People are key to the culture puzzle

The leadership team where I work, Etna Interactive, cares about fostering a fun culture and it's a frequent topic at our meetings. We value creating opportunities for employees to connect with each other around hobbies and passions unrelated to work. We have a hiking club, a community action committee, an ongoing ping pong tournament for the esteemed status of "King Pong," a company-sponsored foodies club, and a photography group to name a few of the non-work fun things.

As a hiring manager who's currently recruiting for three positions, this topic is especially important to me. So this article about culture caught my attention last week. There were many good points, but one thing really stuck with me:

Culture isn’t about ping pong tables or free food. It’s not about perks, benefits, or dress code. Culture is about people and how everyone treats each other.

So true. No matter how much effort we as a leadership team put into fostering our culture, it all comes down to people. Luckily, it's unanimous among all employees that their favorite thing about Etna is "the people." Ask anyone. That's the first thing everyone says.

That all came together for me this past weekend when my husband and I went with a friend (and former colleague) to see a concert in a local bar. The band performing, Carbon City Lights, is fronted by a current colleague and the lead guitarist is a former colleague. There were 3 other tables of current and former colleagues there as well. All in all there were 11 current and former Etna colleagues there from multiple departments--Technology, Marketing, Finance, Project Management, Administration, and Client Services.

THAT is culture.

We all chose on a Friday night to support people we came to know because of where we worked. (And also, they're really good.) But it made me think about other times when current and former colleagues have come together to support each other. Personally I've received similar support in the side hustle my husband and I started, F'nK Tacos. Many colleagues have come out on weekends when we've had events to support us (and also to get some really amazing street tacos, not gonna lie). I'm really grateful to have their encouragement and support.

But it's not just bigger events, like concerts and tacos. The other day I heard about one colleague helping another organize the clothes in her closet. And a couple weeks ago at the end of a Friday, I watched as four colleagues planned a spontaneous weekend together in San Francisco--a four hour drive each way, plus a weekend. There are countless examples of these moments, and even though Etna brought us together, we choose to be friends.

It's those kinds of moments that define a company's culture. And it can't be manufactured. Another way to think about it is this: it's not the ping pong table, but the "King Pong" tournament.

So what can a company do to keep that kind of culture going? I think it's relatively simple:

• Hire people who share your values, not just those who have the skills to do the job.
• Leaders should encourage fun and socializing at work, but not try to manufacture it.
• Create opportunities for employees to connect and build relationships with each other, but don't require it.
• And celebrate the passion and talent of your teams outside of the office.

If you're truly building your culture the right way, it will show in your people.