By Chuck Sink
I’m a longtime student of branding and I’ve learned that organizational culture – company culture is the cornerstone of strong brands like Apple. The companies doing best in every market are the ones known for building cultures that attract the best people. Dyn in Manchester, NH and PixelMedia in Portsmouth, NH are two fine examples in my local market.
Growth by “acquisition” has two dimensions. You can buy up competitors and you can also acquire top people in the market with the connections that pull new business right in. The latter dimension requires having a brand people actually want to wear on their golf shirts; a company culture that shouts to the market, “This place is great! Come work with us, you’ll love it here!” The best people, nurtured in a culture of collaboration and rewarded excellence, are an unstoppable force.
Totally rethink Human Resources!
What is culture, really? Well, quite a lot it turns out! The specialized field of corporate culture is one of the fastest growing consulting fields today. An engaged and productive workforce is the most valuable asset in any business. Employee engagement through culture and team building is a concept starting to permeate Human Resources departments in today’s best run companies. The old paradigm of HR as an administrative function has to go. There is a reactive, almost defensive posture to that model.
Happy and oh, so productive!
Simply having people show up and do the work is insufficient. You need to garner the maximum effort and productivity of your people while improving company morale at the same time. It can be done and there are examples everywhere! “Human Resources” needs to be seen as a long term strategic initiative, coupled more with marketing than administration or accounting. HR processes and policies should energize and engage employees, not suck the life out of them!
Mirjam IJtsma, president of Cultural Chemistry, a fast growing HR consulting firm, is out to shift the thinking about the old “personnel” department. “My company wants to redefine what Human Resources means to a business.” She sums up why organizational culture is so fundamental to better performance. “It’s about why things are done. It’s about the attitude, the approach and the application of talents.” Organizational Culture is the amalgamation of beliefs, traditions, behaviors and processes in an organization. It is built step by step from every interaction with employees, clients, suppliers and media.
The effect of culture on organizations is profound. It will make or break any organization. 
The kind of culture that leads to a power brand in the market takes total commitment and strong effort. Hubspot employees and executives will tell you it’s worth it! Company founder Brian Halligan keeps it simple. “We’re trying to rethink work.” He importantly notes, “We’re competing for talent.” An informative and transparent look into Hubspot can be seen here: How Hubspot is Rethinking Work.
