Is Your Workplace Culture Where It Needs to Be? In today's business climate, it's the key competitive advantage.

By Doug Claffey

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Portra | Getty Images

The Top Company Culture winners outperform average organizations on many levels, but one key distinction stands out: Leaders see the competitive advantage of creating a workplace culture where employees are highly engaged. And they make culture a strategic priority, day in and day out.

Every organization has a culture. Some are intentional, some accidental. Companies that claim culture is a priority but don't back it up are just fooling themselves. Failing to focus on culture is how leaders lose their jobs and how companies cease to exist.

In fact, culture is the only remaining sustainable competitive advantage. Great business strategies can be copied, but culture cannot. When an organization's culture fails, it's only a matter of time before it becomes public and costly.

Related: Celebrating the Top 150 Company Cultures in America

Great workplace cultures flourish when a team of talented people share an organization's values and embrace its objectives. We look at these key factors in engagement:

  • As an employee, do you feel you are giving your best?
  • Do you want to stay?
  • Would you recommend the organization to others?

Nationwide, less than a third of employees are truly engaged at work. But it's a different story at culturally focused companies. Of the 47,000 organizations Energage has surveyed in more than a decade, companies that are culturally aware achieve almost double the engagement rate. Companies that score in the top 10 percent on our surveys see engagement levels above 85 percent.

Recognition and bragging rights aside, employee engagement translates into stronger retention, higher productivity and better performance. Employee engagement is the outcome of a healthy workplace culture. In today's business environment, culture distinguishes the world's most valuable companies; it's where value is created or destroyed.

Related: 6 Companies Reveal How Their Unique Cultures Make Them a Success

Leaders at Top Company Culture organizations are intentional about defining and forging a unique culture that directly supports specific business goals. Not that all cultures are the same. Even among the best companies, some thrive on high energy and fun, while others benefit from quiet intensity. So, ask yourself:

  • What defines your workplace culture?
  • How do you know?
  • Are you happy with it?
  • Is it helping or hindering your business objectives?

Whenever I ask leaders these questions, the answers spur terrific discussions. The challenge is understanding how to measure culture and how to change it. The most tangible measure of culture is employee engagement.

Strong cultures become self-sustaining: they attract like-minded people who will thrive in that environment. That's why Top Company Culture winners can be picky about who they bring on board, whereas other organizations have to pay more money to keep people.

Creating a great workplace culture requires raising the level of trust and connection among employees so they commit their best every day. Top companies do this, and they do it consistently well. So when leaders at aspiring organizations ask me how they, too, can capture this advantage, my answer is this: Get intentional about workplace culture.

To see what businesses made the cut, head over to our Top Company Culture list.

Doug Claffey

CEO of Energage

Doug Claffey is the CEO of Energage, a Philadelphia-based research and consulting firm that surveyed more than 2.5 million employees at more than 6,000 organizations in 2017. Energage is the research partner for Top Company Cultures.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Branding

How to Build a Strong Brand Identity for Your Early-Stage Startup

Branding might not be your first priority, but neglecting it can hurt your startup. A strong brand identity early on sets the stage for marketing success.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.