Defining startup culture

Defining your startup culture should be one of the early decisions you make as a founder.

Startup culture is inherently tied to the mission of your business. This is ultimately what differentiates it from any other social group. This underlines your reason for being there, for doing what you do. In a broad sense, startup culture is the way your company’s purpose manifests throughout the organisation and team.

Is culture organic, or does it need to be implemented? This really depends on what stage you’re at in the business. At an early stage, culture does feel more organic. In small teams, especially if it’s just the founding team, you’re likely to be very aligned on your goals, motivations, and values. Early employees are likely to reflect your values, since founders will be closely involved in making these hires.

Culture does have to be more intentional once you scale. As founders become more removed from the hiring process, you need to be able to rely on a values-driven hiring process. This will ensure that your culture permeates the organisation as you double and triple in size, and that the decisions your employees make reflect those values. 

There are a number of ways to define your culture. One way is by identifying the ‘North Star’ or your business—the mission and values that your business really wouldn’t be the same without. This is really important, as it will help guide two things: one, it will help you create a scalable hiring process that ensures you’re bringing on employees who are aligned to your mission; secondly, it will help inform your employees how to behave when things haven’t been explicitly laid out. 

As a founder, you need to be very proactive about backing up these values. You should constantly remind yourself, and everyone else, why you are building that company. Rally people around that bigger picture mission, and remind people what the expected behaviours look like in order to achieve that.

“By projecting our values out, we can attract people who resonate with those values. So we can find people who really align with that mission.”

– Asil Choudhury, Perlego

Maintaining culture authentically

Following the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021, companies are battling (and often failing) to retain their most valuable asset. Indeed, hiring is only half the battle; keeping hold of talent is as big a challenge. 

Your culture, and the ways you maintain and project this, will be a strong asset to keeping your employees engaged and happy. Consider this your employee value proposition. 

First, consider what differentiates your startup from ‘conventional’ careers. For many younger employees, the idea of climbing the corporate ladder doesn’t have the same appeal. Instead, the concept of ‘squiggly careers’ better encapsulates how today’s employees perceive their career not as a linear set of jobs, but rather as a variety of non-linear experiences. 

The nature of startup jobs means that you’re likely to be called upon for a variety of tasks. What’s described in your job description is just a fraction of what you’ll end up doing. This might be tough for those looking for clearly defined roles; but it’s ideal for those eager to get involved across functions of the business. 

It’s also worth thinking about how you embody your values in an everyday sense. Inclusion, for instance, shouldn’t just be something that you nod to in your mission statement: it should be backed up in practice, whether that’s inclusive family leave policies or an equal pay analysis, or with resources, like a code of conduct or inclusive office spaces (like a prayer or meditation room). Read our guide to DEI best practice here

Also think about how employees can bring their own personalities to work. ‘Lunch and Learns’ or ‘Show & Tell’ are popular and effective ways of displaying culture, as well as encouraging employees to feel comfortable about opening up. If you’re hybrid or fully remote, these activities can be a particularly valuable tool to maintain engagement and understand what drives your employees. If you aren’t having those incidental interactions in a physical space, it’s important to intentionally foster these in a hybrid setting. 

There are many lessons to be learned from the Great Resignation. One takeaway is the realignment we’ve seen around what employees—particularly millennials and Gen-Zers—look for in a job. While top salaries and stable corporate careers might have once been an appeal, many people are now looking for flexibility, higher responsibility, and visibility in the workplace. Many things that startups are well-placed to offer.