Ten Signs You Work in a Great Workplace Culture
Now, I could easily come up with another ten signs, but these ten are great “green flags” that you have a healthy, humane, and productive workplace culture!
1. Everyone feels included, like they truly belong.
Employees don’t feel as though they have to fundamentally change who they are to “fit in” but instead feel a real, deep sense of belonging. Which means they feel safe, they feel comfortable in their own skin, and it means they want to passionately contribute their ideas to help your organization succeed. Employees feel valued not just for what they do, but for WHO they are!
2. There’s a lot laughter in your workplace!
It’s okay to have fun! Your meetings are full of levity and laughter. Leaders are able to laugh at themselves. And everyone practices positive, safe humor that laughs with people, never at people.
3. Employees feel safe speaking up, asking tough questions, and challenging outdated ideas and assumptions.
There is enough trust and psychological safety for employees at every level to feel as though they can speak up when they see a serious issue, ask challenging questions to senior managers, and offer opposing viewpoints in meetings without any fear of retribution.
4. Employees look forward to your meetings instead of dreading them!
In too many workplace, employees dread meetings and view them as time-wasting, soul-sucking ordeals to get through. In a healthy workplace culture, however, meetings are used as key touch points to help build your desired workplace culture and they reflect your desired workplace culture. Meetings are looked forward to because they allow for open and honest conversations, spirited debates, and plenty of fun. (And well, often free food.)
5. Values are lived out loud.
Values don’t just hang on the wall on a pretty poster; you can see your values being lived out loud day in and day out. Leaders model values. Decisions are made with your values in mind. Employees understand their importance and what they really mean. You celebrate your values and all employees and leaders are held accountable for living them out loud.
6. People collaborate across teams and departments.
No one works in isolated silos in a healthy workplace culture, which means in great cultures people don’t withhold information from other teams. They work collaboratively together, share ideas and resources, and everyone works for the greater good of the company.
7. Recognition is frequent, meaningful, and authentic.
There’s a culture of recognition and appreciation that permeates everything you do. Everyone, at every level, recognizes and appreciates the stellar work their colleagues are doing, and they openly share and celebrate wins from everyone.
8. Employees are respectfully held accountable.
Any workplace culture is only as good as the worst behavior it tolerates. In healthy, collaborative, and productive workplace cultures all employees (especially the senior leaders) are held accountable to the high standards you establish.
9. You celebrate the why.
Employees not only understand why their work matters, you infuse your workplace culture with a spirit of positive energy focused on championing and celebrating a sense of meaning and purpose in everything you do.
10. Compassion, empathy, and humanity rein supreme.
People truly are put first. Employees are never belittled or publicly shamed. Decisions are made from a place of compassion. There is no acceptance of a culture of burnout because you recognize people’s heath and safety must be a top-level value that overrides everything else.
©2025 Michael Kerr, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)
Michael Kerr is a Canadian Hall of Fame speaker who travels the world researching and speaking about inspiring workplace cultures. Michael Kerr is known as one of Canada’s top thought leaders on workplace and one of the most in-demand speaker on the topic of workplace culture. Michael is the author of nine books, including “Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results,” “The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank,” “Hire, Inspire, and Fuel Their Fire: How to Recruit, On Board, and Train New Employees to Live Your Culture Out Loud,” and “The Jerk-Free Workplace: How You Can Take the Lead to Create a Happier, More Inspiring Workplace.”
