Let’s Lead with Culture: What Happens When we Make Fit the Focus
Why I’m no longer treating “vibe checks” as an afterthought, and how job seekers and employers alike can lead with culture.
Culture isn’t a Perk. It’s the Job.
As we move deeper into the interview process, we talk about salary. We talk about benefits. We talk about title and location. But too often, we don’t talk enough about culture.
Until it’s the reason we leave.
As an active job seeker these past few months, I’m constantly re-evaluating what I want from my next full-time role. I’ve had time to reflect, and I keep coming back to the same thing: company culture isn’t a nice-to-have. For me, it’s the most important element on the checklist.
And yet, in my own personal experience, it was almost never prioritized during the hiring process, or described with much clarity. And I’ve never truly understood it, until I was already in the job.
It has to change.
Culture isn’t About Where you Work, It’s How you Work
This morning, I saw a survey on LinkedIn that asked how remote work affects company culture. My first thought? “They’re listening to me, as I’m conducting research for this article.” My second? “Why do we keep boiling down culture to where we work, instead of how we work—or who we work with?”
Right now, too many companies are using remote vs. on-site status as a shorthand for culture. That’s a mistake.
It seems to me that culture isn’t about in-office vs. remote. Rather, I think it's a complex equation; values + communication + behavior + care. I’ve had incredible culture working remotely. I’ve also had awful culture in person.
The Problem with Interviewing Blind
In a post-COVID hiring world, many of us will never set foot in an office before accepting a role. We meet our future teams over Zoom, in virtual rooms with blurred backgrounds. There are no organic hallway run-ins. No office chatter. No gut check of the actual vibe.
It’s like buying a house after only seeing the listing photos.
So how do you really assess culture when you're interviewing remotely?
You ask. Directly. Clearly. Early.
The problem is, most interviews don’t leave time for that. Studies show that 60-70% of the time spent during an interview is focused on resume and technical fit. After being asked a hypothetical scenario, discussing salary expectations, location, and next steps, less than 5% of the time is dedicated to talking about the company.* By the time I get to “Do you like working here?”—there are two minutes left. And for me, that’s the most important question of all.
The Job is the Hook. Culture is the Reason you Stay.
What keeps me engaged isn’t free snacks, happy hours, or yoga Thursdays. It’s how we solve problems together. It’s whether I feel heard. It’s whether I feel like part of something bigger. And it’s whether people show up for each other, not just themselves.
I’ve stayed in hard jobs because the culture held me up and, I’ve left great roles because the culture wore me down.
Some of the best work experiences I’ve had weren’t about the job title, they were about the people. Managers who pushed me to grow. Teammates who made the hard days easier. Leaders who trusted me to lead, but were there when I needed support. That’s the kind of culture that makes work meaningful, even when it’s challenging.
But I’ve also seen the other side. I’ve walked away from jobs that looked great on paper because the culture didn’t support me. I felt isolated, undervalued, micromanaged or ignored. Because what was promised didn’t match what was lived.
I am learning to pay attention to cultural cues early, before I sign the offer.
Five Red Flags that just aren’t my Vibe
In 20+ years of working across different organizations, I’ve seen my fair share of culture clashes. I’ve identified five cultural red flags that have affected my career, in one way or another, and may have influenced past decisions to leave a role or particular employer.
We may have different opinions on what we consider to be dealbreakers, but I invite you to think about what cultural practices matter to you, as you consider your next role.
🚩 The Boy’s Club Energy
I’ve experienced the boys’ club dynamic in many forms: meetings that feel like locker rooms, men being promoted over women without explanation, or being dismissed until a male counterpart echoed my idea. It’s subtle sometimes, but it adds up.
Women have been conditioned to “play the game” and not let it show when it affects us. We work twice as hard, stay twice as quiet, and try not to let it chip away at our confidence. But why is that the expectation?
A culture that sidelines women or rewards familiarity over merit is not a culture built to grow.
🚩 Leadership That Doesn’t Follow Through
Feedback loops are meaningless if nothing ever changes. When leadership asks for input about team dynamics, communication, or operations but never acts on it, trust erodes quickly.
It doesn’t have to be a grand overhaul. But when managers or execs say, “We hear you” and then do nothing, employees stop speaking up. Culture thrives on accountability, especially at the top.
🚩 Role or Team Isolation
I’ve had jobs where I didn’t know who I reported to for weeks. I’ve been the only person doing my job, with no peers to learn from or brainstorm with. It might not sound like a dealbreaker, but that kind of disconnection becomes draining.
I don’t want to just complete tasks, I want to be part of a shared mission. I thrive in environments where teams support each other, align on goals, and understand how each piece fits into the bigger picture. Isolation isn’t just lonely, it’s unsustainable.
🚩 Promoted, but Not Empowered
There’s nothing worse than being “given” a bigger title but stripped of the autonomy to lead. Whether it’s a manager who can’t let go, a team that won’t buy in, or responsibilities that don’t actually match the role, it all adds up to the same thing: performative progress.
Promotions should come with real ownership, not performative optics. Otherwise, what’s the point?
🚩 Work Ethic Mismatch
When you care deeply about your work and no one else seems to, it’s not just demoralizing, it’s frustrating.
I’ve been in roles where I was praised for going above and beyond, only to look around and see others barely meeting the minimum. When standards are inconsistent,or not enforced at all, it breeds resentment. Quiet friction. Disengagement.
Work ethic doesn’t need to be identical across a team. But there should be shared expectations. A mutual sense of pride. A collective investment in the outcome.
Five Reasons I’d Want to Stick Around
These are the signs that I’m in the right place. When I see even a few of them, I feel more invested, more empowered, and more likely to stay, even when the work gets tough.
✅ Trusted to Lead, Supported to Grow
The best leaders know when to step in—and when to step back. I don’t want constant hand-holding, but I also don’t want to be left on an island. I want autonomy with access. Space with support.
When a manager checks in, offers honest feedback, and makes it clear they believe in your ability and want you to succeed, that’s a culture of growth.
✅ Executive Leadership That Listens and Acts
I can feel it when leadership is tuned in. I don’t need daily check-ins from the CEO, but I do want to see transparency. I want company-wide meetings where real updates are shared, not just platitudes. I want to know the people at the top are paying attention to what’s happening on the ground.
When I see execs show up, take feedback seriously, and actually implement change, it tells me my voice matters. That’s powerful.
✅ Clear Communication and Real Feedback
Feedback shouldn’t just happen when something goes wrong. I want to know what I’m doing well, not just so I feel good, but so I can do more of it. I also want clarity when something needs improvement.
Honest, specific, actionable communication helps me grow, rather than vague praise and passive correction.
Culture thrives in environments where people know where they stand, and where they’re supported in getting better.
✅ Collaboration, Not Competition
I do my best work when I’m part of a team that values idea-sharing over ego. I love brainstorms that feel alive. Projects that are built together, not in silos. These are environments where a “bad” idea is looked at as the first step toward a better one.
I don’t want to fight for airtime or hoard wins. I want to build with people who get it. Who want to make great things together.
✅ Shared Accountability
When everyone around you takes pride in their work, it changes everything. I’ve been on teams where each person cared about the outcome, met deadlines, gave feedback, and celebrated wins—and I’ve been on teams where I carried the weight for others who were checked out.
The difference isn’t just about performance, it’s about trust. I want to work in a place where we hold ourselves and each other to a high standard, not because we have to, but because we all want to do great work.
The Culture Interview: It Goes Both Ways
Here’s my personal message to you;
Hiring teams: If you’ve already decided someone can do the job, spend more of your interview asking if you’ll enjoy doing it together. Talk about how your team communicates. Share how conflict is resolved. Be honest about what the company is working on, culturally.
Job seekers: Don’t save your culture questions for the final two minutes. Ask early. Ask often. Ask everyone you meet.
Candidates have been trained to perform. Companies have been trained to assess. Let’s start making this a two-way conversation!
Culture is the Real Offer
Culture is how we treat each other when no one’s watching.
It’s how leadership shows up when things get hard. It’s how feedback flows, how wins are celebrated, how conflict is handled.
It’s not a video or a value statement on a wall. It’s what we do—consistently.
I’ve realized I don’t want just another job. I want to love the work, and how we do the work.
Because culture isn’t the bonus. It’s the job.
*Source: RecruitCRM (2025)
Shift Work is my ongoing series about career, identity, and perspective. It’s where I share short reflections from this transitional season—what I’m learning, unlearning, and rebuilding while navigating work without the title. A small change in perspective can shift everything. You can find me on LinkedIn to read more.