Definition of company culture

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, culture is defined as follows: "The way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time." This definition suggests that culture is something fluid and ever-changing. So, how does this translate into company culture?

Most sources agree on something along these lines: Company Culture is the values, beliefs and attitudes that characterise a company and guide its practices. This sounds very corporate. But company culture is something you feel, not something you can touch and define. Putting it into simpler words, I would define company culture as all about who we are, what we do and how we do it.  In other words, it is a psychological contract between each employee and their employer as well as their colleagues. It's a shared understanding, something we define and shape ourselves. Given its ever-evolving nature, we grow with it and it with us every single day.

Ideally, company culture should promote an environment of collaboration, trust and mutual respect. These are the foundations of any human relationship and they are particularly important when working towards common goals.

Our work environment

Entura's company culture is best described, in my opinion, as OPEN. People here are non-judgmental, trusting, listening, supporting each other and have a clear sense of equality. Hierarchies are minimal and promote this openness. A culture like this encourages you to recruit for cultural fit and train for skills. Don't get me wrong, we're always looking for highly-skilled people. However, a good fit for our team is generally more important than say expertise. One of the most beautiful things for me as an HR professional is developing people. Fortunately, this attitude fits right into the company culture at Entura.

Now that we're in growth mode, people may become anxious we may turn corporate. Well, we already ARE a corporation, but we are most definitely not corporate. In fact, our CEO Michael James has just responded to this very concern in a recent job interview brilliantly when he said: "Well, we'll just redefine corporate then!" This is exactly what we live and breathe every day here at Entura.

What does it all mean?

So, a positive company culture has a great impact on everyone's well-being. Entura's company culture WILL need to evolve further, but it is so open, inviting and positive that I’m proud to say that I haven't worked a day since I started here. I cannot wait to get to work because I love my job!

What meaning does company culture hold for you? Are you intrigued by ours? Why not check out our current vacancies on our careers page and apply for working with us!