Workplace culture: What employees are looking for
If you want to attract and retain great employees, especially when hiring is competitive, culture needs to be on your radar.
Research for SEEK shows 81% of Kiwis find workplace culture important; 69% of people say they’d turn down a job if they learned a company had a poor culture and 76% say they’ve left a job or would leave a job due to poor culture. In fact, two-thirds (66%) say a good workplace culture is even more important than salary.
Let’s look at what aspects of culture employees care most about, and how you can work to build a positive culture in your workplace.
Areas to focus on when building a positive workplace culture
While it’s one thing to understand the importance of workplace culture, knowing where to begin can be tricky. But there are two key areas of culture employees identify as most important – these make a great place to start.
1. A supportive environment and leadership team
Supportive colleagues and leadership comes out on top as the most valued aspect of a positive workplace culture - the research shows poor leadership is the top reason why people would leave a job.
Organisational psychologist Dr Michelle Pizer says that feeling connected and supported in the workplace has always been important, but even more so with hybrid working. “In a hybrid work environment people feel the loss of connection more acutely,” says Dr Pizer.
“Knowing someone truly has your back creates trust—and that trust keeps people engaged, performing at their best, and protected from burnout.”
The good news is, fostering these supportive relationships with our colleagues and team members is something each of us can do easily, says Dr Pizer.
“The small things can make a big difference. Smiling when you say hello. Stopping what you’re doing and being fully present. Asking how someone’s really doing. Saying ‘thank you’ when someone helps. It all adds up and can positively impact workplace culture,” explains Dr Pizer.
Kristine Tuazon, Director of Good People HR, echoes this sentiment believing that building positive working relationships is a key place for any organisation to start.
“Strong relationships are the foundation of a positive workplace culture, they are like the strong solid foundation of a house,” says Tuazon.
“In the past 18 years of being in HR, the most resilient, innovative and high performing teams are the ones that have consistently put effort into creating a flow of open communication within teams. In these environments, people feel safe, valued and encouraged to do their best work.”
2. Flexibility and autonomy
More and more, workers are looking at ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Flexible working hours ranks as the second most important workplace culture trait, the research shows.
Tuazon says that offering workers this level of flexibility signals a people first culture. “Caring for the person as a whole improves their productivity and wellbeing,” says Tuazon.
“Providing greater flexibility helps manage your employees workload in a way that's efficient for the individual, avoiding further stress and burnout. This can also include managing their time better to improve their exercise, get better sleep, and spend more time with family, resulting in a more energised and focused employee at work.”
As well as being able to help workers regain their motivation and productivity levels, there’s an even greater power at work when it comes to offering flexibility: trust.
Organisational psychologist Dr Michelle Pizer says that, rather than fostering an environment where employees feel ‘watched’ or ‘micro-managed’, offering flexible hours sends a more positive message.
“Flexibility shows you’re trusted to get the job done, not just clock hours. That shift from focusing on time to outcomes is what really lets people know you trust them and empowers them,” says Dr Pizer.
How to create the kind of workplace culture employees want
With a better understanding of what workers are looking to get out of a positive workplace culture, how can you cultivate it? Here’s what the experts have to say:
Practice what you preach:
Workplace culture isn’t simply a box you can check off. As Dr Pizer explains: “Culture isn't a program. It's how people treat each other every day. The real test is how your values show up.”
Instead, Dr Pizer encourages workplaces to focus on the bigger picture and ways to put their words into action and reward the culture you want to develop.
“Culture is the unwritten rules people follow in your workplace. There are many facets that comprise workplace culture including the organisation’s values, who gets heard, how mistakes are handled, what gets measured and what behaviours get rewarded.”
Change the culture from the top down:
Company leaders often spearhead the culture. So, if you want to make real change, the leadership team need to be on board.
Tuazon explains that for this to happen, leaders need to be open to change and consistent.
“Changing workplace culture is a deliberate, long term process. It requires commitment from the top, and leaders must clearly define and communicate the values, behaviours and mindsets they want to see,” says Tuazon.
“When trust, reliability, transparency, and having a shared mission is demonstrated, it sets the tone for the whole organisation allowing the team to grow together.”
Set clear goals and visions for your workplace culture:
Before setting a positive workplace culture, you need to map out what that looks like. Dr Pizer explains this involves taking a broader look at your organisational structure and being clear with your intentions.
“Whether you’re a small business or multinational, every organisation needs a mission that explains desired outcomes and goals, as well as clear values to guide individual and collective behaviour,” she says.
“Actively look for any gaps between your stated values and their lived reality. It takes mature leadership to be able to do this, but the faster you take action the better outcomes you’ll receive.”
“Once the gaps are identified, define your culture through stories. For example, instead of saying you value innovation, share the story of someone tried something new, failed and overcame the challenge to achieve a result as this will make your culture more credible.”
"The strongest cultures happen when people's values align with what the organisation rewards. You get both authentic engagement and better performance because people aren't spending energy managing the tension between what they believe and what they're asked to do."
Once you’ve defined your goals and values, it will be a lot easier to make sure your workplace culture is reflected at every level – including for new hires.
“You can promote culture in the hiring process in an organic way by asking potential candidates about what they need to be their best, and what their core values are,” Dr Pizer explains. “This will help to ensure there’s a natural alignment.”
It’s clear that workplace culture has taken on a new level of importance for many Kiwi workers. Focusing on building positive culture through flexibility and supportive leadership can help you create a workplace people want to be part of. What’s more, it will help you attract and retain the employees your business needs to succeed.
Source: Independent research conducted by Nature on behalf of SEEK interviewing 4,800 Kiwis annually. Published July 2025.