HR departments must intentionally build organizational culture as a strategic asset to bridge gaps between stated values and employee experience, according to new research from McLean & Company.
A significant disconnect persists between how senior leaders and non-managers perceive company culture, with only 36 per cent of HR professionals rating their departments as “very effective” at shaping and sustaining culture, despite widespread recognition of its importance.
“Culture exists in every organization – whether it’s intentionally shaped or not,” said Amani Gharib, director of Human Resources Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. “But strong cultures don’t emerge by chance.”
The global HR research firm has released a new blueprint titled “Shape and Sustain Organizational Culture” to help HR teams address these challenges through a four-step framework.
The culture-performance connection
McLean’s engagement survey data from 2021-2024 shows employees in high-performing cultural environments are 1.3 times more likely to look forward to coming to work and 1.1 times more likely to remain with their employer in the coming year.
While 65 per cent of employees believe their organization’s values are reflected in daily activities, this perception varies significantly by position level, with front-line workers reporting less positive experiences than executives.
Four-step cultural transformation
The blueprint outlines a structured approach to culture change:
- Prepare for culture change
- Work with leaders on culture initiatives
- Identify opportunities for HR alignment
- Manage and sustain culture change
“There’s no singular approach to culture change,” Gharib said. “With consistent leadership and a proactive change management plan, organizations can bridge the gap between values and behaviors – shaping a culture where everyone thrives.”
The research identifies culture shaping and sustainment as HR’s anticipated top value-adding activity by 2030, based on McLean & Company’s Future of HR Survey from 2023.
HR teams must reinforce organizational values through policies, leadership modeling and communication across all work environments, including remote and deskless roles, the report advises.
The firm will host a webinar on June 12 to explore key findings and provide actionable steps for leading successful culture transformation initiatives.
