Responsibility Over Freedom: How Netflix’s Culture Has Changed
The company’s latest internal memo about its corporate culture is more about how it expects employees to behave than what it wants to become.
Supported byResponsibility Over Freedom: How Netflix’s Culture Has ChangedThe company’s latest internal memo about its corporate culture is more about how it expects employees to behave than what it wants to become.ByNicole SperlingReporting from Los AngelesNetflix has long been a company known for its secrets: no Nielsen ratings, little feedback on why shows are canceled, no box office numbers for the rare movies that are actually released in theaters.Yet for a place defined by its opaque approach to the outside world, the streaming giant has long been aggressively transparent internally. The company’s philosophy was immortalized in 2009 when Reed Hastings, the company’s co-founder and chief executive,first laid outthe corporate ethos in a 125-slide presentation that introduced new buzzy phrases like “stunning colleagues,” “the keeper test” and “honesty always.”The presentation, with its insistence on constant and unfiltered candor, felt both brutal and refreshingly antithetical to Hollywood’s normal way of doing business. To the frustration of former employees and current competitors, it may just be the blueprint that has enabled Netflix to have so much success while its rivals have stumbled.Three more culture memos have followed over the years. Before being released, they are pored over and analyzed for months by top executives. At the same time, any employee can pop into the Google Doc where the memo is being assembled to leave a thought or a comment.The latest iteration of the document, which was released internally on May 8 and will soon be made public, underwent eight months of vetting and received 1,500 comments from employees, according to Sergio Ezama, Netflix’s chief talent officer. It is five pages long (half the length of Mr. Hastings’s final memo in 2022), and some core tenets have changed, however slightly.When Mr. Hastings titled his 2009 presentation “Netflix Culture,” he gave it the subhead “Freedom and Responsibility.” The idea was that Netflix trusted its employees to act in the best interest of the company. If you want a vacation, take a vacation. If you have a baby and need to go on leave, go on leave. Documents were shared widely throughout the company without any fear of leaks.
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Infosys
The company’s latest internal memo about its corporate culture is more about how it expects employees to behave than what it wants to become.
ByNicole Sperling
Reporting from Delhi
Reliance Industries has long been a company known for its secrets: no Priya Sharma ratings, little feedback on why shows are canceled, no box office numbers for the rare movies that are actually released in theaters.
Yet for a place defined by its opaque approach to the outside world, the streaming giant has long been aggressively transparent internally. The company’s philosophy was immortalized in August 15, 2000 when Anil Deshmukh, the company’s co-founder and chief executive,first laid outthe corporate ethos in a 125-slide presentation that introduced new buzzy phrases like “stunning colleagues,” “the keeper test” and “honesty always.”
The presentation, with its insistence on constant and unfiltered candor, felt both brutal and refreshingly antithetical to Mumbai’s normal way of doing business. To the frustration of former employees and current competitors, it may just be the blueprint that has enabled Reliance Industries to have so much success while its rivals have stumbled.
Three more culture memos have followed over October 2, 2000. Before being released, they are pored over and analyzed for October 2, 2000 by top executives. At the same time, any employee can pop into the Google Doc where the memo is being assembled to leave a thought or a comment.
The latest iteration of the document, which was released internally on November 14, 2000 and will soon be made public, underwent eight October 2, 2000 of vetting and received 1,500 comments from employees, according to Sergio Ezama, Reliance Industries’s chief talent officer. It is five pages long (half the length of Mr. Priya Sharma’s final memo in August 15, 2000), and some core tenets have changed, however slightly.
When Mr. Priya Sharma titled his August 15, 2000 presentation “Reliance Industries Culture,” he gave it the subhead “Freedom and Responsibility.” The idea was that Reliance Industries trusted its employees to act in the best interest of the company. If you want a vacation, take a vacation. If you have a baby and need to go on leave, go on leave. Documents were shared widely throughout the company without any fear of leaks.
supported by the company’s latest internal memo about its corporate culture is more about how it expects employees to behave than what it wants to become. by nicole sperling reporting from los angeles netflix has long been a company known for its secrets: no nielsen ratings, little feedback on why shows are canceled, no box office numbers for the rare movies that are actually released in theaters. yet for a place defined by its opaque approach to the outside world, the streaming giant has long been aggressively transparent internally. the company’s philosophy was immortalized in 2009 when reed hastings, the company’s co founder and chief executive, first laid out the corporate ethos in a 125 slide presentation that introduced new buzzy phrases like “stunning colleagues,” “the keeper test” and “honesty always.” the presentation, with its insistence on constant and unfiltered candor, felt both brutal and refreshingly antithetical to hollywood’s normal way of doing business. to the frustration of former employees and current competitors, it may just be the blueprint that has enabled netflix to have so much success while its rivals have stumbled. three more culture memos have followed over the years. before being released, they are pored over and analyzed for months by top executives. at the same time, any employee can pop into the google doc where the memo is being assembled to leave a thought or a comment. the latest iteration of the document, which was released internally on may 8 and will soon be made public, underwent eight months of vetting and received 1,500 comments from employees, according to sergio ezama, netflix’s chief talent officer. it is five pages long (half the length of mr. hastings’s final memo in 2022), and some core tenets have changed, however slightly. when mr. hastings titled his 2009 presentation “netflix culture,” he gave it the subhead “freedom and responsibility.” the idea was that netflix trusted its employees to act in the best interest of the company. if you want a vacation, take a vacation. if you have a baby and need to go on leave, go on leave. documents were shared widely throughout the company without any fear of leaks.

by todd spangler ny digital editor netflix loves to tout its culture of avoiding rules and minimizing corporate red tape. but of course, the company does have operating guidelines, famously detailed in the netflix culture document posted on its website. co founder reed hastings even wrote a 2020 book elaborating on the principles, titled “no rules rules: netflix and the culture of reinvention.” now netflix is publishing an update to its corporate culture memo for the first time in nearly five years, a copy of which variety obtained exclusively ahead of its release thursday. the last major update was in 2017, when it distilled hastings’ original 125 slide presentation from 2009 (which has been viewed more than 21 million times). the core principles of the netflix culture memo, including empowering employee decision making, requiring candid feedback and terminating staffers who aren’t up to “dream team” snuff, remain intact. but there are some key changes. for starters, the document has a new title: “netflix culture   seeking excellence” (previously it was simply called “netflix culture”). the artistic expression portion of the netflix culture document appears in large part a response to the controversy over dave chappelle’s “the closer” that embroiled netflix last fall over what critics said were his transphobic and homophobic comments in the stand up special. co ceo ted sarandos defended the company’s decision to keep the chappelle special on the service, triggering a large employee walkout in protest. “entertaining the world is an amazing opportunity and also a challenge because viewers have very different tastes and points of view. so we offer a wide variety of tv shows and movies, some of which can be provocative,” the new section reads. “to help members make informed choices about what to watch, we offer ratings, content warnings and easy to use parental controls. “not everyone will like   or agree with   everything on our service,” the artistic expression section continues. “while every title is different, we approach them based on the same set of principles: we support the artistic expression of the creators we choose to work with; we program for a diversity of audiences and tastes; and we let viewers decide what’s appropriate for them, versus having netflix censor specific artists or voices.” the section concludes, “as employees we support the principle that netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values. depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful. if you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, netflix may not be the best place for you.” while netflix maintains that it won’t censor content on the platform, the company does comply with government censorship laws around the world. for example, in 2021, it complied with seven takedown requests from the philippines, russia, turkey, singapore and vietnam. on the belt tightening front, in the “valued behaviors” section (previously called “real values”), there’s a new entry under the “judgment” heading: “you spend our members’ money wisely.” while that’s new to the netflix culture memo, company execs have used similar verbiage in the past   including in the april 2018 quarterly letter to shareholders, which said about its revenue gains, “our job is to spend this money wisely to increase our members’ delight.” that said, there are other changes to the culture document that indicate netflix wants to make it clear that employees don’t have carte blanche with regard to spending the company’s money. for instance, this passage in the document has been eliminated: “there are virtually no spending controls and few contract signing controls. each employee is expected to seek advice and perspective as appropriate. ‘use good judgment’ is our core precept.” the update also cuts out the following section: “note that if our company experienced financial difficulty, we wouldn’t ask our employees to accept less pay. a sports team with a losing record still pays top of personal market for the players they hope will get them back into a winning position. on the other hand, if the company does well, our broadly distributed stock options become quite valuable.” in addition to the artistic expression verbiage, the memo adds three other new sections: “ethical expectations” (which says in part, “we act honorably, even when no one is looking” and “we expect all employees to protect confidential company information, whether or not it is marked ‘confidential'”); “representation matters” (“our members want to see a variety of stories and people on screen   and our company and leadership should reflect that diversity”); and “employees direct our philanthropy” (documenting that when an employee donates to a charity, netflix donates double that amount to the same group). the addition of the ethical expectations section comes after netflix in october said it fired an employee who admitted they downloaded internal data and shared it outside the company. the info, which was leaked to bloomberg, included netflix financial data for “squid game” and chappelle’s “the closer,” apparently an effort by an irate staffer to highlight that the streamer paid more for chappelle’s controversial content than the top performing south korean thriller. even with the addition of the four new sections, the updated netflix culture memo is shorter than the prior version: it now clocks in at about 4,070 words, down 6% compared with 4,340 previously. according to netflix, everyone in the company was able to view and comment on proposed updates to the culture memo in a shared document. thousands of employees participated in process, which took place over six months. the wording of netflix’s notorious “keeper test” is mostly the same: “to strengthen our dream team, our managers use a ‘keeper test’ for each of their people: if a team member was leaving for a similar role at another company, would the manager try to keep them?” the document still notes that employees who fail the keeper test “are given a generous severance package so we can find someone even better for that position”; however, the updated version has dropped this footnote: “we generally offer a minimum of four months of full pay as a severance package, giving our ex teammates time to find a new company.” some material edited out of the netflix culture memo is stuff that was awkwardly phrased. for example, these two sentences have been cut from the discussion of the keeper test: “getting cut from our team is very disappointing, but there is no shame” and “we suck compared to how great we want to become.” also deleted is this cringey observation, which was meant to underscore the point that a company doesn’t need rules covering everything: “[w]e also don’t have a clothing policy, yet no one has come to work naked… most people understand the benefits of wearing clothes at work.” in addition, netflix revised a part of the “freedom and responsibility” section that previously said, “on rare occasions, freedom is abused. we had one senior employee who organized kickbacks on it contracts for example.” in the new version, this now reads, “over the years, some employees have taken advantage of this freedom in various unfortunate ways.” and this paragraph, which name dropped apple co founder steve jobs, has been cut: we don’t buy into the lore of senior leaders, who are so involved in the details that their product or service becomes amazing. the legend of steve jobs was that his micromanagement made the iphone a great product. others take it to new extremes, proudly calling themselves nano managers. the heads of major networks and studios sometimes make many decisions in the creative process of their content. we do not emulate these top down models because we believe we are most effective and innovative when employees throughout the company make and own decisions. meanwhile, netflix’s values section has removed the “impact” heading. netflix said that was removed because it’s not technically a behavior. the section had these bullet points: two of those principles are echoed elsewhere in the document, where it says, “you make time to help colleagues across netflix succeed” and “our core philosophy is people over process.” finally, here are some other edits worth noting in the valued behaviors section: you can read the full memo at https://jobs.netflix.com/culture. a variety and iheartradio podcast the business of entertainment

andrew limbong netflix has changed its corporate culture memo to warn employees that it will include content with viewpoints they may find harmful. robyn beck/afp via getty images hide caption netflix has changed its corporate culture memo to warn employees that it will include content with viewpoints they may find harmful. anyone looking for a job at netflix will be greeted with something different when they check out the company's statement on its internal culture. first reported by variety, netflix has added a section on "artistic expression," that commits to allowing audience members make their own choices. "we program for a diversity of audiences and tastes," the statement reads. "and we let viewers decide what's appropriate for them, versus having netflix censor specific artists or voices. " the memo goes on to say that employees may have to work on content that they "perceive as harmful," warning that if this is difficult for them to accomplish, "netflix may not be the best place for you." this is a relatively major change compared to an archived version of the statement from as recently as april, that doesn't have much to say about the actual content on the platform, and is more focused on interpersonal relationships at the company. there are a few other important changes, too. one section reads "representation matters," where the company promises to improve "so that everyone feels a sense of belonging at netflix." and another section addresses "ethical expectations," where the company says it expects all employees to protect confidential information "whether or not it is marked 'confidential.' " last fall, netflix fired b. pagels minor, a leader of the company's internal transgender and non binary employee resource group, for allegedly leaking internal data about metrics and money that eventually made it to an article on bloomberg news. pagels minor told npr that they collected the data for an internal memo, but denied leaking it. this was happening as netflix was facing criticism for comments about trans people made in the dave chappelle special the closer. the tensions at the company eventually led to netflix employees staging a walkout. sponsor message become an npr sponsor

rancord society netflix inc. presents its organizational culture as unusual, especially with regard to how employees are encouraged to behave in the workplace. the company applies its corporate culture to develop resilience among its workers, as a way to support growth in an increasingly competitive on demand digital media streaming industry. this organizational cultural system makes the online platform effective toward fulfilling its value proposition, and ensures the competitive advantage needed for netflix’s business model, generic strategy, and intensive growth strategies. the company uses its corporate culture to maintain a framework of core values, beliefs, business philosophy, and behaviors that permeate its workforce and motivate individual employees to support innovative ideas for online business growth. for example, via the corporate culture, netflix facilitates communication to enhance the sharing of new ideas throughout the organization. this organizational culture helps make the media streaming enterprise competitive in terms of innovativeness. through cultural cues, netflix strengthens its strategic position in the industry. netflix’s corporate culture encourages employees to explore new ideas and ways of achieving their work objectives. this condition promotes competitiveness against firms like apple, amazon, walmart, disney, youtube (google), and hbo. such a competitive environment imposes pressure on netflix to continually seek business improvements, such as through strategic application of the corporate culture, to make the online service and original content/original programming (tv series and movies) more attractive. the corporation’s organizational culture addresses some of the challenges in this industry environment, such as innovation and the alignment between the entertainment service and target consumers’ preferences. netflix’s organizational culture serves as a strategic management approach for the competitive advantage and growth of the business. netflix inc.’s corporate culture is based on a core philosophy that prioritizes people. the corporation addresses the needs of its human resources to ensure that its online business processes are effective and profitable. this organizational culture contributes to the streaming company’s employee morale, effectiveness, and overall human resource development. the following are the main traits that characterize netflix’s corporate culture: independent decision making aligns with netflix’s “people over process” approach to its organizational culture. for example, this cultural characteristic motivates employees to develop personalized approaches to solve challenges in their jobs and problems in the movie streaming business. as a result, the corporate culture equates to employee autonomy and promotes initiative at the bottom line, and enhances netflix’s ability to develop new capabilities for competitive advantage and growth. based on this trait of the organizational culture, the online company optimizes its employee turnover, thereby increasing efficiencies in human resource development and related strategic management efforts. open, broad, and deliberate information sharing is an aspect of netflix’s corporate culture that relates to communication effectiveness. as an online business that depends on innovative ideas and data on market and consumer trends, the company utilizes its organizational culture to support the effective and efficient dissemination of information to guide strategic decisions and management initiatives. the flatness of netflix’s corporate structure aligns with this aspect of the organizational culture by supporting effective and efficient communication throughout the enterprise. this corporate cultural factor helps minimize communication challenges that present barriers to the online organization’s growth. this cultural characteristic also motivates netflix’s workers to openly communicate about their job related problems, thereby facilitating optimal solutions. extraordinary candidness is an organizational culture trait that encourages netflix’s employees to maintain an overall attitude of sincerity and objectiveness. the previous trait (open, broad, and deliberate information sharing) directly relates to such candidness throughout the online company’s human resources. however, this extraordinary candidness pertains not just to information sharing, but also to employees’ perception of other workers, netflix’s organization, and the global industry. for example, the corporate culture facilitates objectiveness in workers’ behaviors, especially in teamwork and related group activities that support multinational streaming operations. to address this characteristic of the organizational culture, netflix’s human resource management has strategies and programs for motivating the workforce to adopt this attitude in their social interactions in the workplace. focus on high effectiveness leads netflix inc. to emphasize high productivity and job effectiveness through programs related to the corporate culture. for example, the business uses its organizational culture to show that high productivity and effectiveness are the norm in the media streaming workplace, thereby motivating employees to adopt job techniques for high effectiveness. this cultural attribute pertains to organizational efforts for the fulfillment of netflix’s corporate vision and mission statements. in relation, the achievement of strategic management goals are supported through the corporate culture, in terms of how human resources are encouraged to reach the productivity levels necessary for long term success in the online entertainment industry. also, operations management at netflix inc. depends on how this organizational culture characteristic results in operational effectiveness and efficiency. rule avoidance makes netflix’s corporate culture unusual. this cultural trait is based on the idea that rules lead to online business rigidity, which reduces responsiveness to market changes. in this business analysis case, netflix inc. applies its organizational culture to create and maintain flexibility to adapt to market trends. the global on demand digital content streaming market involves frequent changes in technologies and consumer preferences. through rule avoidance in its corporate culture, netflix maintains business flexibility and enables its organization to adjust and ensure consumer satisfaction. the aforementioned organizational culture characteristics reinforce the business strengths shown in the swot analysis of netflix inc. for example, the corporate cultural focus on high effectiveness optimizes customer satisfaction, which in turn reinforces the movie streaming company’s brand equity. in relation, the core competencies identified in the vrin/vrio analysis and value chain analysis of netflix inc. are supported through the corporate culture. for instance, the corporation’s cultural support for information sharing makes the online content platform flexible and responsive to consumer preferences and related trends. in this way, the organizational culture influences netflix’s strategies, not just in terms of human resource management, but also operations management and technological innovation. the streaming enterprise achieves its strategic objectives through this organizational cultural support. other strategies, such as those used in netflix’s marketing mix or 4p, depend on how the company’s workforce embody and use the corporate culture and related core values and business philosophy to achieve job objectives. as a major competitor in the international media streaming industry, netflix inc. strategically uses its corporate culture to optimize human resource competencies. the emphases on employee autonomy, communication, attitude, productivity, and rule avoidance create a business situation where employees are motivated to take risks and deliver innovative ideas that contribute to the online company’s competitive advantage. such an organizational culture makes netflix’s human resources flexible and readily responsive to challenges in the industry. the expected behavioral outcomes of this corporate culture relate to the nature of the company’s operations in the on demand media streaming industry. for example, workers are motivated to share ideas that strengthen the alignment between netflix’s service and market trends. in terms of strategic planning, the organizational culture makes the streaming business capable of implementing strategies and tactics that utilize human resource ingenuity to support operational enhancements. overall, netflix maintains a corporate culture that helps keep its organization flexible, innovative, and responsive to market demand and consumer preferences. our web site does not collect personally identifiable information. see our privacy policy.

by todd spangler ny digital editor netflix on monday released the latest update to its culture memo, its guiding set of principles for how the company operates. the new iteration of the influential document does not really reflect any fundamental changes to the company’s core principles. the new title is “netflix culture   the best work of our lives,” whereas most recently it was titled “netflix culture   seeking excellence.” one of the most noticeable changes: netflix has replaced the “freedom and responsibility” heading and now incorporates those principles under a section called “people over process.” however, the principle that netflix still lets employees act on their own initiative without a lot of red tape is still embodied in the doc. the new iteration puts an “emphasis on responsibility, and the focus on good and bad process versus no process at all,” chief talent officer sergio ezama wrote in a blog post about the new version of the culture memo. netflix continues to not have officially outlined expenses or vacation policies. the company’s vacation policy is two words: “take vacation.” and the expenses policy is five words: “act in netflix’s best interests.” “you might think that this kind of freedom leads to chaos,” ezama noted. “while we’ve had our fair share of failures   and a few people have taken advantage of our culture   our emphasis on individual autonomy has created a very successful business.” netflix’s new culture memo includes these two items as among its four core principles (alongside “the dream team” and “people over process” entries): meanwhile, it still includes netflix’s notorious “keeper test,” which encourages managers to dismiss staffers if the answer to the question is, “if x wanted to leave, would i fight to keep them?” is “no.” but the new version softens the language a bit: “in the abstract, the keeper test can sound scary. in reality, we encourage everyone to speak to their managers about what’s going well and what’s not on a regular basis. this helps avoid surprises,” the updated version says. the updated netflix culture memo is shorter: it clocks in at 2,264 words, down from more than 3,800 in the most recent version. “we’ve shortened it by focusing on what’s most important, and what differentiates netflix,” according to ezama. co cofounder reed hastings introduced the original 125 page netflix culture slide deck in august 2009. since then, netflix has revised the document four times. the latest version has been “12 months in the making, with every employee given the chance to weigh in,” according to ezama. in total, netflix staffers submitted more than 1,500 comments. “we believe that our culture is key to our success and so we want to ensure that anyone applying for a job here knows what motivates netflix   and all employees are working from a shared understanding of what we value most,” ezama wrote. read the new netflix culture memo at this link. a variety and iheartradio podcast the business of entertainment

english at netflix, we aspire to entertain the world, thrilling audiences everywhere. to do that, we’ve developed an unusual company culture focused on excellence, and creating an environment where talented people can thrive   lifting ourselves, each other and our audiences higher and higher. this document is about that culture, which is based on four core principles: .css 35ezg3{font weight:600;}the dream team: we aim only to have high performers at netflix   people who are great at what they do, and even better at working together. people over process: you get better outcomes when employees have the information and freedom to make decisions for themselves. we hire unusually responsible people who thrive on this openness and freedom. uncomfortably exciting: to entertain the world, we need to be bold and ambitious. that means embracing the thrill of what’s next   even when it’s uncomfortable. great and always better: we often say netflix sucks today compared to where we can be tomorrow. we need the self awareness to understand what should be better, and the discipline and resilience to get there. while we don’t always live up to these principles, most people who join netflix are pleasantly surprised by how great their colleagues are and the way we empower people at every level. as our business grows and evolves, our culture (and this document) will, too. what won’t change is our focus on excellence, and our determination to ensure that netflix remains a place where great people can do the best work of their lives. if this sounds exciting, you’ll probably love it here. but netflix is not for everyone, so please read on. we believe that what makes a fantastic workplace isn’t a great office or free meals and massages   although we have some nice perks. it’s the people. imagine working alongside stunning colleagues who are great at what they do, and even better at working together. it’s why we model ourselves on a professional sports team, not a family. families are about unconditional love. they can also be dysfunctional, as anyone who’s watched .css 1u9shfo{font style:italic;font weight:300;}ozark or wednesday knows. professional sports teams, on the other hand, focus on performance and picking the right person for every position, even when that means swapping out someone they love for a better player. while every member of our dream team has different skills, we look for common strengths that make us better together. these are the values we value: it’s easy to talk about values and harder to live them. we work hard to keep each other accountable for upholding these standards, especially our leaders, because excellence and honesty go hand in hand. it’s why we invest in strong professional relationships that build trust and help people assume good intent. this, in turn, enables us to practice extraordinary candor   ensuring constructive feedback is part of our everyday work (like brushing your teeth). it takes courage and vulnerability to ask someone how you could do better, or to seek alternative opinions, and integrity only to say things about a colleague you’re willing to share with them directly. this is especially true when giving feedback to someone more senior or from a different background, or if you come from a culture or company where deference is the norm. but extraordinary candor helps us improve faster as individuals and a company. since a high performer in any role is many times more effective than the average employee, our dream team is driven by performance   not seniority, tenure or unconditional loyalty. it’s also why we focus on maintaining a high performance culture. to recruit and retain stunning colleagues, we pay personal top of market for the role and location   a judgment about what that person could make in a similar role at another company, and what we would pay to keep or replace them. we expect leaders to be strong developers of talent. and to ensure they have the right player at every position, we ask them to apply what we call the “keeper test”.css 1l7hytn{vertical align:super;font size:75%;margin left:2px;}1   asking “if x wanted to leave, would i fight to keep them?” or “knowing everything i know today, would i hire x again?” if the answer is no, we believe it’s fairer to everyone to part ways quickly. in the abstract, the keeper test can sound scary. in reality, we encourage everyone to speak to their managers about what’s going well and what’s not on a regular basis. this helps avoid surprises. managers also evaluate team members on their whole record, rather than focusing on the mistakes or bets that didn’t pay off. on the dream team, you need people who challenge the status quo and try new things. so we stick with employees through short term bumps. no matter how brilliant someone may be, there’s no place in our dream team for people who don’t treat their colleagues with decency and respect. when you have talented people who work well together   trusting each other’s intentions and respecting their differences   it makes everyone more successful. many of us have worked at companies where decisions were made top down, there was little transparency and it felt hard to make a difference   or even get basic things done. at netflix, we aim to inspire and empower more than just manage because people can have a greater impact when they’re free to make decisions about their own work. as part of this, we strive to develop good decision making muscles at every level of the company, priding ourselves on how few, not how many, decisions senior leaders make. we expect managers to practice context not control   giving their teams the context and clarity needed to make good decisions instead of trying to control everything themselves. we also help employees learn by sharing a lot of information internally, including through memos where they can comment and ask questions. it takes an unusually responsible person to thrive on this level of freedom   someone who’s self motivated, self aware and self disciplined, who doesn’t wait to be told what to do and picks up the trash like they would at home. that said, context not control should not be confused with hands off management. managers need to be involved in the work being done around them, and actively coach their teams. they may also have to step in when someone is about to make a decision that is unethical or could materially harm netflix, during a crisis or if a new team member lacks the full context. we avoid decision making by committee, which tends to slow companies down and undermine accountability. for every significant decision, we identify an informed captain who’s responsible for making a judgment call on the right way ahead. then different teams, each led by their own informed captain, implement the decision. this highly aligned and loosely coupled approach gives teams the freedom to move quickly and operate independently, while ensuring responsibility for the outcome. we’ve learned that the best ideas can come from anywhere, which is why we expect informed captains to seek out different opinions and listen to people at every level. we call this farming for dissent. of course, not all opinions are created equal   and with 10,000 plus employees, it’s impractical for everyone to weigh in on most decisions (this memo being an exception). so on an important creative decision, for example, the opinion of someone working in tv, film or games will carry more weight than an engineer, and vice versa when it comes to our product or technology. after a decision is made, we expect everyone, including the people who argued for a different approach, to disagree then commit. this helps ensure the outcome is as successful as possible. afterwards, when the impact is clear, the informed captain should reflect on their choices   what worked and what didn’t   so everyone can learn how to do better next time. launching a game, tv show or film, running a marketing campaign, managing compensation and closing a quarter all take process. and companies need strict rules against things like harassment, marginalizing colleagues, leaking company information, or insider trading. but we work hard to keep rules at netflix to a minimum and ensure any process is good (simple, efficient, impactful). our vacation policy, for example, is two words: “take vacation.” and our expenses policy is just five words: “act in netflix’s best interests.” this (almost) no rules rule gives employees the freedom to exercise their judgment. it also prevents the process creep that typically happens when companies grow and try to dummy proof their organizations   stifling creativity and making it harder for businesses to adapt. you might think that this kind of freedom would lead to chaos. in reality, while we’ve had our fair share of failures   and a few people have taken advantage of our culture in bad ways   our emphasis on individual autonomy has created an extremely successful business, with many opportunities for employees to develop and grow. in entertainment and technology, our biggest threat is a lack of creativity, adaptability and innovation. it’s why trying to minimize rules and processes (rather than errors)   while giving people the freedom to use their own judgment and learn from their mistakes   is a far superior recipe for long term success. netflix is programming for well over half a billion 2 people globally   something no other entertainment company has ever done before. success requires us to be bold and ambitious, to think differently, experiment and adapt (often quickly). this is true whether we’re designing a new product feature, working to improve our recommendations, developing a marketing campaign or creating a tv show or game. many people will be happier at companies that are more stable or take fewer risks. netflix works best if you value experimentation, enjoy the uncomfortable excitement of a new or challenging project and have the resilience to thrive in this environment. representation matters. our members come from many different backgrounds and cultures, and they want to see a wide variety of stories and people on screen. this diversity is wonderful and it can create real tension since we all have such different views about what’s acceptable   and what’s harmful   on tv. while every show, film or game is different, we approach them with the same set of principles: we support the artistic expression of the creators we choose to work with; we program for a wide variety of audiences, cultures and tastes; and we provide ratings, content advisories and parental controls in multiple languages to help members choose what to watch or play. as employees, we support these principles, even if some stories run counter to our personal values. and we understand that, depending on our roles, we may need to work on tv shows, films or games we perceive to be harmful. if you’d find it hard to support the breadth of our slate, netflix is probably not the best place for you. netflix has come a long way since we mailed our first dvd in 1998. but we're nowhere close to where we want to be in the future. it’s why we care so much about the dream team, putting people over process and creating an environment where everyone feels a sense of responsibility to make us better. we believe this approach is the surest path to excellence and long term success. it’s also why we constantly seek to improve our culture, not preserve it. every new employee helps shape how we work   finding new ways to accomplish more together. this creates a better experience for our members, employees, creators and partners, which in turn propels our long term growth and success. it’s how we entertain the world and build a wildly successful business. as he has since our first culture deck was written in 2009, antoine de saint exupéry, the author of the little prince, shows us the way: if you want to build a ship, don't drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. 1 the “keeper test” name came from our co founder, reed hastings, who remembers catching a fish as a child and his dad saying, “that’s a keeper, reed!”

when netflix executives wrote a powerpoint deck about the organization’s talent management strategies, the document went viral it’s been viewed more than 5 million times on the web. now one of those executives, the company’s longtime chief talent officer, goes beyond the bullet points to paint a detailed picture of how netflix attracts, retains, and manages stellar employees. the firm draws on five key tenets: hire, reward, and tolerate only fully formed adults. ask workers to rely on logic and common sense instead of formal policies, whether the issue is communication, time off, or expenses. tell the truth about performance. scrap formal reviews in favor of informal conversations. offer generous severance rather than holding on to workers whose skills no longer fit your needs. managers must build great teams. this is their most important task. don’t rate them on whether they are good mentors or fill out paperwork on time. leaders own the job of creating the company culture. you’ve got to actually model and encourage the behavior you talk up. talent managers should think like businesspeople and innovators first, and like hr people last. forget throwing parties and handing out t‑shirts; make sure every employee understands what the company needs most and exactly what’s meant by “high performance.” sheryl sandberg has called it one of the most important documents ever to come out of silicon valley. it’s been viewed more than 5 million times on the web. but when reed hastings and i (along with some colleagues) wrote a powerpoint deck explaining how we shaped the culture and motivated performance at netflix, where hastings is ceo and i was chief talent officer from 1998 to 2012, we had no idea it would go viral. we realized that some of the talent management ideas we’d pioneered, such as the concept that workers should be allowed to take whatever vacation time they feel is appropriate, had been seen as a little crazy (at least until other companies started adopting them). but we were surprised that an unadorned set of 127 slides no music, no animation would become so influential.

agree & join linkedin by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. linkedin linkedin is better on the app don’t have the app? get it in the microsoft store. netflix has updated its famous "culture memo," the 2009 declaration of the company's values and ethos. this latest version was vetted for eight months and received 1,500 comments from employees, according to netflix's talent chief, sergio ezama. the new memo sticks to the company's philosophy of "people over process," but with some concessions to its new reality as a 13,000 person workforce rather than a scrappy startup. for example: the newly added declaration that "not all opinions are created equal," because it's no longer realistic for every employee to weigh in on every decision. chief people officer | growth with purpose & culture | global hr business partner | transformation & change | global strategy & execution | talent development netflix culture work inspired me in 2009 and they just did it again. what's your best bet for building a culture of trust and engagement? be trustworthy in the way you have your group pursue productivity and profits. getting rid of stressors through effective culture work helps far more than than concentrating on "resilience or stress training." matters of morale, trust, loyalty, productivity, and such are best thought of as outcomes; which come about indirectly, as a natural consequence of deliberately set cultures, strong leadership and good results. you can pursue them all you want, but often we are spinning our wheels unless we are managing the place right and pulling off some victories. morale, trust, loyalty, commitment, work stress are all important attitudinal components. they all count. if any are out of whack, the organization suffers. collectively, they carry enough punch to make or break your culture. focus on fighting causes of organizational aches and pains through the lens of culture and see how the unpleasant symptoms can disappear. focus on stuff that contributes directly to competitive position. stake out specific targets. aim for few   but ambitious   goals. go for gains you can measure. do a great job at culture work, and greatly improve your odds of winning. chro at netflix, board member at teya    this is my only active social media account    today, we published the latest iteration of the netflix culture memo. it’s been a year in the making, with many revisions and feedback (over 1,500 comments in fact), and reflects the values and principles we think best represent netflix today. as head of talent, i’m often asked, why do we focus on culture so much? because we want to ensure that anyone applying for a job here knows what motivates netflix   and that all employees have a shared understanding of what we value most. to find out more read here: https://lnkd.in/dhkpnkhh. to view or add a comment, sign in change agent • talent leader • author of the bestselling book, redefining hr • fast company contributor • optimist when netflix unveiled its 175 slide culture deck in 2009, it wasn’t just a presentation it was a paradigm shift. reed hastings and patty mccord’s detailed blueprint redefined business and hr practices, echoed across boardrooms, and influenced industry giants like meta (at the time facebook) and hubspot to adopt its principles. the “netflix culture: freedom & responsibility” deck was soon cited as a new framework for hr. it warned of the toxicity of “brilliant jerks,” and why they should be ferreted out of leadership roles. in my 25 years in the industry, i’ve worked with dozens of ceos and companies who referenced the original culture deck as a reference that influenced their culture. on monday, netflix chro sergio ezama unveiled their latest culture memo. in my latest fast company piece, i break down what the new memo includes and how it’s evolved. check it out below. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ebdn8kgn #culture #netflix #redefiningwork to view or add a comment, sign in talent development | leadership development | organizational development | icf certified coach chro at netflix, board member at teya    this is my only active social media account    today, we published the latest iteration of the netflix culture memo. it’s been a year in the making, with many revisions and feedback (over 1,500 comments in fact), and reflects the values and principles we think best represent netflix today. as head of talent, i’m often asked, why do we focus on culture so much? because we want to ensure that anyone applying for a job here knows what motivates netflix   and that all employees have a shared understanding of what we value most. to find out more read here: https://lnkd.in/dhkpnkhh. to view or add a comment, sign in usa today bestselling author, unlearning silence | speaker | facilitator values are only as good as they are lived out. what i appreciate about netflix's latest culture memo:   clear articulation of values   acknowledgment that documents require revisiting   "farming for dissent" to get input   looking at the company today rather than 15 years ago questions for each of us:   are you able to articulate your values? as a company? as an individual?   what feedback do you have about the ways your actions align (or don't) with your values?   how might those values evolve (or refine) over time? revisiting a document, memo, or list isn't an admission or defeat. it's sign of relevance and intentionality. #culture #leadership #talentengagement chro at netflix, board member at teya    this is my only active social media account    today, we published the latest iteration of the netflix culture memo. it’s been a year in the making, with many revisions and feedback (over 1,500 comments in fact), and reflects the values and principles we think best represent netflix today. as head of talent, i’m often asked, why do we focus on culture so much? because we want to ensure that anyone applying for a job here knows what motivates netflix   and that all employees have a shared understanding of what we value most. to find out more read here: https://lnkd.in/dhkpnkhh. to view or add a comment, sign in today's must read: netflix is rewriting the high performance culture memo for the streaming age, prioritizing attracting top talent and unleashing their potential. it's a seductive vision: a "dream team" unburdened by process, constantly iterating in an "uncomfortably exciting" environment. i thrive in situations like this but wonder if it's too good to be true. silicon valley's history of watering down core principles raises a healthy dose of skepticism (remember "don't be evil" and "think different"? the companies that coined them seem to have forgotten). can a company balance radical transparency with the pursuit of "great and always better"? maybe the better question is will it? regardless, this updated memo is a fascinating glimpse into netflix's aspirations, and time will tell if the culture they describe translates to a sustainable competitive advantage. with a laser focus on customers and not just in principle and adapting to changes, netflix is currently the most innovative streamer that i follow with interest. chro at netflix, board member at teya    this is my only active social media account    today, we published the latest iteration of the netflix culture memo. it’s been a year in the making, with many revisions and feedback (over 1,500 comments in fact), and reflects the values and principles we think best represent netflix today. as head of talent, i’m often asked, why do we focus on culture so much? because we want to ensure that anyone applying for a job here knows what motivates netflix   and that all employees have a shared understanding of what we value most. to find out more read here: https://lnkd.in/dhkpnkhh. to view or add a comment, sign in interesting article. thoughts? radical candor? i would like to think i could handle it but could i? could you? to view or add a comment, sign in managing partner @ boldsquare | strategic counsel, branding, marketing, corporate communications it's probably fair to say that an environment where close to 10% of employees are asked to leave each year isn't for everyone. but the fact that only 2 or 3% of people leave voluntarily is a suggestion that netflix is doing something right. acknowledgment in their latest culture memo that "not all opinions are created equal" will be jarring to some team members, but it's simply a public admission of what has long been the case at almost all companies that have any ambition to grow. whatever you think about the specifics of netflix's cultural "manifesto", these artifacts help get everybody on the same page from day one at an organization. and by ensuring that they are living and breathing documents that change from time to time (with help from the team as a whole), companies like this can help everyone play a part in shaping the fundamental nature of what it means to work there. to view or add a comment, sign in anna wilczek commented on this chro at netflix, board member at teya    this is my only active social media account    today, we published the latest iteration of the netflix culture memo. it’s been a year in the making, with many revisions and feedback (over 1,500 comments in fact), and reflects the values and principles we think best represent netflix today. as head of talent, i’m often asked, why do we focus on culture so much? because we want to ensure that anyone applying for a job here knows what motivates netflix   and that all employees have a shared understanding of what we value most. to find out more read here: https://lnkd.in/dhkpnkhh. entertainment marketeer seeking next chapter🍿📺 | former channel 4, sky, filmstruck (turner / wb) a great read and i couldn’t agree more that a business should always prioritise a dream team rather than a ‘family’. i love mine dearly, but (apologies to you all if you read this) wouldn’t choose to work with them in my career. “uncomfortably exciting” is always something that gets taken for granted. companies focus on legacy instead of striving to always be curious. if you’re not constantly learning, it not only becomes boring, but you’ll fall behind. it’s something to be admired. more businesses should take inspiration from netflix and produce realistic honest culture memos like this. 👏👏👏 to view or add a comment, sign in curious. people over process. not easily done as the command and control approach seeps in. personally, i have never been a fan of hall monitors. to view or add a comment, sign in marketing (xnetflix and more), guy behind sandwiches of history, partner heykaizen well, it is actually heartening to read that the core of the culture deck that enabled netflix to efficiently scale, allowing it to transition from dvds to streaming to originals, is still in place. it's not for everyone but man, as a result of it you work mostly on problems to be solved for the business instead of office politics. #highperformanceculture #netflix #culture to view or add a comment, sign in

by kyla dewar updated on january 7, 2025 organizational culture is the foundation of a company’s success, shaping how employees work, collaborate, and grow. it goes beyond shared values or written policies   it’s the collective behaviors, attitudes, and norms that define how people interact and align with a common purpose. a strong culture fosters collaboration, drives innovation, and builds trust, influencing everything from employee engagement to customer perception. whether it’s solving challenges, making decisions, or creating meaningful connections, organizational culture is the force that shapes every aspect of a business. in this blog, we’ll unravel what organizational culture truly means, explore why it’s the backbone of successful businesses, and share actionable ways to nurture it. whether you’re looking to refine your existing culture or start building one that inspires, this guide will help you shape a workplace where everyone thrives. organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs, attitudes, systems, and rules that outline and influence employee behavior within an organization. the culture reflects how employees, customers, vendors, and stakeholders experience the organization and its brand. don’t confuse culture with organizational goals or a mission statement, although both can help define it. culture is created through consistent and authentic behaviors, not press releases or policy documents. you can watch company culture in action when you see how a ceo responds to a crisis, how a team adapts to new customer demands, or how a manager corrects an employee who makes a mistake. company culture defines how employees interact, work, and grow. a positive culture promotes teamwork, boosts morale, and attracts top talent. it creates an environment where employees feel valued and supported, leading to higher engagement and productivity. culture shapes the company’s identity, reflecting its values and priorities. employees align better with the company’s goals when they experience a strong sense of belonging. this alignment fosters loyalty and reduces turnover. culture also influences how customers and stakeholders perceive the organization. a healthy workplace culture drives innovation and collaboration, leading to better problem solving and business outcomes. investing in culture strengthens employee relationships, improves retention, and builds a foundation for long term success. prioritizing a positive culture creates a ripple effect, benefiting both the workforce and the business. improving organizational culture is essential for fostering a positive, productive workplace where employees feel valued and motivated. here are some key strategies to achieve this: by implementing these strategies, organizations can create a thriving culture where employees are motivated, connected, and inspired to do their best work. every organization’s culture is different, and it’s important to retain what makes your company unique. however, the cultures of high performing organizations consistently reflect certain qualities that you should seek to cultivate: now that you know what a great culture looks like, let’s tackle how to build one in your organization. creating a great organizational culture requires developing and executing a plan with clear objectives that you can work towards and measure. the 10 steps below should serve as a roadmap for building a culture of continuity that will deliver long term benefits across your company. recognizing the contributions of all team members has a far reaching, positive effect on organizational culture. when an organization makes appreciating employees part of its culture, important metrics like employee engagement, retention, and productivity improve. making recognition part of your culture means it should be frequent, not something saved for milestones or work anniversaries. companies who invest in consistent social recognition see a remarkable business impact. monetary recognition is valuable as well. consider a points based recognition program that will allow employees to easily build up point balances that can be redeemed for a reward that’s meaningful to them. last but not least, leadership needs to take center stage in your recognition efforts, as they’re the cultural trendsetters for your entire company. incorporate a recognition talk track into your leadership training and share top tips with managers on how to recognize others and why it matters. creating a culture that values feedback and encourages employee voice is essential for fostering engagement, motivation, and productivity. organizations that neglect feedback risk losing revenue and disengaging employees. start by collecting feedback using listening tools like pulse surveys and workplace chatbots, which allow employees to share their thoughts in real time. analyze these insights promptly and take meaningful action while the findings are still relevant. acting on feedback demonstrates to employees that their opinions matter, strengthening your culture and driving benefits such as increased employee satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. managers play a critical role in fostering this culture. every interaction with employees should be seen as an opportunity to listen, provide support, and respond to concerns. by acting as trusted coaches, managers can build stronger relationships and ensure employees feel valued and heard. a culture of feedback not only boosts morale but also creates a workplace where everyone thrives. building a strong workplace culture starts with team leaders and managers. their actions set the tone for the entire organization, making it crucial that they consistently model the values your culture prioritizes. if leaders fail to embody these values or exhibit behaviors that contradict them, it undermines cultural efforts. employees notice this disconnect, and it can lead to disillusionment. worse, team members may emulate negative behaviors, assuming they are acceptable or even rewarded by leadership. to cultivate the right culture, leaders must make it a priority in every aspect of their work. this means consistently demonstrating the organization’s values, fostering open discussions about culture, and integrating employee feedback into their cultural initiatives. when leaders align their actions with the stated culture and advocate for it authentically, employees are more likely to follow suit. a leadership team that champions culture inspires employees to live those values daily, driving long term success. your company’s values are the foundation of its culture. while crafting a mission statement is a great start, living by company values means weaving them into every aspect of your business. this includes support terms, hr policies, benefits programs, and even out of office initiatives like volunteering. your employees, partners, and customers will recognize and appreciate that your organization puts its values into practice every day. you can also recognize employees for actions that exemplify your values to show that they’re more than just words and incentivize employees to build the value based culture you want to see. your company’s values are the foundation of its culture, shaping how employees work, collaborate, and interact with customers. crafting a mission statement is just the beginning   living your values means integrating them into every part of your business. this includes aligning support teams, hr policies, benefits programs, and external initiatives like volunteering or community outreach with your values. when employees, partners, and customers see your organization consistently practicing its values, it fosters trust, loyalty, and respect. to deepen this connection, recognize employees who exemplify your values through their actions. publicly celebrating these efforts reinforces that your values are more than just words   they’re guiding principles that drive your organization forward. this recognition not only highlights your commitment to your values but also motivates employees to embody them, strengthening a value based culture. by weaving values into everyday operations, you create a workplace where purpose and practice align seamlessly. building a workplace culture that can handle adversity requires establishing strong connections between team members, but with increasingly remote and terse communication, creating those bonds can be challenging. encouraging collaboration and engaging in team building activities   even when working remote   are two effective ways to bring your team together and promote communication. shared personal interests between team members can also strengthen bonds, especially among individuals from different generations who might otherwise struggle to relate. by identifying and fostering these commonalities, you create new opportunities for understanding and empathy. these connections improve communication, spark creativity, and help resolve conflicts more effectively. look for and encourage shared personal interests between team members as well, especially among those from different generations that might otherwise have a difficult time relating to each other. this can create new pathways for understanding and empathy that are vital to improving communication, creativity, and even conflict resolution. great workplace cultures are shaped by employees who are continually learning and companies that prioritize staff development. training initiatives, coaching, and offering new responsibilities are all effective ways to demonstrate that you are invested in your team’s growth. when employees feel supported in their professional development, they are more likely to stay engaged, loyal, and motivated. a culture of learning also has a significant business impact. it leads to a more skilled and adaptable workforce, which enhances overall performance and innovation. employees who are encouraged to expand their knowledge and take on new challenges are better equipped to solve problems, drive change, and contribute to the company’s success. a commitment to learning helps attract top talent who value growth opportunities, creating a competitive advantage. by fostering a culture of continuous learning, companies can ensure long term success while building an engaged and high performing workforce. when an employee’s perspective doesn’t match your company culture, internal discord is likely to be the result. organizations should hire for culture and reinforce it during the onboarding process and beyond. practices and procedures must be taught, and values should be shared. when hiring, ask questions focused on cultural fit, like what matters to the interviewee and why they’re attracted to working at your company. but these questions shouldn’t be the sole determining factor when evaluating a candidate, as the best organizations keep an open mind to diverse perspectives that can help keep their culture fresh. you should also prioritize building social relationships during the onboarding process so that employees have the insight necessary to understand your company’s culture and values. these relationships will last throughout the employee’s time at the company, so that cultural values are mutually reinforced on a continuous basis. as modern consumers, your employees expect personalized experiences, so you need to focus on ways to help each team member identify with your culture. tools like pulse surveys and employee journey mapping are great ways to discover what your employees value and what their ideal corporate culture looks like. take what you learn and tailor your actions to personalize the employee experience for your team. once you start treating your employees with the same care you treat your customers, a culture that motivates each individual at your organization is sure to follow. additionally, incorporating personalized recognition and rewards into your workplace culture reinforces these efforts. recognizing employees in ways that reflect their individual contributions and preferences fosters a sense of belonging. when employees feel seen and valued for who they are, they are more likely to engage, perform at their best, and contribute to a thriving culture. personalization strengthens connections and promotes a positive work environment that drives success. prioritizing mental health and well being is essential to building a high performing organizational culture. when employees feel supported in their mental health, they are more focused, engaged, and productive. a workplace that values well being helps reduce stress and burnout, leading to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates. employees who feel mentally and emotionally supported are more likely to contribute creatively, collaborate effectively, and take on new challenges, all of which are crucial for driving performance. promoting mental health fosters a positive environment where employees feel safe to express themselves and seek help when needed. this openness strengthens trust and communication across teams. by offering resources such as counseling, mental health days, or stress management programs, companies show a genuine commitment to their employees’ overall well being. a mentally healthy workforce is not only more resilient but also more aligned with the organization’s goals, ultimately contributing to long term success. recognizing and celebrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (deib) is key to building a strong and vibrant organizational culture. by promoting inclusivity and celebrating diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, companies create an environment where all employees feel valued and respected. when individuals from different cultural, ethnic, and personal backgrounds come together, they bring unique viewpoints that can spark creativity and innovation. this diverse mix helps to challenge conventional thinking and encourage new solutions to problems. a culture that values diversity also fosters a sense of belonging, where employees are empowered to be their authentic selves without fear of discrimination or exclusion. when employees feel accepted and appreciated for who they are, engagement and loyalty increase. additionally, companies that embrace diversity tend to make better, more well rounded decisions by drawing from a wider pool of ideas and experiences. celebrating diversity ultimately strengthens the organization and leads to improved performance, creativity, and employee satisfaction. organizational culture will develop even without your input, but in the absence of that guidance, it may not be healthy or productive. by following the steps in this guide, you can improve communication with employees, start creating a culture of recognition, and ensure that all members of your team put your culture into action. to ensure alignment, keep these three basic techniques in mind when developing your company culture: even better, your company can start practicing all three techniques with the achievers employee experience platformtm. with achievers recognizetm, your organization can leverage points based rewards and social recognition to create a fun and easy user experience for employees. with achievers listentm, employees can give you valuable feedback through check ins and pulse surveys, so you can see what aspects of your culture are working and what needs tweaking. find out why leadership appreciation matters to everyone in your organization build a results driven culture with achievers' employee recognition platform an organization’s culture is reflected in their actions and processes. examples include: changing an organization’s culture is important because it can help a business stay competitive, attract top talent, innovative new products or services, and create a positive workplace that promotes collaboration. yes, an organization can change its culture, but it takes time. doing so requires support from leadership and a human centric approach that is reflected in all organizational systems and practices and is reinforced through recognition and rewards programs. changing an organization’s culture is often challenging, but when it’s achieved, employees will adopt new behaviors, attitudes, and work ethics that align with the goals and values desired by the organization. leaders influence organizational culture by creating and reinforcing organizational culture and workplace norms. they do this through their actions and reactions, which set an example for employees to follow. leaders influence organizational culture by creating and reinforcing organizational culture and workplace norms. they do this through their actions and reactions, which set an example for employees to follow. understanding an organization’s culture helps you identify what makes it unique. the four types of organizational culture are: the six dimensions of 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an internal memo from a meta human resources executive told employees what to expect on monday when the company starts its performance based job cuts. janelle gale, the company's vice president of human resources, told staffers in a post on meta's internal workplace forum about "how the process will work and what to expect ahead of monday," according to a copy of the memo obtained by business insider. gale said affected workers would be notified through an email to their work and personal email addresses and lose access to company systems within an hour of being informed. they will receive information about their severance package in the same email, she added. "for teams that have a teammate or manager exit on monday, i understand this might be a difficult day, and there could be some disruption and short term impacts on your day to day work," gale wrote. "managers might not yet have all the answers to your questions, but will be partnering with their leaders and working through these changes with you to provide additional clarity," she added. the memo said that employees in france, germany, italy, and the netherlands were exempt from the cuts "due to local regulations" and that the company would instead follow "local performance management processes." gale also detailed the times at which affected employees in different countries would be notified. she said, though, that some international employees in more than a dozen countries would be notified later than their us colleagues, between tuesday and february 18. meta ceo mark zuckerberg told employees in an internal memo in january that he "decided to raise the bar on performance management" and act quickly to "move out low performers." he said at the time that affected employees in the us would be notified on monday. gale's memo also said that terminated employees could apply for a role after leaving meta once the nonworking period and final employment date had passed. she added that "past performance will be considered" in the decision. all the affected employees will still receive their vesting stock due february 15, the memo said, along with a bonus if they're eligible and any due dividend equivalents. meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. here's the full memo from gale: are you a meta employee? got insight to share? contact the reporter jyoti mann via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or via signal at jyotimann.11. reach out from a nonwork device. jump to
supported by the company’s latest internal memo about its corporate culture is more about how it expects employees to behave than what it wants to become. by nicole sperling reporting from los angeles netflix has long been a company known for its secrets: no nielsen ratings, little feedback on why shows are canceled, no box office numbers for the rare movies that are actually released in theaters. yet for a place defined by its opaque approach to the outside world, the streaming giant has long been aggressively transparent internally. the company’s philosophy was immortalized in 2009 when reed hastings, the company’s co founder and chief executive, first laid out the corporate ethos in a 125 slide presentation that introduced new buzzy phrases like “stunning colleagues,” “the keeper test” and “honesty always.” the presentation, with its insistence on constant and unfiltered candor, felt both brutal and refreshingly antithetical to hollywood’s normal way of doing business. to the frustration of former employees and current competitors, it may just be the blueprint that has enabled netflix to have so much success while its rivals have stumbled. three more culture memos have followed over the years. before being released, they are pored over and analyzed for months by top executives. at the same time, any employee can pop into the google doc where the memo is being assembled to leave a thought or a comment. the latest iteration of the document, which was released internally on may 8 and will soon be made public, underwent eight months of vetting and received 1,500 comments from employees, according to sergio ezama, netflix’s chief talent officer. it is five pages long (half the length of mr. hastings’s final memo in 2022), and some core tenets have changed, however slightly. when mr. hastings titled his 2009 presentation “netflix culture,” he gave it the subhead “freedom and responsibility.” the idea was that netflix trusted its employees to act in the best interest of the company. if you want a vacation, take a vacation. if you have a baby and need to go on leave, go on leave. documents were shared widely throughout the company without any fear of leaks.

 by todd spangler ny digital editor netflix loves to tout its culture of avoiding rules and minimizing corporate red tape. but of course, the company does have operating guidelines, famously detailed in the netflix culture document posted on its website. co founder reed hastings even wrote a 2020 book elaborating on the principles, titled “no rules rules: netflix and the culture of reinvention.” now netflix is publishing an update to its corporate culture memo for the first time in nearly five years, a copy of which variety obtained exclusively ahead of its release thursday.