How HR Consultants Can Help Build a Company Culture That Employees Actually Love
- Colleen Pfaller
- May 2
- 5 min read
Most HR consultants will be happy to tell you that company culture is a vital part of any employee relations strategy and that your people are your most valuable assets.
When employees’ values and goals align with company culture, everyone will be happier and more productive, and business will go well, right? In other words: put people over profits, and expect profits to follow.
Yet a Gallup stat confirms that employee engagement is only around 31% for US companies, and we know that many organizations struggle with turnover.
If many employers understand the value of company culture, why is employee engagement so low?
And does this mean that “culture” matters less than we think?
Well yes… and no. The answer is a bit more nuanced.
A Disconnect Between Company Culture and Employee Experience
Sometimes I’ll sit down with a new prospect who says something like, “Can we skip all that HR compliance stuff and jump right into engagement? How do we make people happy? We just want to make sure we are creating an environment where people stay!”
While I completely understand the sentiment — after all, their hearts are in the right place — this approach sometimes misses the mark.
I remember a time before ASOHR became part of OneDigital when a consulting manager told me about a project he sold. He thought I could whip up a list of things to make employees happy — simple perks like monthly BBQs and trail mix in the breakroom. The client was at a loss for ideas and couldn’t figure out why turnover was so high.
But here’s the kicker: I was given hardly any time to meet with the client or any of the staff — just a list of “perks” and a request to keep it under an hour of my time.
It was great of the client to want to invest in employee happiness, but IMO he was missing the point entirely.
It seemed to me that, in his mind, he was mistaking perks for the fundamentals, which is the real crux behind company culture. What he really needed was a deeper understanding of what his employees genuinely wanted. (Spoiler alert: It wasn’t monthly BBQs.)
A great HR consultant will help you understand any gaps behind employee engagement issues, and help you find real solutions.
The True Employee Experience
OneDigital’s Employee Value Perception Study surveyed 2,000 full-time employees throughout the United States, and it turned out that the single highest-scoring trait of all the various job traits was brand/reputation. Respondents ranked it over feeling valued, leadership support, culture, work-life balance, inclusivity, and meaningful relationships, among other “company culture” things HR and others have been chasing for years.
Here are some other insights from the study (from OneDigital's 2025 Workforce Insights Guide):
Employees tend to have different values and needs based on demographic factors, seniority, experience, etc.
A top concern for employees is financial insecurity despite positive financial behaviors.
The decision to stay or leave with an employer, especially for those with 6-12 years of experience, is heavily influenced by the employer’s willingness to offer flexibility in work location and hours (autonomy is key here too).
Even though cultural priorities such as inclusivity, work-life balance, and mental health awareness have been at the forefront for employers in recent years, employee engagement continues to fall.
Employees today are more likely to stay in places which offer not only competitive wages, but clear and transparent policies, as well as other benefits related to physical wellness, work-life balance, financial planning, and even mental health.
They are looking for meaningful opportunities with companies that align with their values and life goals, and they’re looking to work at companies with solid reputations when it comes to the employee experience – so that needs to come first.
Company Culture Redefined
No matter what, culture is your foundation. It’s about shared beliefs, attitudes, and values that basically connect everyone in the organization. It can also be about being fair and inclusive.
Yet, organizations often stumble by confusing “culture” with “perks.” They may feel they have built a strong culture around their own values and business goals, but forget to consider how the employee experience reflects and defines that culture.
For instance, a monthly lunch might showcase generosity or camaraderie, but it doesn’t necessarily address deeper employee concerns. Some employees may love the chance to socialize, while others might feel pressured to participate.
What you think they want is not necessarily what they want – and you might be surprised at how small their requests are sometimes too.
So first, employers must understand what employees really need to feel supported and engaged; and second, they need to find attainable solutions (that’s where we come in).
HR Organizational Assessments
Our HR consultants have an excellent organizational assessment tool that we use with our clients – which for some has been a game-changer.
This is a way to get a better understanding of how your company is faring compared to the competition, identify compliance gaps, and find opportunities for growth.
The Weisbrod Six Box Model details elements of an organization that drives culture, employee satisfaction, and productivity by assessing six “boxes”
In case you missed reading about it in this blog, here’s an overview of how they work:
Purpose: Evaluate alignment between employees and the organization regarding values, goals, and work styles. Review mission and vision statements, and ensure that employees understand and support strategic objectives.
Structure: Clarify reporting relationships, office attendance expectations, and strategies to encourage employees to come into the office despite alternative options.
Relationships: Assess the effectiveness of relationship management among teams and leaders, identifying any gaps in communication, support, and respect. Determine how employees perceive these relationships.
Rewards: Recognize that rewards can take various forms, including lifestyle benefits, flexible scheduling, work-life balance, and support for education, health, and financial planning.
Leadership: Investigate leadership styles and their effectiveness, focusing on adaptability, relational skills, conflict management, and ethical leadership versus traditional management approaches.
Supporting Mechanisms: Examine planning, budgeting, monitoring, and communication strategies, along with performance evaluations and training and development programs that facilitate organizational effectiveness.
Our HR consultants are experts in administering and interpreting these assessments to help clients understand the six "boxes" (Purpose, Structure, Relationships, Rewards, Leadership, Supporting Mechanisms) and identify areas for improvement.
One aspect of an organizational assessment is a stay interview, which can be used to investigate employees’ real concerns. There’s the real benefit of qualitative data and having the luxury of follow-up questions (versus an automated survey); where you get the data; scratch your head and think… hmm, I wonder what they meant by that!
If you can’t collect data from your own organization, there are many studies that give us insights on the workforce at large, which we use as part of our overall assessments.
If you’d like more information about an HR organizational assessment, let us know!
HR Consultants Can Help Align Culture and Employee Experience
What should organizations focus on to offer employees the best opportunities to thrive while attracting and retaining great talent?
Consider the employee experience as something that drives both company culture and your brand reputation
Use structured processes like HR assessments to get to the root of any employee engagement issues and transform culture
Develop benefits and other offerings that your employees find meaningful
Connect your branding with a positive employee experience
Prioritize transparency and trust to empower employees to grove honest feedback, as well as contribute wholly to the organizational goals
So if you want your brand to shine and attract top talent, let’s take a look at your workplace values and how they align with those of your employees and future hires. Some of the strongest companies we work with have learned to leverage employee enthusiasm to build their brands — kind of like the HR version of “Be You”!
Contact us for more information or for your HR Assessment.
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