13 Worthwhile Ways to Improve Company Culture in 2026

The world's most popular streaming service uses two powerful words to describe its company culture: freedom and responsibility. A leading project management software company wrote entire books on how you can, too, create a balanced, progressive culture like theirs.

However, Netflix is known for high involuntary turnover and for using intense performance pressure to weed out anyone who doesn't fit. And Basecamp? Well, let's say leadership wasn't as inclusive as they told everyone, and one-third of the team quit.

The point is that no matter how successful you are, there's always room for improvement. If you're already beyond building company culture and want to reinforce or add more positive aspects, keep reading. We have over a dozen ways to improve company culture.

What does a positive company culture look like?

A positive company culture is full of employees who feel a strong sense of belonging at work. It results from consistent, authentic recognition, communication, and growth.

😊 Positive company culture: Attributes and examples 😊

Everyone feels appreciated for their contributions

Public shoutouts, peer kudos, thank-you messages, team celebrations, milestone acknowledgment

Work-life balance and respect are important

PTO, flexible scheduling, wellness programs, mental health resources

The company commits to openness and transparency

Feedback (attributed and anonymous), town hall-style meetings, clear communication

Leadership is present and on board

Authenticity, accountability, clear communication, behavior aligns with values

People feel accepted for who they are

Resource groups, personalized recognition, inclusivity as a core value from the top down

Employees experience growth and can track their development

Mentorship, continued training, workshops, career conversations, clear goal-setting

How to improve company culture

As you skim this list of ways to improve company culture, look for small, specific examples or ideas that may make a world of difference for your team.

1. Make it a tradition.

Let team rituals happen naturally. If employees enjoy a specific song, lunch from a particular café, or anything else, support it. Even company-initiated events and activities. If they like it, bring it back as soon as it makes sense.

We call a lot of these rituals micro-moments. They're often small and low-pressure. Most wouldn't notice if it disappeared for a week. But when we enjoy them regularly, they subconsciously add to how safe and dependable we find our workplaces.

2. Find new ways to personalize recognition.

Belonging to a culture hinges heavily on being known and accepted as an individual. The smallest gestures and considerations reinforce this. Observe communication styles and the most readily visible aspects of someone's personality. Treat them accordingly.

For instance, an introverted person may prefer a thoughtful handwritten birthday message over the whole team singing to their face on Zoom.😳 The key takeaway is that people should not feel like they have to force themselves to fit into the culture. Who they are helps shape it.

3. Support coworker relationships.

Most employees aren't interested in distracting levels of socialization. Allowing them to chat periodically, share a giggle, or take a minute to help one another isn't risky. On the higher-impact end, employee resource groups and informal shared-interest "clubs" promote inclusivity and bonding.

🏆 Inside jokes are a cultural goldmine. Fully remote digital security platform Immunefi has a whole separate HeyTaco-fueled Slack channel just for this. They share jokes, play games, and bond as a team. All while successfully preventing tens of billions of dollars in hack damage.

4. Be clearer and more concise in communications.

If employees can receive a message and feel confident they understand it and how it impacts their day, they'll be happier at work. The same applies to a five-minute meeting that stays on topic and gets to the point.

Make sure workplace communication isn't creating confusion. Clear tasks, expectations, feedback, and updates build transparency and trust, creating a healthy sense of security.

5. Declare a surprise holiday.

If an organization sees the burnout thermometer rise, surprise employees with a day off. If possible, make it a long weekend. The element of surprise serves a few purposes here. First, it's delightful. Unexpected breaks mean employees haven't already booked errands and appointments that eat up their PTO.

Second, because no one knows when it will happen, companies can choose the most convenient times—bad weather events, maintenance, or times when no one has an urgent deadline.

6. Watch your tone.

How we address someone is an omnipresent environmental factor. Tone of voice is a soft skill that has a massive impact on morale and an employee's willingness to listen. Nonverbal and often subliminal, this is one of the most overlooked ways to improve company culture. All leaders should raise awareness of this.

It's still important to stay authentic. Employees know the difference between kind and nice. Concealing jaw-clenching frustration with a syrupy tone can be more off-putting than yelling.

7. Celebrate Fridays.

Small, informal celebrations are another cultural custom that employees often don't even know they look forward to. Get music pumping after lunch. Discuss weekend plans at the end of a meeting, or recap the week's achievements.

Building anticipation for (and valuing) time off is one way to show the company respects work-life balance. It may also reduce nagging thoughts about work over the weekend. We guide employees into weekend mode, so they take that mental break and come back refreshed.

8. Make 1:1s feel like a break.

Speaking of breaks, how are your regular one-on-ones? The setting, topics, and timing affect whether or not it's an honest, productive conversation. A few tips for improving culture through tension-free 1:1s:

• Don't book them during high-pressure times. If someone's in deep productivity mode, their mind will be elsewhere.
• Change the scenery. Take a walk, go to a café, etc. Do anything other than sit in the usual work setting.
• Let them talk about non-work-related stuff. Leaving the premises helps with this. Their interests, views, life updates, or observations create a stronger rapport.
• Ask open-ended questions. Giving employees the chance to add context or nuance to their take on workplace matters increases their feelings of fairness.

9. The collective purpose.

Leading with purpose is important. Showing interest in a team's growth and development is just one way. When conveying a company's purpose to help employees feel invested, make sure it's relevant to their work.

"Our marketing team's research capability and deep customer knowledge make it possible for the people suffering this problem to find our solution." There are many ways to prove or praise this over time, linking it to the culture. Something like, "Our goal is to reach as many eyes as possible in this demographic," doesn't inspire emotional investment.

10. Create space for innovation and catching up.

Monthly lunch-and-learns and other training sessions make everyone feel more prepared and capable. However, we can also include regular pockets for employees to handle things that always lurk in the background.

These are times when employees can improve processes, solve ongoing challenges, and finally clear their inboxes.

11. Find and address contradictions.

It's all about being the employer you say you are. If the culture isn't where it should be, step back and observe. Organizations will name teamwork and togetherness as foundational to their culture, but how much collaboration do they really facilitate? They'll say they have zero tolerance for toxicity, but they'll let that one boundary-crossing manager slide.

It's simple: Incongruencies like this tell employees the company isn't trustworthy. It's much harder to see yourself as part of a community when what's championed doesn't match the employee experience. Strive for behavioral alignment, and get it in return.

12. Allow them a little more control.

We talk a lot about how employees want flexibility more than almost anything else. If you think this is because they want freedom, think again. A lot of it is about control.

Healthy employee control in the workplace improves culture because it empowers people. For example, act on employee feedback, ask employees what they think, and explain decisions. This shows they can impact their environment and aren't helpless in their circumstances.

Embed culture into workflows with HeyTaco.

Our 13th and final tip for improving company culture is to make it easy to access, even for remote teams. Many employees don't notice or invest in much culture-building because they're busy.

HeyTaco knows all of the common barriers to workplace connection. The first one to get rid of is culture-building that's just plain inconvenient. That's why our peer recognition tool integrates seamlessly with Slack or Teams. Anyone can give lightning-quick kudos or join team celebrations with minimal disruption.

"I love how HeyTaco encourages peer-to-peer recognition in a lighthearted and engaging way. It has strengthened our team culture and helped everyone feel appreciated." —Daniel Alberto J., Fraud Analyst

Learn how HeyTaco works, try it for free, and see improvements in your workplace culture in as little as one week.