Smart leaders understand that successful companies run on human capital.

Very obvious–I know, but bear with me for a moment to explain my reasoning.

Once they’ve established a product or service worth sharing, conversations, meetings, and late-night strategy sessions are put together to discuss how to build out every supportive function of the business (finance, operations, marketing, communications, HR, product design, sales, etc.). Prioritizion here is key!

However, many will make the mistake of putting together their HR team LAST once they’ve established all other departments. Worse, many assume that by hiring an HR leader, many of the workforce challenges will magically go away. In fact, when we approach startup or midsize company leaders about working with Ekipo, they say, “Why do I need your help me with our workplace culture when I already have an HR leader/team that can help me?“

Here’s the truth: having an HR leader or team is valuable, but many feel overwhelmed and burned out by the challenges at work. That’s why a workplace culture consultant can offer different expertise and perspectives to help.

Working with a workplace culture consultant at Ekipo can bring 5 advantages, regardless of whether or not you have an HR team:

Specialized Focus:   

We’ve studied and understand the intricacies of organizational culture and its impact on employee committment, productivity, and overall success. This in-depth knowledge of best practices can be specifically tailored to enhancing workplace culture for you on day 1, the short-term and even long-term.

Objective External Perspective:  

It’s important for companies to be provided with an unbiased assesment of their company culture. As outside advisors, we are committed to providing honest feedback and addressing issues directly. In other words, we firmly believe in calling balls balls and strikes strikes. It’s important to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of what needs fixing in your company culture. The transparency of 2024 demands this kind of communcation between all parties.

Strategic Expertise:  

External culture consultants develop customized strategies and interventions to address specific challenges such as managing rapid growth and staff turnover, or goals like embracing adaptability, encouraging risk-taking, and manager development programs.

Of course, none of this works without partnering with C-suite and HR leaders to align culture initiatives with overall business objectives, ensuring a comprehensive and integrated approach.

Industry Insights and Benchmarking:  

Our consultants stay up-to-date with the latest trends and research in workplace culture across various industries. It’s not something that we do lightly from 9-5, it’s something that really consumes our time, effort and energy. This allows us to provide valuable benchmarking data and insights from our experience working with different organizations, enabling you to learn from the successes and challenges of others. 

Change Management Support:  

We don’t believe in culture transformations (the snake oil of change initiatives), we believe in making the necessary culture pivots for your business. Implementing these types key steps often involves change management, which can be complex and challenging. Our team can provide guidance and support throughout the change process, helping you navigate resistance, foster buy-in, and sustain positive outcomes.

While HR leaders and teams play a critical role in managing various HR functions, a workplace culture consultant brings specialized expertise, an external perspective, and strategic guidance to enhance your organization’s culture and drive long-term success. Our firm proudly works hand-in-hand with founders, CEOs & HR leaders to amplify their efforts and provide a holistic approach to building a thriving workplace culture.

So the next time we reach out, ask yourself the following:

• In what ways do you envision integrating the expertise of a workplace culture consultant with your existing HR strategies and initiatives?

• Are there specific areas or aspects of your workplace culture you believe could benefit most from external perspective and specialized focus?

• Given the rapidly evolving nature of workplace dynamics and cultural expectations, do you see value in leveraging external consultants for this purpose?

Article was written by John-Miguel Mitchell who is a Lead Consultant at Ekipo LLC. If you’d like to learn more about how to design and build out the ideal workplace culture for your business, email him at jmitchell@joinekipo.com.