Many organizations put significant effort into defining their values. They craft statements that describe who they want to be, how they hope people behave and what matters most. These values often appear on walls, websites and onboarding decks. Yet clear values do not guarantee a strong culture, especially if a company isn't actually walking it's talk. But is culture really so crucial to business success? Research from the MIT Sloan Management Review suggests that a toxic corporate culture is the top predictor for employee attrition, even more so than compensation. This gap that employees often experience between a company's words and actions creates confusion and weakens trust. And that can quickly snowball in the wrong direction.
So what can organizations do to build cultures that truly align with their values and goals?
A value like collaboration or respect can mean a lot of different things to different people. Without clarity you won’t get consistent behaviour. To make culture real, values need to be translated into tangible everyday actions. For example, collaboration might mean sharing work early, asking for input before decisions, or offering feedback generously. When teams define what each value looks like in practice they build shared expectations. Tools like McQuaig help surface how people prefer to work and communicate. When used in a team setting, assessment insights can provide that shared common language and foundation. From there, it is easier to see how each person’s strengths support different values and where teams may need to adjust habits to stay aligned.
Many companies hire based on perceived culture fit, but relying on gut feel or personality impressions can introduce bias and make it harder to build diverse teams. Culture becomes stronger when hiring decisions are grounded in clear behaviours rather than assumptions.
By using McQuaig behavioural assessments from the start you move beyond guesswork. You can compare a candidate’s work style with the behaviours your team values and make decisions that support both alignment and long term performance with every new hire. This helps ensure the fit you see in the interview shows up reliably in daily work.
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What managers do matters more than what is printed on a wall. Leaders need to model the behaviours tied to their values, whether that is clear communication, fairness, recognition or empathy. When those behaviours show up consistently, teams understand what the organization stands for and how they are expected to work together.
With McQuaig, managers gain insight into each person’s preferred work style and motivators. This helps them tailor how they lead, communicate and delegate so values become part of everyday actions rather than something stated in a document.
A structured onboarding process sets the tone for how a new hire experiences your team. It gives people a clear sense of where they fit and what success looks like. When onboarding is thoughtful, new employees settle in faster, build confidence sooner and contribute with less uncertainty. It also helps them understand how your culture shows up in day to day work, which makes the transition into the organization smoother.
When you bring someone on using assessment tools, you gain a clearer picture of how they prefer to work and learn. That insight helps you tailor early conversations and set expectations in a way that makes sense for the individual. You can plan personalized support that aligns with their strengths, adjust communication so they feel understood and build early trust. This gives new hires a stronger start and a more connected introduction to your culture from the first week onward.
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If your values encourage collaboration but your recognition systems reward individual performance, the message becomes unclear. People look to everyday practices to understand what the organization truly values. Culture only sticks when the systems that guide work and decision making align with the behaviours you want to see. That includes how people are hired, evaluated, rewarded and onboarded. When these elements support the same set of expectations, teams know what matters and can act with more consistency.
Culture isn’t a one-time launch. It evolves with new people, leadership changes, and shifting priorities. The most resilient cultures revisit behaviours regularly, check in with team members, and use data to guide decisions.
By using McQuaig’s ongoing assessments and team insights you create a living culture, one that adapts and stays aligned with what matters most to your people and your organization.