Describe your unique company culture: A guide with examples

What is work culture?

Put simply, work culture refers to the common values, beliefs, actions, attitudes, and practices that influence your company. It's also known as organizational, corporate, team, or company culture.

Your team culture defines the way employees interact and collaborate with each other, how they approach their work, and how they align with your company's goals. But, with remote and hybrid work the new normal, there’s been significant changes in the concept.

While in-office culture emphasizes face-to-face interactions and immediate feedback, remote culture emphasizes flexibility and technology, and hybrid culture strikes a balance.

Depending on which model your company uses, you have to adapt your practices and values to create a positive work environment where employees thrive.

5 reasons why work culture is important

Work culture is important as it impacts various aspects of your company. Here are 5 reasons why work culture matters:

1. Increases employee engagement

A positive work culture creates an environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and engaged. It’s no wonder employees in positive work environments are 3.8 times more likely to be engaged.¹

When employees connect with company values, enjoy their work, and have a good relationship with colleagues, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, leading to higher staff retention and better morale.

2. Attracts top talent and boosts employee retention rates

Job seekers are pickier about where they work nowadays, they want more than just a paycheck, they want a place that matches their values and offers growth opportunities.

So it’s no surprise that 86% of potential hires wouldn’t work in a company with a negative culture, and 65% of employees would likely leave their company as a result.²

A positive company culture that treats employees well and provides opportunities for meaningful contributions is a strong magnet for attracting and retaining the best talent, unlike a toxic workplace.

Likewise, when employees feel valued and supported, they are more likely to stay loyal. This results in reduced recruitment expenses and a decreased likelihood  of losing institutional knowledge and experience.

3. Improves team productivity and employee performance

For your company to be successful, you need a strong work culture.

Employees are more productive and committed to achieving common goals when they feel connected to the company's mission and values. This motivates them to go above and beyond, resulting in highly engaged teams. When teams are highly engaged, there is less absenteeism and internal theft.³

4. Promotes innovation and creativity

Corporate cultures that encourage open communication, risk-taking, and idea-sharing are forums for innovation and creativity. Employees are more likely to think outside the box when they feel comfortable expressing their thoughts without fear of judgment.

5. Drives Profitability

A positive organizational culture translates into better customer service. When employees feel content and motivated, they provide good customer experiences. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat customers and recommend the company to others, contributing to increased revenue.⁴

11 common types of work culture

Work cultures vary widely from one company to another, and fall into different categories based on their predominant characteristics and values.

Here are some common types of work culture:

1. Collaborative culture

In a collaborative culture, teamwork is highly emphasized. Employees work together across departments and roles, sharing ideas, knowledge, and resources to achieve common goals. Open communication and cross-functional collaboration are key features.

2. Innovative culture

An innovative culture encourages employees to think creatively and come up with new ideas. Experimentation is valued, and there's a willingness to take calculated risks to achieve breakthroughs. This culture fosters an environment of continuous learning and adaptation.

3. Results-oriented culture

In a results-oriented culture, the focus is on achieving outcomes rather than adhering to strict processes. Employees are empowered to work autonomously and are evaluated based on their performance and impact.

4. Customer-centric culture

A customer-centric culture places a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting the needs of customers. Every decision and action is driven by a commitment to delivering value and exceptional experiences to clients or users.

5. Adaptive culture

An adaptive culture thrives on flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to changes in the external environment. This culture encourages employees to be open to change and willing to adapt strategies as needed.

6. Inclusive culture

An inclusive culture promotes diversity and inclusion, where employees from various backgrounds are valued, and their perspectives are sought. This type of culture fosters an environment where everyone feels respected and included.

7. Work-life balance culture

A work-life balance culture prioritizes the well-being of employees and encourages them to maintain a healthy equilibrium between their professional and personal lives. Flexible working arrangements and wellness initiatives are common in such cultures.

8. Hierarchical culture

A hierarchical culture is characterized by clear chains of command and decision-making authority concentrated at the top levels of the organization. Communication follows a top-down approach, and employees have defined roles and responsibilities.

9. Learning and development culture

A learning and development culture places a strong emphasis on continuous growth and skill enhancement. Training, mentorship, and opportunities for career advancement are integral components of this culture.

10. Fun and creative culture

A fun culture values an enjoyable and dynamic workplace. Playful elements, creative spaces, and team-building activities contribute to a positive and creative environment.

Many companies have a blend of these culture types, and their culture evolves over time based on leadership changes, market conditions, and other factors.

2 ways to describe company culture

Work culture can be difficult to describe, as it encompasses many different elements. It's not just about the tasks people perform but also the relationships they form, the attitudes they have, and the values they share.

Plus, there are often unspoken norms that exist within a workplace, which can be hard to articulate. Nonetheless, it's important to understand work culture, as it has a significant impact on job security, satisfaction, and wellbeing.

There are two types of culture or ways to describe your company culture: the top-down and bottom-up approach. Let’s explore each in detail.

1. Top-down approach

The top-down approach to company culture is one where the management team sets the guiding principles, values, and behaviors of the organization.

Put simply, the leadership team defines the company mission, vision, and core values, and these elements then trickle down to influence the behaviors, policies, and practices of employees, shaping the overall culture of the company.

Here, employees know what is expected of them and how their work aligns with the organization's overall mission. The structure and stability are reassuring to employees and helpful for new hires in understanding the company's values and norms.

When leadership consistently embodies the cultural values they promote, it earns respect and trust from employees, and if there’s any change, the leadership team guides the process to ensure a smooth transition.

But this approach isn’t without drawbacks. The rigid culture often results in a lack of employee ownership, resistance to change, cynicism, disengagement, stifled creativity, and a lack of flexibility.

2. Bottom-up approach

A bottom-up approach focuses on involving employees at all levels to shape the values, behaviors, and atmosphere of the organization.

Rather than culture being dictated solely by leadership, it is co-created through the active participation of all employees. It emphasizes the input, perspectives, and ideas of employees to create an inclusive culture and collaborative environment.

When employees have a say in shaping the culture, they feel a sense of ownership and commitment. They become more invested in the success of the organization. Plus, when their voices are heard and ideas respected, they feel a stronger connection to the organization and its goals.

While a bottom-up approach has benefits, there are potential drawbacks.

Without strong leadership, there can be a lack of consistency and coherence in the cultural values and behaviors across different teams or departments. And, involving multiple voices in the decision-making can create complexity and slow down the process.

Other cons include resistance to change from leadership and employees, the risk of different teams or departments developing their own subcultures that don't align with the overall organizational culture, and a lack of strategic focus.

Whether to describe your workplace culture as top-down or bottom-up depends on your organization's goals, values, size, industry, and the preferences of your leadership team and employees.

Each approach has its advantages and drawbacks and the right choice will depend on your context.

13 steps to describe your work culture

Follow these steps to create a comprehensive and authentic portrayal of your organization's work culture:

Step 1: Define your core values

Identify the core values that drive your organization. These are the guiding principles that inform decision-making and behavior. For example, if one of your core values is ‘innovation’, explain how your organization encourages creative thinking, rewards new ideas, and implements innovative solutions to challenges.

Step 2: Identify cultural traits

Highlight the intrinsic motivational traits that define your work culture. If ‘collaboration’ is a trait, explain how teams work together on projects, share knowledge, and support each other. If ‘autonomy’ is another trait, elaborate on how employees are empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their work.

Alternatively, you can use technology to describe and promote your company culture. By inviting employees to take the free F4S assessment, you'll gain an evidence-based understanding of each of your employees’ work styles and motivations to provide you with a detailed analysis of what drives behavior at your company around the globe.

The F4S assessment measures motivation levels across 48 distinct traits, so you can benchmark your team against the local culture and other offices.

To take it one step further, F4S can produce a Culture Map for your organization.

This report includes recommendations on bonding even for globally distributed teams with different cultures, highlights areas holding you back and advises which coaching programs will increase team performance.

These insights will help you make data-driven decisions around the hiring process, management, workflows, and team building.

Step 3: Highlight norms and behaviors

Discuss the specific behaviors and norms that employees should adhere to. For instance, if punctuality is important, explain how showing up for meetings on time demonstrates respect. If there's an open-door policy, explain that employees can approach managers with questions or concerns.

Step 4: Describe your leadership style

Explain the leadership approach within your organization. If your leadership style is ‘transformational’, clarify how leaders inspire and motivate teams to achieve their full potential. If it's ‘servant leadership’, outline how leaders prioritize the needs of their teams to foster a supportive environment.

Step 5: Outline communication channels

Detail the various communication methods and tools used for collaboration. If you rely on virtual communication, discuss the platforms used for video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management.

If your hybrid or remote team uses Zoom for video calls, you can improve virtual collaboration with the F4S Zoom integration.