From day one, we wanted our culture at Tuuti to be more than words in a handbook, lip service in meetings, or a box to check off. We wanted a culture ingrained in every fiber of who we are. We set out to build a culture that attracted people to us, from future team members to our community to our incredible clients.
In my experience as a leader, I have seen all sides of culture: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I found that positive culture environments overlapped in key areas, and similarly, negative work environments shared similar downfalls.
Let’s dig deeper and uncover what is workplace culture, why culture as a company matters, and actionable steps to take to cultivate a winning culture.
What Is Workplace Culture?
At its core, workplace culture is the set of values, behaviors, and attitudes that shape how an organization operates. It’s not just about benefits and office snacks (although we are a fan of snacks!). It’s about the guiding principles that influence decisions, interactions, and overall business direction. In simple terms, culture is how your people feel about coming to work every day.
Why Should Company Culture Be a Priority?
1. Boosts Employee Satisfaction and Retention
A strong workplace culture directly impacts employee satisfaction and retention. A recent MIT study found that team members are 10x more likely to leave a company because of a toxic work environment than for compensation reasons. When people feel supported, valued, and aligned with the company’s mission, they’re more likely to stay engaged and loyal. A positive culture creates a sense of belonging, which leads to higher retention rates. And since it’s much more expensive to hire and train team members than to keep your current ones on, culture is definitely something to invest in for your company’s long-term success.
2. Fosters Innovation and Creativity
As a creative communications marketing agency, this one is big for us! Culture fuels creativity by providing the right environment for brainstorming, experimentation, and continuous improvement. If employees feel safe to share bold ideas and challenge the status quo, innovation follows naturally. Otherwise, in toxic or stale working environments, team members become less motivated to contribute more than the bare minimum of their jobs. At Tuuti, we’ve seen over and over again how an open, collaborative culture sparks new ideas and innovative solutions for our clients.
3. Drives Business Success and Growth
Culture isn’t just about happy team members — it’s a powerful driver of business success. Companies with strong, cohesive cultures are more likely to achieve sustainable growth. Why? Because a motivated and engaged workforce leads to higher productivity, better problem-solving, and ultimately, better client outcomes. For us here at Tuuti, our culture has been instrumental in fostering teamwork, which directly translates to success for both our clients and our agency.
4. Attracts Top Talent
Your culture can be one of your greatest recruitment tools. Top talent seeks companies where they can not only grow professionally but also align with the values and environment of the business. It’s about more than just getting a paycheck every day; people crave somewhere where they can make a difference and can feel valued for all they add to the team. A positive workplace culture that champions growth, diversity, and creativity will naturally attract people who are excited about contributing to your vision.
5. Builds Consumer Base and Brand Loyalty
Company culture isn’t just internal — it extends to how your brand is perceived by the world. Consumers want to do business with companies whose values they align with, and a well-defined culture plays a key role in building that connection. Authenticity goes a long way in creating brand loyalty. That’s why on social media and our other channels we aren’t afraid to showcase our quirky side because that’s who we are! And it’s attracted fans and clients alike who feel connected to our culture.
Ways to Grow a Great Workplace Culture
Building a great company culture doesn’t just happen by chance. It takes intention and effort every day. Here are a few ways you can get started:
- Create a monthly company newsletter. Internal company newsletters are a great way to keep everyone informed, engaged, and aligned with your mission. For example, you can highlight team members, communicate key updates and to-knows, share pictures from recent company events, and more. There’s so much you can do with company newsletters to make it your own and inspire your team!
- Organize team-building events. Regular team-building events can help strengthen bonds, build trust, and keep the workplace fun and collaborative. At Tuuti, we plan a team building every quarter, from field days to bowling to holiday parties. We love planning these types of events and have seen the difference it makes in building camaraderie.
- Celebrate wins. Taking the time to acknowledge achievements, big and small, can boost morale and keep motivation high. Celebrating these moments has become part of our culture at Tuuti. We have a dedicated Slack channel for #woohoos to call out team members for their hard work and also kick-off our weekly meetings with best business news, best personal news.
- Schedule 1:1s and skip-level meetings. Regular check-ins with leadership and team members at all levels keep communication open and ensure that every voice is heard. I’m a huge advocate for holding 1:1s with my direct reports, as well as skip levels with our other team members. Not only does this build trust and transparency, but it’s especially important for scaling intentionally as a business.
- Align perks with your company values. Providing perks and benefits that align with your company’s mission can strengthen culture. For instance, if health and wellness are priorities, offering gym memberships or wellness programs can be a great fit. Another example is with our love for personal development, we have an allocated budget for team members to grow their skills with seminars, conferences, and other learning opportunities.
Overall, culture is much more than a buzzword or a seminar to attend once a year to feel better about yourself. Your company’s culture is the heartbeat of success. It drives employee satisfaction, fuels business outcomes, and builds a brand that consumers, clients, and the community want to be a part of. After all, for a winning brand, you need a winning culture too.
