A strong company culture attracts outstanding employees and helps you build a better brand. See how you can cultivate your unique culture with these ten tips from influencers at companies like HubSpot, Netflix, and more.

1. Build Company
Culture in 10 Steps
H O W T O

2. Think about
culture early.
1

3. Nurture the people and practices that make
your culture unique early on. It will guide
your company as it grows.
T H I N K A B O U T C U LT U R E E A R LY

4. Write it down.
2

5. Having an articulated vision for your culture will
educate others about your mission and hold
you and your company accountable over time.
Even better? Share it with the public.
W R I T E I T D O W N

6. TAW N I C R A N Z , C H I E F TA L E N T O F F I C E R AT N E T F L I X
“More and more people choose to work at a
company not for the work but increasingly for
the company culture and leadership.”
W R I T E I T D O W N

7. Designate leaders.
3

8. A culture doesn’t just build itself. Appoint
a leader like Katie Burke, HubSpot’s VP of
Culture and Experience, and task them with
building and measuring culture.
K AT I E B U R K E , V P O F C U LT U R E A N D E X P E R I E N C E AT H U B S P OT
D E S I G N AT E L E A D E R S

9. Measure it.
4

10. You can’t build a culture without tying it to
meaningful metrics. Is your goal to improve
employee retention by a certain percentage?
Attract more potential candidates?
Recording and measuring these data points will
determine the success of your culture initiative.
M E A S U R E I T

11. “One of the main reasons why culture initiatives
fail or tend not be viewed with seriousness is
because they often lack a core business metric.”
W R I T E I T D O W NM E A S U R E I T
K AT I E B U R K E , V P O F C U LT U R E A N D E X P E R I E N C E AT H U B S P OT

12. Lead by example.
5

13. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to
demonstrate the values you find most
important. If you offer your employees
flextime, use flextime yourself.
If you encourage using all your PTO, make
sure you take your vacation days, too.
L E A D B Y E X A M P L E

14. "Be the leader you wish you had."
L E A D B Y E X A M P L E
S I M O N S I N E K , AU T H O R

15. Connect culture to
business outcomes.
6

16. "You have to make a business case for culture.
Explain why it actually matters to the business
and show how it ties to core business objectives."
C O N N E C T C U LT U R E TO O U TC O M E S
K AT I E B U R K E , V P O F C U LT U R E A N D E X P E R I E N C E AT H U B S P OT
Establishing a culture just for “fun” will never stick.

17. Make employee
happiness your
obsession.
7

18. Make employee satisfaction the goal behind
everything you do. But it’s not enough just
to focus on the metrics, you need to add
personal touches as well.
E M P LOY E E H A P P I N E S S

19. "The last employee happiness survey we did got
764 responses. I read every single one of them."
E M P LOY E E H A P P I N E S S
K AT I E B U R K E , V P O F C U LT U R E A N D E X P E R I E N C E AT H U B S P OT

20. Focus on value,
not appearance.
8

21. As Mattermark’s co-founder Andy Sparks
points out, gimmicks like these are a “trite
replacement for authentic company culture.”
Instead, focus on what’s meaningful to your
employees rather than random perks.
A N DY S PA R K S , C O - F O U N D E R O F M AT T E R M A R K
F O C U S O N VA L U E , N OT A P P E A R A N C E
A wise person once said, “A ping pong table
does not a culture make.”

22. Be unique.
9

23. Plenty of companies offer perks, so
think about what will make your culture
most attractive to current and potential
employees.
Beyond basic benefits, figure out what sets
you apart--unique perks, a heartfelt company
manifesto, or an articulated company
purpose go a long way towards helping you
establish your culture.
B E U N I Q U E

24. Aspire to be great.
10

25. Let’s face it: You’re not going to have a
thriving culture on day one. But aspiring
to build the culture you imagine for your
organization will help get others on board
with your goal.
A S P I R E TO B E G R E AT

26. Want more insight on culture, HR,
and running a great business?
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