Why HR Cannot ‘Create’ Culture – And Why That’s a Good Thing

Culture is really important for a business but HR cannot create it and nor should they. Countless times business leaders have complained about HR being focused on culture and completely missing commercial and business requirements. The profession has lapsed, in my opinion, over the recent decade into being less commercially driven and more driven on concepts, theories and being nice... that stifle business.

The reality is that culture is there already in what the company values and how they do business.

Culture is often seen as an HR responsibility and HR reinforce such assertions by job titles such as 'Head of People and Culture' and many more examples. HR can reinforce culture through building policies, engagement initiatives and ways of working including decision making. But the reality is that HR cannot create culture. Culture emerges from leadership behaviors, business decisions, and the way people experience working in an organization every day.

That doesn’t mean HR has no role to play. HR is a powerful enabler of culture, but its job is to shape an environment where the right culture can grow, not to dictate it from the top down. And most importantly, culture must be a commercial enabler, not a constraint.

Culture Should Drive Growth, Not Restrict It

A strong culture should fuel creativity, innovation, and business success. But when culture becomes rigid—focused too much on compliance, control, or maintaining the status quo—it can stifle the very things that help a company compete.

For example, if an organization promotes a culture of “collaboration” to the extent that decision-making slows down or risk-taking is discouraged, it could lose its edge. Similarly, if a company prides itself on a “family” culture but struggles to address underperformance, it risks harming high performers and long-term business growth.

The best cultures don’t just make people feel good—they give the business a commercial advantage. They foster adaptability, encourage smart risk-taking, and help attract and retain top talent who can drive results.

HR’s Role in Enabling the Right Culture

Instead of trying to “create” culture, HR should focus on:

• Shaping Leadership Behaviors: Leaders define culture through their actions, not just their words. HR should help leaders understand their impact and ensure their behaviors align with the culture the business needs.
• Reinforcing Culture Through Business Decisions: Everything from hiring and promotions to how the company responds to failure shapes culture. HR should ensure these processes support—not contradict—the desired culture.
• Removing Barriers to Innovation and Growth: Policies, processes, and structures should enable people to do their best work, not restrict them with unnecessary red tape.
• Listening and Adapting: Culture isn’t static. HR should continuously gather insights from employees, customers, and market trends to help the business evolve.

Final Thought

HR plays a critical role in enabling culture, but culture isn’t something that can be “managed” like a process. It’s an outcome of leadership, strategy, and everyday business realities. The best cultures don’t just make work a nice place to be - they drive business success by empowering people to think, create, and deliver results.

How do you see HR’s role in shaping culture in your organization? Let’s discuss.

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