Up to X% of employees consider organizational culture one of the most important factors of work experience, but only 36% believe that it actually works in their company and contributes to results. This difference shows not only the growing importance of culture in the work environment, but also a still significant gap between how managers understand it and how employees experience it daily.
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According to Jurgis Kovas, head of “Biuro”, the largest HR management company in the Baltic States, organizational culture is becoming increasingly important for employees today because objective aspects of work alone, such as salary, job title, or workplace, are no longer sufficient. It is becoming increasingly important for employees what they can expect from the organization, how decisions are made, how mistakes are resolved, and whether trust prevails in the work environment.
„People value not only what they receive but also how they feel in the organization. It is important to them whether decisions are made clearly, whether managers adhere to what they communicate, whether trust and cooperation prevail in the team, and not just the pursuit of results at any cost. In other words, culture defines not what is written, but how work is actually done daily,” says J.Kovas.
According to him, this is precisely why culture is often evaluated differently within an organization. Managers tend to assess direction, strategy, and what is planned or communicated, while employees evaluate the organization’s daily reality. If a gap emerges between these two perspectives, culture naturally begins to be perceived unevenly. And from that depends how much employees engage, how safe they feel, and how long they remain in the organization.
Not all cultural initiatives work as expected
According to J.Kovas, today companies have no shortage of various culture-strengthening initiatives. Values are identified, training sessions, team events, or motivational programs are organized. However, these alone do not mean that employees’ experience will be positive.
„Such measures may seem useful at first, but if they do not help employees better understand how to grow within the organization, how decisions are made, how problems are solved, and how collaboration takes place, they do not create a long-term impact,” says J.Kovas.
According to the expert, the greatest impact on employee experience is not made by initiatives, but by whether the communicated values align with the reality of the daily work environment.
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„If an organization talks about growth, employees must have real opportunities to learn, receive mentorship, see clear career paths, and dedicate time to it. If open communication is emphasized, it must also be reflected in managers’ behavior. It is important for employees to receive feedback, be heard, and see that their expressed problems are addressed,” says J.Kovas. According to him, it is through such things that employees decide whether the values declared in the organization truly work.
One of the most common mistakes – treating culture as a separate initiative
According to the expert, the problem usually arises when culture is viewed as a separate activity rather than a natural part of daily work. In such cases, initiatives become an additional project that is not linked to how the organization actually operates, and therefore loses its meaning in the long run.
„Culture only works when it is reflected in managers’ decisions and team work. If it remains merely an initiative alongside work, the impact is short-lived. It is most effective when cultural principles are integrated into what is already happening – managers’ work, goal setting, feedback,” says J.Kovas.
He emphasizes that organizations should start not by creating new initiatives, but by evaluating the current situation. Only then can they decide what changes are truly needed and how to integrate them into daily processes.
„The most important thing is to talk to people and hear what works and what doesn’t in their daily experience. When employees see that their insights turn into concrete decisions, for example, a process is simplified, responsibilities are more clearly distributed, or communication is improved, then trust and a desire to engage emerge,” states J.Kovas. According to him, in this way, responsibility for culture is shared throughout the organization. It becomes not just an HR function, but a common working principle reflected in daily decisions.
