Company Culture: What the Best Workplaces Get Right

Have you ever completed your first day at a new job feeling like the clouds have finally parted, the sun began shining, and angels were singing? The people, the process, the perks–your new role feels like it’s too good to be true.

As you now know, a lot of different factors go into creating this employee experience. But what’s going to stand out most to newbies is the company culture. Truthfully, that culture probably started with a few descriptive words that really hit home.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at how to improve company culture intentionally with our words. What adjectives and principles do successful companies choose to create communities of engaged employees? 

First, let’s define company culture

Yes, company culture is a vibe. More specifically, company culture characterizes a workplace’s standards and climate. It’s evident in behaviors, practices, and attitudes throughout the organization. 

This culture should be evident within the work environment, most commonly in communication and collaboration efforts. You’ll also see a company culture’s influence in:

• The way they celebrate employee milestones
• The company’s short-term and long-term goals
• Employee growth and development opportunities
• Leadership styles and management practices
• Employee engagement rates, motivation, morale, and job satisfaction

Finally, a company's culture influences its public reputation and dealings. In a minute, we’ll share how the culture of really successful companies translates to exceptional service and a great brand image. For now, let’s put words to the feelings we want to create at work. 

Words that describe a company’s culture

The words we choose to define our company culture can be selected to match, support,  or closely align with core values and missions. 

For example, innovation might be one of your core values and overall missions. You could use a word like “curious” or “creative” to help define the culture. People who work in a curious or creative culture naturally feel more empowered to share bold ideas and ask questions, which supports innovation. 

The following list includes company culture words that describe popular chosen values, work environment, and employee experience.

Are all company cultures so positive?

Every intentional culture has positive qualities, yes. Companies whose cultures are best described as “toxic” or “stressful” rarely lay out a plan for that. One could argue that negativity is due to the absence of a culture (aka, a lack of community or clear purpose).

Some companies do take a neutral approach to culture. They would describe the environment as “traditional,” “professional,” or “results-driven.” 

Decision time! Choosing three words to describe company culture

A company culture can value and uphold upward of a dozen awesome adjectives. However, most people (including employees when surveyed 👀) would default to three to describe the vibe. The human brain loves groups of three.

So, when looking to build or rehabilitate a company culture, start by choosing three of the most general adjectives that describe the intended culture. 

For example, let’s choose:

• Collaborative
• Inclusive
• Respectful

As we foster this culture, we can see what other words align and reinforce our core three, such as:

• Supportive–A great quality to bolster both inclusion and collaboration
• Flexible–Accommodates a wider variety of needs, shows respect for preferences
• Approachable–No one feels unsure, isolated, or intimidated
• Trusting–Trust is a sign of respect and improves collaboration

Building branches out from our Big Three gives us more ideas and solutions for how to address situations. It also gives employees more specific behavioral cues and expectations. 

We WANT to work: Companies with great culture

Let’s get on the ground and see what a successful company culture looks like. The following real-world examples of company culture are living proof that investing in employee satisfaction creates awesome and profitable business outcomes. 

Zappos–Delighting customers and employees with fun, inclusive support

The online shoe retailer is known for a fun, inclusive, supportive work environment. Employees get mentorship and growth opportunities, plus they host tons of social events, like their notorious costume contests. It’s all organized by their Chief Fungineer.

That sounds amazing, but it’s a very strategic move. 

Those three cultural qualities serve one of their biggest objectives: sky-high levels of employee happiness. Why? Because happy employees provide exceptional customer service, which happens to be one of the company’s core values. 

To make this even more effective, Zappos also promotes authenticity in its culture–letting people be themselves. This goes over even better with customers, as they get great service from distinct humans and not just giddy employees reciting a script.

Valve–Autonomy driving collaboration, passion, and innovation

You’d expect a video game developer to offer a culture of creativity and fun. However, Valve Corporation does something few companies would dare attempt–a culture of near-total autonomy.

They call it Flatland. There are no managers, and no real structure to speak of. That’s because Valve leverages autonomy to get what it really wants from its people: passion, innovation, and collaboration. 

“This company is yours to steer,” their employee handbook assures new hires. In fact, since there’s no hierarchy, the handbook instructs new hires on how to do some hiring themselves: 

“Any time you interview a potential hire, you need to ask yourself not only if they’re talented or collaborative but also if they’re capable of literally running this company, because they will be.”

It’s an unusual case, but it works for Valve. Its gaming platform, Steam, is the largest online with millions of active users.

Patagonia–Sustaining a flexible, supportive, nurturing environment

Sustainability is Patagonia’s most forward-facing core value. Most consumers already know that 100% of its profits go toward addressing climate change. 

But employees of the outdoor recreation juggernaut regard them as supportive and nurturing toward their workforce, too. Not to mention, very flexible. 

High levels of flexibility attract the type of employees who love and use Patagonia products. This makes their team effective brand ambassadors at every level. They get plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities, plus paid time off for activism. 

Perhaps the largest contributor to employee satisfaction is Patagonia’s commitment to work-life balance. Their employees get free on-site childcare, total health insurance, tuition reimbursement, and access to wellness/fitness resources.

All of this doesn’t just make Patagonia a great place to work. It fortifies its reputation as a trustworthy brand that walks the walk.

Improve company culture with peer recognition

What adjectives for company culture resonate most in your workplace? No matter how companies describe the vibe, using simple, fun tools like HeyTaco brings teams together. Here’s a glimpse at what it’s done for a few of our 1,000+ partners:

• The team at an animal care clinic prioritized appreciation and put generosity front and center.
• A fintech enterprise shifted its entire culture to one of celebration and collaboration.
• Duke University physicians increased messages of recognition by 600% for a more engaged, supportive work environment.
• A design consultancy transformed its culture by adding daily recognition and saw an astronomical rise in job satisfaction.

Creating company culture is just a few clicks away with HeyTaco, and it’s completely free to try.