What Really Shapes a Company’s Culture? Looking Beyond Buzzwords and Benefits
"So, what’s the culture like there?"
It’s a question you hear in job interviews, networking chats, and management meetings. And while it seems straightforward, the answers rarely go deeper than:
“It’s fun and flexible.”
“People are friendly.”
“We do loads of team socials.”
All nice to hear. But these answers only graze the surface.
Because culture isn’t about having great snacks or the occasional team-building day. It’s about what people experience—consistently—when they show up to work.
Culture Isn't Something You Stick on a Wall
Too often, companies confuse culture with perks or values statements. But here’s the truth:
Culture isn’t what you say. It’s what people feel, see, and live—every single day.
It shows up in:
How feedback is handled
Who gets listened to (and who doesn’t)
How teams navigate conflict
What behaviour is encouraged—and what gets quietly tolerated
Culture doesn’t just sit in a strategy deck. It breathes through every interaction, decision, and moment that matters.
Why the Experience Isn’t the Same for Everyone
A company might define its values clearly, but how those values play out can vary dramatically from one team or leader to another.
One group might feel supported and energised. Another, undervalued and unheard.
This variation isn’t always due to poor leadership or bad intent—it’s often down to inconsistency in how culture is lived, reinforced, and sustained.
When people say, “We have a great culture,” they usually mean their own corner of it feels good. But what about everyone else?
The Danger of Looking Only at the Big Picture
It’s easy to focus on the high-level view—mission, values, leadership style—but that can create a false sense of alignment.
If you’re not listening closely to how people actually experience the workplace, you risk building culture on assumption instead of evidence.
What’s written in the company handbook doesn’t always match what’s playing out in the meeting room or Slack channel.
To truly understand your culture, you need to:
Observe how people behave under pressure
Look at who thrives (and who doesn’t)
Ask the right questions—not just in surveys, but in conversation
Culture Is Built in the Everyday
The strongest cultures aren’t created in all-hands meetings. They’re built over time, through everyday actions:
A manager backing their team in a tough moment
A colleague being open about mistakes
A leader showing that feedback isn’t a threat—it’s a catalyst
It’s in those moments that values become real.
What You Can Do About It
If you want to shape a culture that sticks, start by closing the gap between what you say and what people see.
Ask your team how they’d describe the culture in their own words
Look for inconsistencies across departments, not just highlights
Focus on moments of truth—like how you onboard, recognise, and handle challenge
Make cultural alignment part of performance, not an afterthought
Most importantly, treat culture as something you build, not inherit.
Final Thought
Culture isn’t a vibe. It’s not a perk. And it’s not a tagline.
It’s the pattern of how your organisation behaves—when things are going well and when they’re not.
The question isn’t whether you have a culture. You do.
The question is—is it the one you actually want?
If you’re ready to align what your culture promises with what people experience, let’s talk.