One of the most challenging aspects of running a company is hiring and retaining great employees. So how do organizations around the globe do it? For any business large or small, keeping A+ players for the long haul all boils down to corporate culture.

Your workplace culture not only says a lot about the company itself, but it can also help determine the quality of work your employees produce. Happy employees are typically more productive than those who are unhappy at work, and the culture you foster can actually make a huge impact on your bottom line.

So whether you’re a technology marketing company or a family-owned cupcakery, there are a few top practices that can cultivate an atmosphere that employees look forward to joining each morning. Here are five of our favorites.

1. Set The Standards
A company’s culture should be established early in the interview process. Many organizations even write the company’s core values down so that the agreed-upon cultural goals and expectations can be easily translated to incoming employees. It’s important for businesses to hire people who share the same corporate values to ensure that everyone is onboard and working towards the same goals.

2. Transparency is Key
Gone are the days of closed doors and cubicles. With the onset of social media and digital communication in the workplace, a transparent office is a happy office. Consider implementing a social intranet to foster open team communication while housing all of your employees’ knowledge on a single platform. These types of collaboration tools are also important as the Millennial workers flooding the workplace continue to look for organizations that practice and value transparency.

3. Set the Scene
When it comes to corporate culture, the physical setting of your office can be just as important as the goals you set out to achieve. Employees are looking for more than just a beanbag chair in the corner of the room or free snacks in the kitchen – they want cool and collaborative spaces to help get the creative juices flowing. Think Google, Apple or Pixar for inspiration when it comes to office space design.

4. Encourage Relationships
Years ago, after-hours relationships between employees were often discouraged; but with today’s social workforce, that’s a different story. Employees want to work with people they like and feel comfortable communicating with. Encouraging these relationships through team building events, happy hours and office get-togethers can help employees to produce better quality work while improving trust and collaboration.

5. Be Yourself
A corporate culture isn’t something that can be forced. If the culture isn’t genuine, it comes across as such to employees. It’s important to stay true to yourself and your ideals when looking for people to join your team and when working to establish a workplace experience that employees will want to stick around for.

If done right, your culture can become the secret sauce that attracts top players to your company and keeps them invested for the long haul. Keep these tips top of mind to create a workplace that’s happy, enjoyable and – most importantly – more productive.