6 Companies with Great Organizational Culture

Everyone is familiar with the organizational culture of Google and Apple, and we are all amazed by it as well. But one thing is for sure not every organization can afford that type of culture, or some might not even want it. Right?

But these six companies with great organizational culture are no less than Google and Apple.

6 examples of companies with strong organizational culture

Leading companies understand the importance of building a great organizational culture and sustaining it. Let us now look in detail at how these six companies that value organizational culture are rocking it.

1. Adobe Systems is creating a better world by putting its people at the wheel.

For Adobe Systems, the story of revolutionizing visual communication started in 1982 with Founders John Warnock and Charles Geschke - both computer scientists from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) - jumping heart-first into the mission in a tiny room tucked away somewhere in Silicon Valley.  

And while 100% of the world today has grown to love what Adobe does (or dreams of doing), what's arguably more significant is that so do 93% of its employees. This rare alignment of the external and the internal - the holy grail of modern business leaders and people custodians - is easier said than done.

But they do it, and with relative effortlessness, these days. Adobe today slides into Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" clique with impressive regularity and has recently clocked in at number 27 on Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list.

How does the organization achieve this so consistently? For one thing, by squarely acknowledging that its people are its greatest asset and creating an environment where employees feel comfortable, appreciated, and excited to bring out the best version of themselves.

While industry-leading benefits are a standard accessory for workers in the company, where Adobe truly goes above and beyond is the robust conviction and investment in the learning and growth of its staff and the nurturing of an ecosystem that rewards innovation and encourages enterprise.

Opportunities - ample, flexible, and versatile (be it by way of cash, time, or kind) - are provided to employees round the year so that they can pursue 'hunches' which they have a 'good feeling about' - while allowing for a failure net at the same time.

For example, a red cardboard box filled with stationery, snacks, and a $1,000 pre-paid credit card is given to any employee who asks for it, with no strings or questions attached.

Over 1,000 employees have taken on this Kickstart Box Challenge (that's what they call it) so far, and several ideas have been granted further investments.

The company's vision for building diversity and inclusion within its ranks shines in its proprietary movement: "ADOBE FOR ALL." The Big Idea is that when employees feel appreciated and included, they are distinctly more creative, innovative, and productive.

The philosophy culminates spectacularly every year when twelve employees are granted the coveted Adobe Founders' Award: a unique peer-to-peer recognition affirming exemplary alignment with the company's principles.

In keeping with its ethos of equality, respect, and fairness (irrespective of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, dis/ability, or religious beliefs), Adobe has established itself as a (cheer)leader when it comes to pay parity across genders and has also achieved ethnic pay parity between employees from underrepresented minority (URM) groups and non-URM employees in the US.

The team has, ironically, coined the term -  Opportunity Parity: A bold new industry metric captured and celebrated in the promotions and horizontal movements happening within the organizations across roles, categories, and geographies.

Respect and regard at Adobe are institutionalized through a transparent system that democratizes visibility on insight, data, and accountability across key metrics. Everyone knows where everyone else - and the business - stands.

Task Forces make it a point to include members from the rank and file, be it under-represented communities or subject matter expert teams in other locations.

A work-hard, play-hard approach balances productivity with relaxation. Company-wide Off Days and Family-friendly leave policies help beat stress, neutralize fatigue, and recharge. Indeed, at Adobe, this is a practice that predates the pandemic.

Company policies actively support its cultural endeavors and training.

Teams can feel free to (indeed, are encouraged to) schedule check-in meetings with CEO and Chief People Officers on progress, anytime they want.

Culture codes percolate well beyond core teams at Adobe, impacting extended stakeholder networks that include business partners, investors, and associates.

The company's Community Program keeps employees on the same page - be it initiatives, goals, or triumphs. Events and occasions are religiously shared on internal and external channels via the hashtag #AdobeLife to knit vibes closer. A larger-than-life mission - to create 'a better world' - rallies every employee toward a common cause.  

2. At Hubspot, culture is built like a product - painstakingly and dotingly.

Hubspot - leading builder of marketing, sales, and customer success products, founded in 2006 by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah - treats its culture as a product.

The company is hip to the fact that, just like buyers scan online ratings before a purchase decision, employees refer to workplace review sites like Glassdoor to understand the kind of emotional ecosystem they might be getting into.

Looking at culture - an otherwise abstract concept - like a product gives Hubspot a more tangible lever and a more measurable handle to build its culture silhouettes with some sense of control.

Here is a company that believes culture is important, playful, and inevitable. Its fabled Culture Deck uses a language that is easy (quirky, at times), using trending quotes, sunny symbolisms, and larger-than-real philosophy.

Some examples: "Pursue something so important that even if you fail, the world is better off with you having tried." "Great people want directions on where they are going, not how to get there."

And "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without." The goal is to connect with its "talent audience," which Hubspot knows like the back of its hand. The fact that it has turned its "business" ("We help organizations grow and want to transform how organizations do marketing") into a cause ("We believe ours is a noble cause") helps. Finally, the Code proclaims that "Culture happens, whether you plan it or not" - warmly inviting folks towards the unavoidable inevitability of "Creating a culture we love."

The company firmly believes in documenting its culture pillars and tentpoles so that the team is never "lost" - it always has a compass nudging it in the right direction. The company document - part manifesto and part employee handbook, which has been viewed over 3.9 million times already - is a strategic mix of the real and the aspirational.

An important culture plank at Hubspot is radical transparency, something which, by its own admission, can at times scale uncomfortable levels. But it's still worth it. Indeed, transparency is the reason the Culture Code was made public online. Nothing builds trust within the system quite like it.

Going by its own "policy," the company is as maniacal about its metrics as its mission (in other words, results and impact are sacrosanct), unreasonably selective about peers, gives itself the autonomy to be awesome, invests in individual mastery, believes in work+life as opposed to work-vs-life, and will always stand up for the truth and face the facts.

The organization has gone beyond an "open door" policy with its "no door" policy - where everyone has access to anyone in the company, the corner office isn't really a "thing," and teamwork actually makes the dream work. Collaboration resulting from that free-flowing interactivity and trust is another driver of a shared ethos.

As a matter of fact, the Culture Code document was created by soliciting views and feedback directly from employees, bypassing the hackneyed Focus Group route. This approach results in every idea getting heard and every one getting an equal opportunity to influence the journey.

Hubspot's culture code isn't set in stone. It is a perpetual work-in-progress, wearing a flexible approach that is perfectly 'open' to the idea that not everybody's opinions will be aligned in a diverse world. Constant review and iteration are therefore ingrained in the process. Custodians of the cultural matrix in the organization frequently make active adjustments to the rites and rituals - some of them as significant as changing "Effective," once a key trait, to "Empathetic."

As an extension, Hubspot hires for "Culture-Add," not "Culture-Fit" - an acknowledgment that the latter is an antithesis to Diversity & Inclusion and can push the collective psyche into a "path of insipid and dogmatic sameness." In the words of a culture leader at the company, "Our best people don't just fit our culture, they further it."

Promotion decisions at Hubspot are mapped back to the cultural framework, while peer bonuses - where workers nominate someone who has demonstrated a core value - help the company put its behavior where its code is. This also acts as a real-time pulse (and validation, as it were) of how the company culture is being 'endorsed and embodied' by employees daily.

The best part? Just like the customer is the King/Queen when it comes to its product, employees are royalty when it comes to Hubspot's culture: a refreshing re-take on tradition memorably etched in its "Good Judgment Policy." The company won't maintain reams of policy literature that it knows no one will ever read or micromanage employee sick days, social media activities, or refreshment habits. Whether a style or convention matters or not simply depends on what a Hubspot-ian thinks about it.

3. Patanjali Ayurved is tapping into timeless inspirations to ‘heal’ the very definition of culture.

Not all cultures follow the quote-unquote corporate code. Take the curious case of Patanjali Ayurved - an Indian multinational consumer packaged goods company (FMCG) stationed in the hills of Haridwar - which was founded in 2006 by 'Baba' (a devotional form of address in India) Ramdev and his so-called 'deputy' Balkrishna. In May 2021, Balkrishna - who owns 94% of the company - reportedly had a net worth of US$2.3 billion.

According to CLSA and HSBC, Patanjali was one of the fastest-growing FMCG companies in India in 2016. The company started by focussing purely on manufacturing ayurvedic medicines, but with the vast acceptance of its brand, the team diversified its product portfolio into beauty, hair, hygiene, and food - with an accent on the twin pillars of "natural" and "swadesi" (Indian) as the core essence of the brand.

People rituals - aka culture - at Patanjali Ayurved largely and brilliantly defy conventional wisdom, choosing to follow a calling all its own. By establishing its headquarters in the grossly incorporate-ish address of Haridwar (a spiritual destination with a name that means 'the door of the Gods'), the company has announced its trend-breaking tone right at the outset.

Here culture is driven by the power of personality and the charm of charisma - specifically, that of its spirited "Baba," who also happens to be a hugely popular yoga and fitness guide.

The story of Patanjali is the proverbial story of two Indias. One India is future-facing, with slickly suited business leaders making presentations in elegant boardrooms and world-class factory floors sporting state-of-the-art machines where workers in hair-net and gloves follow intricate operating procedures.

The other India is an extension of the ageless legacy of the guru-shishya (preacher-disciple) relationship, where the ethos of "Seva" (selfless service) defines the outer contours of employee KRAs. The "peer framework" - irrespective of hierarchy and title - carries the equalizing force of a "brotherhood," with everyone regarding everyone else as a "Gurubhai": a term for a fellow disciple of a common "Guru."

A higher goal of re-kindling and re-imagining the glory of a timeless way of life for a contemporary time remains the over-arching, if sometimes unspoken, goal to which every employee journey is aligned at Patanjali Ayurved. As the organizational leadership publicly divulges, "Patanjali is a movement to build a new India. The idea is to build a formidable brand that has a strong Indian identity and benefits the consumers in a real way."

The nationalistic flavor of its 'Swadesi Mission' - which Patanjali's culture draws sustenance from - has found many takers. It is the result of a fiery mix of (A) the patriotic leanings of the people and (B) the Baba's "cult-like presence" that doesn't shy from taking on the might of "foreign" brands. Transparency, which is a core spoken in Patanjali's culture wheel, adds to the magic of its Employer Brand. "Patanjali products are exactly the way we project them, no more or no less in any way," says Balkrishna. In other words, what you see is what you get.

The magnetic Ramdev tries out most of the products on himself before launching them in the market, clearly demonstrating a willingness to walk the talk. Members are inspired to embody the same chutzpah.

This "crusader of charity" also strategizes product price-points that famously ignore market economics, Focus Group recommendations, and big data analysis - preferring to 'wing-it' with gut instinct. The result? Prices are often pegged inexplicably lower than that of rivals, strengthening his image as a messiah of the masses.

This approach gels seamlessly with the organization's genesis: after all, the company started out by helping bankrupt farmers market their products. By staying true to its "original dream," the company has displayed a level of authenticity and genuineness that is rare in the current day and which both fans and stakeholders find attractive. It also informs the cultural core at Patanjali Ayurved.

The leadership captures the vibe in words: "The wealth of Patanjali is not for any one person - it is for the country." An industry insider corroborates the conviction: "Baba Ramdev doesn't care about money."

Such clutter-breaking moves have strengthened the brand's pull in the backdrop of a societal milieu where per capita income is still low, and a social conscience reverberates strongly in the mass imagination. Employees - a subset of that demographic - are naturally swayed as well.

This is articulative leadership at its most dramatic and impactful - one that is deeply clued into the pulse of followers, manifests itself in every piece of external (and internal) communication, and is expansive enough to paint a vision that is 'noble' as it is grand.

Patanjali Ayurved's culture playbook reboots work as a form of soulful submission, with strong social re-engineering and fierce nationalist pride driving the engine's momentum. And in that, lies its true triumph.

4. Akshaya Patra Foundation is serving up a culture of selfless ambition.

Bangalore (India) based The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, runs the world's largest NGO-managed Mid-day Meal program. At the heart of this ambitious operation - one that spans 19,500 government and government-aided schools across 13 States and 1 Union Territory of the Indian republic - lies a simple philosophy: "No child is deprived of education because of hunger."

M.P.Ramesh, a Kitchen employee at the Mysore outlet, makes sure that the texture and flavor of the food are always at their best. The sense of purpose and "ownership" is so strong that Prakash Rao, who joined the organization as a driver, believes that he contributes to the future of children even in that limited role. The high quality of food being served came as a genuine surprise to cook Jatin Kumar when he joined the company. "I am pleased to be a part of this splendid mission... lives are truly changed for good", he shares.

As with many non-profits, a sense of 'higher mission' - in stark contrast to more materialistic gains - governs the journey at the Akshaya Patra Foundation, making the culture ecosystem largely self-driven and self-sustained. The atmosphere is a unique confluence of professionalism and missionary spirit.

As Mangalore Kitchen Supervisor Someshekara D says with the unmistakable glow of pride on his face, "Many people are here not out of necessity, but simply because we serve children." Every member of the outfit wakes up in the morning with the same objective every day. The clockwork commitment is proof that when the organizational KPI's sync with the individual passion (in this case, to make a real difference in the lives of India's malnourished children), it can move mountains.

In recognition of the equitable - if different - an impact that men and women generate, they find equal representation at the workplace in Akshaya Patra. The workforce features members from both gender camps, and they come from different local backgrounds and communities that lie in proximity to the kitchen.

"In the rural areas, where we have the decentralized network of kitchens, we have engaged women Self-Help Groups for the implementation of the program," says Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman of Akshaya Patra.

The spirit of inclusion is mentioned in the company's Governance charter, where "Equitable treatment to all stakeholders" finds explicit mention. So are values like excellence, accountability, transparency, simplicity, collaboration, and innovation - which form the roots of the company's governance norms.

5. The story of Mumbai Dabbawalas is the saga of a culture that delivers - come rain, shine, or quake.

Long before Swiggy, Long before Zomato, there was the Mumbai Dabbawala. Going by their grit and tenacity, the tribe could well outlive modern tech unicorns.

Lore has it that Mahadeo Bhavaji Bachche laid the 'Dabbawala dynamic' framework sometime in 1890 when food had to be delivered to a British officer and a Parsi Banker. In time, it evolved into a flourishing enterprise, and Bachche expanded his operations into a lunch delivery service with a hundred employees. Unions, Trusts, and Associations were registered in due time.

Dabbawalas have grown out of Mumbai's unique "DNA condition," where long office commutes and crowded local trains make it unfeasible for one's tiffin - which typically starts from home around 7:30 am - to remain hot and fresh by lunchtime. Enter the Dabbawala. A Dabbawala transports homemade food from house to office just in time for lunch and drops the empty tiffin boxes back at home. They don't cook the food, they just carry them - to and fro.

Blissfully unperturbed with their low literacy levels or tech-savviness, Dabbawalas use a complex, time-tested coding system (featuring colors, numbers, and symbols) to identify and organize their tiffin boxes. They tick every Six-Sigma box when it comes to (the absence of) 'mix-ups' or punctuality errors. And are today a curriculum case study at top management institutions like IIM and Harvard Business School?

Dabbawalas also feature in the Guinness Book of Records, and despite not having applied for it, their work has earned them premier certifications like Six Sigma and ISO 9001.

Dabbawalas display exemplary skills and human values while transporting lakhs of tiffins through the "maximum hustle and bustle" of "Maximum City Mumbai." So what is it that keeps them going - unflustered by rain or earthquake - as they travel by train, cycle, and even barefoot towards their destination with clockwork precision? Experts who have studied Dabbawalas in depth say each member of the tribe is driven by the principle of "Work Is Worship" and that Hard Work has no substitute.

A dabbawala is a classic story of entrepreneurship in its finest sense. It begins with a strong sense of ownership over outcomes. A dabbawala takes complete responsibility for delivering food before lunchtime. The commitment and dedication touch every team member equally, much like in a relay race, as they carry the baton of the tiffin box forward.

It is a seamlessly efficient delivery network (which Google claims to be the best in the world) that has mastered the art and science of supply chain and logistics management, and where the synapse ends are held together by nimble, one-on-one communication - much like in a "flat organization."

Harvard Case Studies reveal that the flat structure helps the extended team quickly make smart decisions in the moment. The result? According to a study, an accuracy percentage that is nearly zero: 1 in 16 million to be exact.

You can trust this seamlessly efficient network not just for timely delivery of your lunch but also for total security and privacy. Not a single police case has been registered against dabbawalas to date. A dabbawala will never open a box to see what's inside it.

Occasions where a family member has slid money, mobiles, or other valuables inside the tiffin box - along with the food - are not unheard of. They all meet a similar finale: Reaching the owner's desk safely and without fail.

The "Dabbawala experience package" comes wrapped in good-old-fashioned traits like self-discipline, never losing focus on their century-old purpose (all the customer wants is a hot meal - no fancy features or valued adds - and that's precisely what they deliver) and unwavering faith in raw human ability - minus the gadgets, gizmos and yes, even what they consider "fancy qualifications."

Harvard Business School's Stefan Thomke says, "Much of the dabbawala organization's success is due to their human resource system, in the way they hire, develop, manage, and reward people. It's an organization built around people, not technology." Manish Tripathi (the Chairman and Founder of the Dabbawala Foundation) goes so far as to candidly remark, "We couldn't hire MBAs!"

Instead, members are hired for "extreme culture fit." A new applicant will typically be picked locally (so that they are already familiar with the milieu mindset) and go through a six-month probationary period which tests mutual comfort levels. Once inducted, they become part of a close-knit family. "We are all one family. We eat lunch together and we pray together," says the Chairman and Founder of the Dabbawala Foundation.

So, what's the secret source of fuel driving this engine forward? The answer is the value and stakes Dabbawala places in their work and the fierce pride they bring to their 'humble work' every day. "They are grateful to have work, and to serve others by delivering food is to serve God," says Manish Tripathi. The respect they get in return - everyone in Mumbai respects dabbawalas, by the way - makes it all worth it.

6. At the NHS, UK, an empathy-first culture is preserving and propelling an iconic national treasure forward.

The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The foundations of the 'NHS system' - comprising free public health services in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland - were laid in 1948 as part of major social reforms in the aftermath of the Second World War.

As the backbone of the UK's healthcare and an iconic institution (with a prominent place in the public imagination, including frequent mentions in movies and pop culture), the NHS is a deeply ingrained part of the UK's everyday life. Indeed, it is considered a national treasure, with 77% of survey respondents saying the NHS is crucial to British society.

With 1.6 million people of its staff rolls (a pre-COVID stat that has expanded since), the NHS is also one of the largest employers in the world and the biggest in Europe. So what is it like to work at NHS, and what do workers here feel about their employer?

With the profession of healthcare traditionally associated with a "noble cause" (doctors and nurses remain amongst the most trusted professions worldwide) and calling for a service-before-self kind of mindset, it is no surprise that most NHS employees cite "the opportunity to make a difference to patients and improve lives" as their primary motivation for choosing the life and vocation they have.

Even those in non-medical roles - who ensure that the phone is answered promptly, the ward is kept clean, and the hot meal arrives on time - realize that their actions are taking a hallowed institution forward. This sort of pride is a strong motivational trigger at the NHS - powerful enough to override frustration about chronic challenges like understaffing, overwork, and rising pressure/stress - and influence high standards of service excellence and customer success.

It is reflected in the continuing positive goodwill for the NHS amongst the masses, with 76% of them averring that the institution provides high-quality care to patients.

There are other 'highs' of working for the NHS, too. Work-life balance is one. The NHS recognizes the flexibility its staff needs to meet personal commitments. Shifts, part-time roles, and job-shares are allowed to ease the pressure. Childcare and school support are offered as well.

Employee engagement and personal growth are other priorities in the organization. It is a direct result of evidence pointing to a clear correlation between employee engagement and patient satisfaction. The organization realizes that career management lies at the heart of employee engagement. Independent studies, such as by The Work Foundation, which is part of Lancaster University Management School, have recommended that all line managers at NHS receive mandatory employee engagement training and conduct effective appraisals. Career conversations, a scientific Knowledge & Skills framework, regular reviews, and a clear Plan - all go on to make sure that employees are continuously picking up new skills and developing their career curve the way they want to.

These things matter particularly to non-clinical staff who don't interact with patients directly but whose contributions maintain process and progress in significant ways. Its staff wants to be treated as "thinking adults," and the NHS makes sure that happens.

If you are applying to the NHS for employment, you must demonstrate how you embody the organization's values and apply them at work every day. Values are coded into the NHS constitution, where patient-centricity, compassionate care, and agile responsiveness are core. Leaders double down on the significance of these values at every step and level so that everyone understands and acts on this commitment.

Of these, compassion, understanding, and tolerance take the place of pride and priority at the organization.

These are all traits that cannot be selectively applied only to patients but must be actively practiced internally. "If we want staff to treat patients with compassion, respect, care, and dignity, then we must treat staff with compassion, care, respect, and dignity. The NHS must develop a culture of compassion", goes a leader's sentiment. Empathy and compassion are tactfully tied to performance, with the culture literature mentioning that "Delivering high-quality care is only possible if staff get the practical and emotional support they need. Sustained compassion safeguards against burnout."

"WE ARE THE NHS: People Plan 2020/21" outlines actions and behaviors the organization, employers, and staff must champion. Some of the categories the dossier addresses are health and well-being, equality and diversity, flexible working, new ways of delivering care, growing the workforce, recruitment, and culture and leadership - clearly underscoring where priorities will lie going forward.

In the words of a former NHS Trust CEO, "At the NHS, it is more important than ever to align our values, ensure staff is motivated to deliver and recognize successes we are proud of."