Gap Between Desired and Actual Corporate Culture: Bridging Strategies

Most organizations likely agree that a gap between desired and actual corporate culture can negatively impact employee engagement and performance.

Thankfully, there are practical strategies HR professionals can use to bridge this culture gap, such as leadership training, strategic communication, and employee engagement initiatives.

In this article, we'll explore techniques for identifying cultural discrepancies, diagnosing root causes, implementing leadership development and communication campaigns, engaging employees through recognition and collaboration, and optimizing hiring and onboarding to assimilate the desired culture.

Identifying the Discrepancy in Organizational Culture

A gap between a company's desired and actual corporate culture can significantly impact talent attraction, employee experience, and business performance. Here are some key points on identifying and addressing this discrepancy:

Assess the current state of your corporate culture through employee surveys, focus groups, leadership interviews, and day-in-the-life observations. Look for misalignments between espoused and enacted values.
Benchmark your culture against industry leaders and top talent competitors. Identify aspirational cultural elements missing from your organization.
Analyze productivity metrics, turnover rates, employee satisfaction scores, and promotion data for red flags on cultural issues. Low scores demand investigation.
Map employee journeys to pinpoint pain points related to organizational culture. Look for roadblocks to collaboration, innovation, agility, and purpose.
Interview recent exits on reasons for leaving. Look for cultural themes around lack of empowerment, growth, or work-life balance.

Proactively addressing gaps in your corporate culture is key to attracting and retaining top talent while enabling organizational success. A data-driven approach focused on understanding the employee experience is essential.

What is the culture gap in business?

A culture gap refers to a disconnect between an organization's desired culture and its actual, lived culture. It occurs when the espoused values, norms, and behaviors promoted by leadership do not align with those demonstrated by employees day-to-day.

For example, a company may claim to prioritize work-life balance, but overworking and burnout are rampant issues. Leaders talk about open communication and transparency, yet few feel comfortable speaking up about concerns. There is a gap between the aspirational culture portrayed externally and the real internal dynamics.

Culture gaps develop for various reasons:

Leadership is out of touch with ground realities and employee experiences
Strategies for enabling cultural attributes are ineffective
Acquisition integration challenges arise in merging distinct cultures
External pressures lead to focus drifting from cultural foundations

Unaddressed culture gaps result in disengaged staff, lack of trust in leadership, and inability to meet business objectives reliant on the desired culture. Bridging this gap is crucial for talent retention and performance.

What is Gap company culture?

The Gap is known for having a culture focused on creativity, innovation, and making a positive impact. Some key aspects of their culture include:

Embracing Creativity and Risk-Taking

Employees are encouraged to think big and take risks when it comes to designing new products and experiences for customers. There is an emphasis on audacious ideas and not being afraid to fail on the path to innovation.

Focusing on the Greater Good

Giving back to local communities and protecting the planet are core parts of The Gap's culture and brand. From sustainability initiatives to volunteer events, employees are motivated to use business as a force for good.

Learning and Growth

With teams located all over the world, Gap's culture facilitates sharing diverse perspectives, rapid learning, and providing opportunities for employees to grow and develop new skills. Leaders are expected to empower teams to work autonomously while guiding the overall vision.

In summary, Gap's culture is driven by creative self-expression, social responsibility, and enabling employees to maximize their potential. The focus is on leveraging business to drive both profit and purpose.

What is an example of a culture gap?

A common example of a culture gap in organizations is the mismatch between the desired culture set by leadership and the actual culture experienced by employees.

For instance, leadership may aspire to create a culture focused on innovation, collaboration, and autonomy. However, middle managers accustomed to command-and-control management styles end up creating rigid processes that stifle creativity. As a result, employees feel micromanaged and unable to contribute ideas freely. This disconnect between the intended entrepreneurial culture and the actual bureaucratic processes causes frustration and disengagement.

Another potential culture gap relates to work-life balance. Leaders may verbally promote flexibility but continue rewarding rigid schedules and long hours. Employees struggling with burnout end up resenting the mixed signals regarding priorities.

Ultimately, a culture gap stems from misalignment between principles and practices at different levels of the organization. Bridging this divide requires examining why inconsistencies exist between words and actions. Open communication, updated policies, and leadership modeling desired changes can help close this gap.

How do you identify a culture gap?

A gap between desired and actual corporate culture can manifest in various ways. Here are some signs that may indicate your organization has a cultural misalignment:

Employee disengagement - Low morale, lack of motivation, and high turnover rates often stem from employees not resonating with the organization's values and work environment. Conduct engagement surveys to uncover disconnects.
Communication breakdowns - When company messaging doesn't align with real-life practices, it breeds cynicism and erodes trust. Examine how leadership communications match day-to-day experiences.
Inconsistent workflows - Unclear processes that lack cohesion signal a fragmented culture. Analyze workflows to identify inefficiencies, delays, and roadblocks.
Conflicting goals - Competing objectives that pull teams in different directions is a red flag. Ensure goals ladder up to core cultural tenets.

Proactively assessing these cultural health indicators can reveal gaps between aspirational and actual culture. Surfacing these issues is the first step to bridging divides through targeted strategies that realign practices with values.

Diagnosing the Culture Gap: From Aspiration to Reality

Assessing the current state of an organization's culture and identifying where it diverges from the company's vision is crucial for bridging the gap between desired and actual culture. This involves gathering both quantitative data and qualitative insights across the employee experience.

Surveying the Employee Experience

Conduct annual comprehensive surveys to quantitatively capture employees' perspective on corporate values, leadership, collaboration, innovation, etc.
Analyze survey results to identify areas where current culture lags behind desired culture based on vision and values.
Track survey scores year-over-year to measure progress in bridging culture gap.

In-Depth Interviews: Uncovering the Truth

Interview sample of employees at all levels to gather qualitative insights into lived culture.
Ask open-ended questions to uncover pain points, blockers, and true day-to-day experiences.
Identify themes around areas of misalignment between espoused and actual values.

Gap Analysis: Comparing Desired vs. Actual Culture

Construct culture gap analysis by comparing survey and interview findings against defined cultural aspirations.
Quantify and visualize discrepancies between desired behaviors/values and actual behaviors/values.
Prioritize focus areas with biggest misalignment for culture change initiatives.

Understanding the Impact on Employee Engagement

Connect survey and interview data to metrics for employee engagement and satisfaction.
Relate culture gap to turnover rates, recruitment challenges, and employer brand reputation.
Make the "business case" for culture initiatives based on potential revenue, productivity gains from increased employee engagement.

Taking a data-driven approach ensures culture change initiatives precisely target the most critical areas for improvement. This diagnostic process lays the foundation for effective strategies to bridge the gap.

Leadership Training: Aligning Leaders with Cultural Goals

Leadership training plays a pivotal role in cultivating an organizational culture that truly resonates with a company's values and vision. By incorporating cultural alignment into leadership development programs, HR can bridge the gap between the desired and actual culture.

Incorporating Corporate Values into Leadership Development

Highlight corporate values from the outset of leadership training, emphasizing their role in guiding decisions and behaviors.
Use real examples where leaders embodied values to drive cultural change.
Include self-assessments for leaders to gauge how well they currently promote corporate values.
Set clear expectations for leaders to actively role model values through their words and actions.

Fostering Self-Awareness and Cultural Accountability

Implement 360-degree feedback tools specifically focused on cultural leadership.
Structure regular check-ins for leaders to get input on how well they align with corporate values.
Develop individualized leadership coaching plans to address cultural gaps.
Track progress over time as leaders work to improve cultural accountability.

Sustaining Cultural Leadership Through Coaching

Establish ongoing coaching relationships for leaders centered on cultural influence.
Work with coaches to reinforce cultural alignment in decision-making.
Use coaching techniques like motivational interviewing to drive intrinsic value for culture.
Share stories of coaching success to illustrate its impact on corporate culture.

Case Studies: Successful Leadership Training Programs

Company A launched a cultural leadership program that reduced turnover by 15% in 2 years.
Company B ties executive bonuses to cultural metrics from employee surveys.
Company C's coaching for new managers emphasizes cultural stewardship in their roles.
Company D trains leaders to have culture-focused interactions with team members.

Strategic Communication Techniques for Cultural Change

This section explores how strategic communication can play a pivotal role in narrowing the gap between the desired and actual corporate culture. Effective communication establishes clarity and alignment around cultural vision and values, while also enabling iterative feedback essential for adaptation and evolution.

Defining and Communicating a Vision for Culture

Clearly articulate the desired culture through messaging that conveys core values, behaviors, and mindsets
Ensure consistency across channels - town halls, newsletters, intranet portals, etc.
Supplement with symbolic representations - visuals, stories, rituals that embed the culture
Convey how the culture connects to business strategy and fosters innovation
Highlight role models and positive examples that bring the culture to life

Creating Dialogues: Feedback and Iteration

Conduct regular pulse surveys to gather employee perspectives
Leverage focus groups for qualitative insights into cultural experiences
Encourage authentic sharing through anonymous channels if needed
Analyze feedback systematically to identify gaps and opportunities
Close loop by communicating actions taken based on insights

Responsive Leadership: Acting on Employee Insights

Demonstrate commitment by visibly addressing feedback and concerns
Adjust policies, processes, behaviors to align with cultural values
Provide transparency into decision-making tied to employee voices
Role model vulnerability and willingness to adapt based on learnings
Recognize those who contribute insights that drive evolution

Communication as a Tool for Change Management

Articulate the need for change and the "why" behind cultural shifts
Co-create vision to give employees ownership and motivate adoption
Share regular updates on progress and celebrate small wins
Listen for pain points and adjust approach based on feedback
Leverage influencers within the organization to champion change

Strategic communication establishes alignment between desired and actual culture by conveying vision, enabling dialogue for adaptation, demonstrating responsive leadership, and facilitating change.

Cultivating a Highly Collaborative Culture Through Employee Engagement Initiatives

This section focuses on how employee engagement strategies can foster a highly collaborative culture aligned with the company's vision.

Engagement Campaigns: Living the Values

Design campaigns that encourage employees to embrace the company values in their daily work. For example, a "Collaboration Week" event with team-building activities.
Create friendly competition between departments to see who can best exhibit core values. Track with gamification apps.
Spotlight teams doing exceptional collaborative work. Have leadership publicly recognize them in meetings/newsletters.

Gamification: Making Cultural Engagement Fun

Gamify cultural participation, awarding points/badges for attending events, participating in engagement initiatives, etc.
Create leaderboards displaying the most "culturally collaborative" teams. Consider small rewards (gift cards, treats, etc.)
Use gamification platforms like KazooHR to centralize tracking and create transparency.

Recognition Programs: Rewarding Cultural Advocacy

Formalize "Culture Champion" roles for employees exemplifying desired cultural traits.
Develop peer-to-peer recognition programs allowing employees to nominate coworkers as Culture Champions.
Celebrate Culture Champions in company meetings and internal communications. Provide small token rewards.

Facilitating a Functional Approach to Culture

Encourage cross-department collaboration through group activities, ensuring all functions interact.
Incorporate collaborative, culture-focused questions into interview processes across departments. Assess candidate cultural fit.
Create spaces for informal gatherings and networking across functional teams, strengthening inter-department relationships.

Optimizing Selection and Onboarding Programs for Cultural Integration

Aligning hiring and onboarding processes with a company's values and desired culture is critical for bringing in employees who will contribute positively. Here are some key strategies HR can employ:

Hiring for Cultural Fit: Strategies and Techniques

Evaluate candidates' alignment with company values through structured interviews, situational judgment tests, and value-focused questions. Avoid generic questions.
Emphasize collaboration, innovation, customer orientation if those match your culture. Assess candidates' preferences.
Let candidates interact with potential team members. Gauge cultural fit from current employees' feedback.
Share your culture story and values early on. Assess candidates' reactions.
Use standardized, validated pre-employment tests to evaluate cultural fit objectively.

Values-Driven Onboarding: Setting the Cultural Tone

Devote the first day to culture assimilation. Have senior leaders share company values, culture, and purpose.
Arrange for meet-and-greets with key culture carriers at all levels to share what the culture means to them.
Encourage new hires to articulate what inspires them about the culture. Discuss alignment.
Provide culture-focused mentorship programs for the first 6 months. Check-in regularly on culture fit.

Performance Management: Cultivating Cultural Ambassadors

Make cultural contribution a key performance metric. Assess and reward values-alignment.
Solicit peer feedback about collaboration and embodiment of company values.
Evaluate and coach low performers on culture fit. Consider culture misfits for re-assignment or exit.

Case Studies: Effective Onboarding for Cultural Assimilation

Company X revamped their sterile onboarding playbook after losing 62% of new hires in 6 months. They implemented a "Culture First" onboarding experience focused exclusively on cultural immersion through mentor pairings, projects reinforcing collaboration and innovation, and small-group storytelling sessions with executives. This resulted in 35% higher retention after 12 months.

Conclusion: Synthesizing Strategies for Cultural Coherence

Bridging the gap between a company's desired and actual culture requires a multi-faceted approach focused on communication, leadership, engagement, and talent management. Here are some key strategies to drive cultural coherence:

Communicate consistently about the company's values, purpose, and culture. Leaders should regularly reinforce desired behaviors through internal messaging and storytelling.
Train people managers on culture building basics like psychological safety, autonomy, and purpose. Equip them to role model desired behaviors.
Collect feedback through pulse surveys and stay interviews to track cultural health and employee sentiment. Address issues quickly.
Recognize and reward when employees demonstrate desired cultural behaviors.
Align recruiting and onboarding to assess and instill cultural fit from day one.
Empower cross-functional collaboration through team building initiatives. Break down silos impeding the desired culture.
Involve employees in culture and engagement committees to gain buy-in at all levels.

With persistent and collective effort across communication, leadership, engagement, talent management and more, companies can drive cultural transformation from the inside out. Consistency, authenticity and participation are key to realizing the desired organizational culture.