Company Culture: Does It matter?

Shane Rodrigues
August 23, 2022
Newsletter Article

Company culture or corporate culture can be defined as “the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires."

What is company culture?

A company's culture will be reflected in its dress code, business hours, office setup, employee benefits, turnover, hiring decisions, treatment of clients, client satisfaction, and every other aspect of operations.”(Investopedia)

Can One Company Have a Different Culture than Others?

Yes. Every company will have a different version of its own company culture. Company A may be more relaxed and casual versus Company B being more fast-paced and professional. The industry may also have an impact on company culture. A workplace in the healthcare industry will generally be different than a company in the construction industry.

Is One Version of Company Culture Better Than Another?

No, every company can be unique and different, but not necessarily better. Companies are like people in the sense of having different personalities. Just because they are a little different in how they operate does not mean that Company A is better than Company B. However, you may prefer one style of company culture more than another.

How Will I Know if a Company’s Culture is a Good Fit?

Try to figure out what motivates you to accomplish your best work (and your worst). Consider a time when you were particularly productive. What made the situation so unique? Did you work alone or in a group?

When asking present and former coworkers about their ideal company culture, here is what was said most often:

Concrete chain of command
Relaxed work environment
Strong teamwork, not every feeling alone or cannot ask anyone for help
Opportunities to grow and advance in the company
Each employee is known by their superior, and not just another person to boss around
Recognition for success privately and publicly

When asked about ideal work environments, the most common responses included:

Open to change and hearing what every member on the team has to say
Generous companies that facilitate friendships at work, staff lunches monthly, coffee for the staff weekly
Inclusion in the workplace
Actively promotes regular communication between management and staff to ensure no one falls through the cracks

When asked about motivation, everyone wanted a boss who isn't overly strict, but when those tough conversations need to be had about job performance, the employee knows it came from a place of good intent and was not a personal attack on the employee. Frequent check-ins help reduce the severity of those tough conversations, as the employee and the manager both have a chance to speak and be honest with each other.

What are aspects of a company culture that makes you turn down a job?

Employee is expected to be perfect all times – any mistake is harshly punished
Does not respect or care about their employees
Employees fear the boss and are afraid to tell them bad news
Not able to hear to hear what the employee has to say

From my personal experience, working at a gym was very laid back, and the emphasis on employees was to make connections with as many members as possible to create a comfortable and judgement free environment for each member. Whereas when I worked in retail, the emphasis was to help the customers get what they need, but then get back to the task at hand as quickly as possible. The differences can be attributed to the management style of each workplace, but mostly due to the industry differences between retail and fitness clubs.

Company culture is a very intricate & complicated matter. Every employer and every employee have their own idea of their perfect, company culture. Finding the best fit for you can take some time but is worth it when both sides agree on a perfect, company culture.