WHAT IS A COMPANY CULTURE CONSULTANT AND HOW DO CONSULTING FIRMS IN THE SPACE WORK?

In the workplace, a company culture consultant is an expert who helps organizations build, maintain, and evolve a healthy workplace culture that aligns with their values, goals, and brand image. As vision and misison plays a vital role in an organization’s success, growth, and employee satisfaction and retention, hiring a company culture consultant can provide invaluable guidance.

Tasks that experts tackle are wide-ranging but their primary focus is to assess an organization’s current culture to identify strengths, pain points, and opportunities for improvement. The best company culture consultants utilize surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and observation to develop a comprehensive understanding. Consulting firms analyze factors such as leadership style, communication standards, workplace policies, company rituals and norms, corporate social responsibility efforts, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and more.

Armed with this data and feedback, a company culture consultant then makes recommendations on initiatives and strategies to better embody the organization’s ideal culture. That could mean refining the company mission and values statements, reinventing onboarding and training procedures, reforming workspaces and schedules, implementing team-building activities, and launching new programs to support employee wellness, growth, and work-life balance. The expert partners with leadership and HR to develop plans, run pilot programs, and track progress.

Beyond overhauling and realigning a poor or dysfunctional company culture, consultants also play a key role in sustaining cultures as organizations scale. Advisors ensure clear communication of company values and operationalize them at all levels, sites, and departments. Pros also help establish rituals, traditions, and spaces that reflect the culture as new employees join.

Thought leaders not only often have expertise in organizational psychology and/or management science, but excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Top company culture consultants must deftly assess complex interpersonal workplace dynamics and offer solutions tailored to an organization’s needs. Experts partner with leadership and employees throughout the process, requiring collaboration, influence, and strategic planning abilities. Feedback and guidance can transform a disconnected or distressed organizational culture into one that drives innovation, productivity, and success.