positive employees, but it’s their responsibility to show support for their staff. This starts on day one. From effective onboarding through the end of each employee’s tenure, employers must ensure that their staff feels supported and has the tools they need to succeed.