Workplace Culture Consulting Can Save Your Company’s Life

Jill Monte - Content Specialist · Aug 13, 2025

Culture has evolved—and so has this blog. Hear the latest from Jim Bitterle in this quick video update —plus updated stats throughout the blog!

Culture isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a business imperative. In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, culture is one of the most powerful tools organizations have to align their people, processes, and purpose.

Whether you’re leading a long-established company or building one from the ground up, fostering a strong, intentional culture can set the tone for everything from team dynamics to bottom-line results.

Maybe you're sensing low morale, noticing an increase in interpersonal tension, or seeing signs of disengagement across your team. Or perhaps you're proactively thinking about how to ensure your culture evolves with your business. Whatever the reason, paying attention to culture is no longer optional—it’s essential.

Research continues to reinforce the ROI of culture: engaged teams are significantly more productive, innovative, and loyal, and companies that prioritize culture are outperforming their peers in areas like retention, revenue, and reputation.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what workplace culture consulting is, why it matters more than ever, and how it can help you build a healthier, more engaged, and values-aligned workplace. Let’s start by defining what culture consulting entails and how it fits into your broader talent management strategy.

What is workplace culture consulting?

Culture consulting is a practice designed to help companies achieve their financial, strategic, organizational and social goals by creating a desired organizational culture. Consultants who specialize in this work must be skilled at assisting leaders in pinpointing a clear cultural direction and plan.

To be clear, culture is a shared way of being, thinking, making decisions, and coming to conclusions. It includes the company’s mission, values, expectations, processes and work atmosphere. Think of it as the company’s “personality” from an employee perspective. Company culture is often thought of as the foundation that will help shape the company’s employer brand.

Culture isn’t a complex or elusive concept, culture is simply the experience that employees have. It has been my observation that companies who have content and productive employees positively affect financial results. Not to mention, having a great company culture can encourage solutions or innovations that might not come about in a less culture-centric organization. When an employee feels valued, is given growth opportunities and respects their organization, a positive and healthy culture is born and productivity skyrockets.

Jim Bitterle, Managing Partner and Company Culture Expert

Why is workplace culture so important and what part do employees play?

By building a community within your organization that people want to be a part of, it forces employees to connect and build on positive aspects and company values, so that everyone can do effective work on either sustaining or changing it. Employees can be incredible advocates for your company … good talent knows other good talent. Since culture is quite possibly the strongest force in determining what gets done well in a company, being able to assess, define and shape it is critical, and there’s no better culture champion than your employee network.

From talent gaps to culture gaps: why the connection matters

First, let’s consider the current state of our economy and workforce. While the job market has shifted since 2019, the competition for skilled talent remains intense. Many industries continue to face persistent labor shortages, fueled by factors such as demographic shifts, evolving skill requirements, remote and hybrid work expectations, and a growing emphasis on work-life balance. Even as some sectors experience layoffs, others are struggling to fill critical roles—creating a complex and uneven labor market.

For companies trying to grow, expand, or simply maintain operations, the challenge is clear: attracting and retaining the right people is harder than ever. When talent gaps persist, productivity, service quality, and customer satisfaction often suffer, leading to missed opportunities and financial strain. In this environment, a strong, intentional culture isn’t just helpful—it’s a competitive advantage and a critical factor in long-term resilience. Companies with strong culture report 30% higher innovation and 40% higher retention rates!

What are the “culture is suffering” signs?

Is Your Workplace Culture in Trouble?
Here are some common warning signs that your culture may need attention:

Frequent turnover
Persistent job vacancies
Long time-to-fill for open roles
Low morale or visible burnout
Declining employee engagement
Slip in customer service levels
Drop in product or service quality

If several of these sound familiar, it may be time to seek the expertise of a workplace culture consultant.

The best way to prevent these issues from taking root is to stay attuned to the environment around you. Culture isn’t just about what leadership thinks—it’s about how employees experience the organization every day. Make it a habit to ask for feedback regularly, whether through in-person conversations, video meetings, pulse surveys, or anonymous questionnaires. The key is to keep the dialogue open and two-way.

By listening, acting on input, and showing employees that their voices matter, you’ll not only address challenges sooner—you’ll foster a culture where people feel valued, engaged, and motivated to help the company thrive.

How does culture affect ROI/financial performance?

According to Gallup (2023), disengaged employees cost the world $8.8 trillion annually! Alternatively, highly engaged teams are 17% more productive and take 41% fewer sick days. These aren’t just feel-good metrics—they translate directly into measurable business gains. Good cultures have a direct, positive effect on financial performance, and our data shows roughly 80% of comparative companies with better cultural scores achieve stronger financial results. See the sample data below:

72%

of executives say culture is extremely important for organizational performance but only

32%

say their organization’s culture is fully aligned with the business strategy

Workplace culture consulting can help companies assess needs and determine which tools are necessary to define goals that lead to satisfied employees and clients. Part of this process often includes teaching organizational leaders how to manage corporate culture and how to build stronger teams. Once that happens, the desired end result is a positive culture that contributes to steady growth, company profitability and longevity. (Source: Korn Ferry)

For a more in-depth look at the state of your company’s acquisition, growth, and retention efforts, consider taking our free talent assessment.

With decades of proven experience in workplace culture, EDSI can help you create an environment where people and performance thrive. Let’s talk about what’s possible for your organization. Fill out the form below so we can connect.