Why Corporate America Is Obsessed With "Company Culture"

The first 100 people to use code MONEY with the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/money
-----
Sign up for my newsletter compoundeddaily.com 👈
Edited By: Andrew Gonzales
Music Courtesy of: Epidemic Sound
Select Footage Courtesy of: Getty Images
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact [e-mail]
All materials in these videos are for educational purposes only and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. This video does not provide investment or financial advice of any kind.
#business #howmoneyworks #corporateculture
-----
Corporate America has become obsessed with company culture but those Friday afternoon drinks and team building days are papering over a terrible trend which is making your workplace miserable and stalling your career. Company culture is one of the biggest trends in corporate management.
Small companies with as few as twenty employees are hiring culture managers whose full-time job is to promote a collaborative and positive work environment. These are full time employee that from a bottom-line business perspective do nothing but make the other nineteen employees more engaged with their work. According to a survey of job seekers and hiring managers conducted by Robert Half a workforce analytics firm, ninety one percent of managers said that a candidates fit with the organizational culture was more important than their skills and experience.
Hilariously a PWC survey on company culture found that sixty nine percent of companies believed their culture gave them a competitive edge… presumably over the thirty one percent of companies that realized that an office doesn’t need a ping pong table and kombucha on tap to be a nice place to work. Managing corporate culture is expensive, corporate culture managers are earning an average salary package of one hundred and ten thousand dollars a year according to GlassDoor. Direct salary expenses also don’t capture the additional costs of running culture events, and the lost manhours in the name of team building.
It’s a big investment and one that is not paying off.
If corporate culture is starting to sound less like an annoying business buzzword and more like a horrifying trend that was only the first reason out of four.
So, it’s time to learn How Money Works to find out why corporate America has become obsessed with company culture.

[@HowMoneyWorks]

The first 100 people to use code MONEY with the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/money

[@mcfishyfirst253]

#GatherthenScatter

[@ropro9817]

Corporate America: They put the 'cult' in 'culture'. 🤣

[@user-xl5kd6il6c]

Company Culture is important, HR isn't and shouldn't be defining "company culture". Which seems to be what the video is mostly about I think you missed the mark when you say "company culture" increases profits, it doesn't, it's an expense for everyone involved, it is done because of employee retention, not any increase of productivity

[@SelonNerias]

If Incogni worked with more data brokers it'd be really nice, however since they currently only work with a tiny fraction of the data brokers out there, it's not really worth much...

[@hosannayeshua4446]

sorry, but you got it all backwards. It would be better for society if everyone would try to achieve the same mode of being, despite the colour of your skin. Then, if society wouldn't be so fractured to all so many different sub-groups, we wouldn't need all these useless things and make the workplace feel like prison.

[@BaconDragon-yr5vf]

Bro Corporations would hire a Culture manager instead of giving people more time off

[@Beefy_McWhatNow90]

I’d take a half day paid vacation over mandatory team building activities with my colleagues lmao

[@luisfilipe2023]

More time off doesn’t foster community

[@luisfilipe2023]

@@Beefy_McWhatNow90 that’s exactly the problem they are trying to fix

[@williamyt6174]

@@Beefy_McWhatNow90 I'd take no vacation over mandatory activities. That's a bad example.

[@casperd2100]

make sure you do the wagie shuffle 👯👯

[@theycallmetundraboy914]

FOR THE LAST TIME: A company is not a "family." Your family doesn't fire you if you show up late.

[@holstatt6896]

You have not been around a lot of white evangelicals, have you?

[@NN-cc8uo]

True, they disown you instead

[@Piwonia67]

But you can wake up one day and see your family being strange people with whom you lost contact long ago

[@yadusolparterre]

"We're like family here" That's like telling a hooker that you love her

[@syxpaths5809]

My dad did….haven’t seen him in years

[@KingOfMadCows]

Corporations want employees to treat them like family but corporations want to treat employees like expendable tools.

[@engineered-mind]

Facts

[@theanonymouscommenter976]

Funny how that works huh?

[@alanabeaumont2650]

Ah yes, a totally healthy relationship.

[@hugolouessard3914]

Well, they fantasize about having devoted slaves like in the old South. It's their wet daydream

[@hugolouessard3914]

Well, they fantasize about having devoted slaves like in the old South. It's their wet daydream

[@luckyold317]

There’s a reason you left off: If you buy into corporate culture, if you and the team go out for a drink, join the company softball or corn hole team, if you all eat lunch together and play foosball, you become friends, and you will stay in a bad situation to not lose friendships, even when it isn’t to your benefit long term to do so.

[@seanLeprechaun]

That knife cuts both ways. Friends all bail together too. I actually suspect companies are more worried about that. The way they keep you in a bad situation is by under paying you and lobbying against universal healthcare so your survival depends on staying.

[@thephoenixhasflown]

Bingo you suffer to help others.

[@grantflippin7808]

Literally just like a cult

[@fungunsun1]

Not defending corporate america and this whole obsession with bullshit fake fun having, but being friends with co-workers also simply ensures people will have less fights, which is a huge productivity boost.

[@Roboprogs]

Prevent networking, eh? Gaslighting is easier that way.

[@hackthis02]

I was at a staff meeting a while back and a co-worker asked the boss why we didn't have a foosball or ping pong table in the office. And my boss looked him straight in the face and said, "Because I want you to get your work done and get out of here." I always took that as this is a job, not your life. Get in, do the work and get back to living your life.

[@fanofcodd]

Exactly. And nothing stops you to go for a drink on Friday evening with a collegue if you like each other

[@The-Cobra-Kai]

@@fanofcodd Exactly! Stop forcing people in the office because "it's great to see everyone in person again".. no one is stopping you from hanging out with your favorite coworker outside of business. 90% of people don't even keep in touch with their old coworkers when they find a new position. It's all fake.

[@s0nnyburnett]

Bless that boss, probably be the last one like that you'll have.

[@ML-sc3pt]

I guess depends on the job. I work in a warehouse and we get 2 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. Having stuff like that in the break room could be nice

[@CoreDump451]

I don't completely agree; we recently installed a nintendo switch and a few ping pong tables in my office, and it has made the workplace a lot more fun without reducing productivity or significantly increasing the time spent in the office. As a software developer, I feel like taking a short break with my colleagues and then coming back to a problem gives me a great creativity boost and I feel more productive, when compared to sitting in front of my computer all day and only getting up to make coffee or use the toilet. We literally spend more than half the day (8 hours) at work. What's wrong with making the office more fun? I do see a big difference between German corporate culture(I work in Germany) and American corporate culture that this video describes. Here in Germany, nobody is made to feel obligated to attend corporate team events; there have been MANY events that I did not attend, and I did not have to give a reason or excuse other than saying "I don't feel like attending" or just declining without even saying anything at all. When I did attend a few of these events, I had lots of fun because everyone who was there actually wanted to be there and those that didn't don't come.

[@shawniscoolerthanyou]

I remember a coworker saying, in the context of team activities, "I saw a study that said you will spend more time with your coworkers over your lifetime than you will with your family. So we had better make sure we like each other!" I was like "or we could go home to our families."

[@thecramptons]

😂😂😂

[@mrmartywaring]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@magoo9279]

My man always asked me why I don't hang out with my co-workers. I explained. I'm with them 8 to 9 hours a day, 5 days a week. Why would I then want to clock out and spend another 2 to 3 hours to bitch about stuff I can't change?

[@avinashtyagi2]

This is why I work remotely, lol

[@lucianofrancesco4742]

This almost made me cry.

[@counterfeit_red]

This whole situation absolutely sucks for introverts. Being remote and shirking it has been the best thing for my career ever. I'm getting promoted and praised for my work output, not some popularity contest my neurodivergent ass never has and never will win.

[@fungunsun1]

Being introvert isnt even neurodivergent, ffs normalize not being social

[@Spesw]

@@fungunsun1 I mean, he could be introvert and also be neurodivergent.

[@turtleanton6539]

Indeed😊

[@turtleanton6539]

​@@Speswindeed om autistic😊

[@brandonwest8108]

PREACH ✋

[@rhidiandavies1991]

I really wish companies would realise that they don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and take a whole day out to do corporate team building exercises at fancy resorts. Literally the most effective "team building" experience I had was when an employer let my team clock off early on a friday and encouraged us to go to the pub for a few beers together. Cost the company maybe 3 hours of productivity but you could see how happy it made everyone even into the next week.

[@nyalan8385]

But then the corporate culture manager who talked themselves into the position through nepotism wouldn’t have anything to show that they’re doing their job

[@alphaexpress6881]

​@@nyalan8385business is business. If they are useless and costing the company more in expenses than revenue generated they should be fired.

[@Jay-xx7lx]

@@alphaexpress6881you have such a terrible mindset of business and life i hope you find peace

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

The Marines have some of the best teams, devotion, long term comitmint to the org yet are under paid and do far worse "cring" then any one on linkedin...

[@bobbarker1798]

Wow, I hope you find peace and stop bullying commenters. You're never going to agree with everyone.

[@LordLoMR2]

Corporate culture in a nut shell. 1) Being fake with everyone 2) Pretending to love the company 3) Gossip about everyone 4) Get upper management in trouble so you can potentially take their job 5) Office affairs and romances 😂

[@manyseas1219]

New concept for a drama show just dropped

[@57ashdot]

And barely any work getting done

[@boomerix]

@@manyseas1219 New? Isn't that what "the office" was and countless of other movies/shows?

[@bonemar66]

It's like social media: provide opportunities for test subjects to volunteer data about themselves so they can be sorted. Folks who respond to the manufactured drama go in this pile, those who don't aren't a match for company culture.

[@ivan200804]

Nothing wrong with 5. You literally spend most of your time at work. Where else you gonna find some quality people to fuck? Bars?

[@kenban8533]

Corporate culture is what that steaming pile of fun known as 'school spirit' evolves into when all those busybodies that can't just leave you alone to do your work get MBAs and go into management.

[@freedom4all870]

You are so right! Those spirit fingers are looking for an outlet

[@BlckPollen]

I can't trust a friendly motherfucker. Ever

[@tjenadonn6158]

If I could go back in time and slap the smug out of one person it would be whoever first had the idea for Hugh school pep rallies. That strikes me as patient zero for the mandatory fun pandemic we're living under.

[@MrDMIDOV]

This is the number one reason. All money spent on “company culture” is going straight to the inferno providing little to no benefit for the organization as a whole

[@recoil53]

Believe me, being management without being on the top level is no good.

[@sarawilliamson5420]

I loved working for Germans: they expected you to get all your work done in your 8 hour day because they also expected you to have a family and community that was waiting for you to come home.

[@tenhundredkills]

I work in IT and have a couple German companies with US branches that I take care of. Of all my clients, they're some of my favorites. There's no bullshit. They send me specific details of a problem they're experiencing, I fix the problem, they pay within 5 business days. If they send in a request near the end of business hours, they are completely fine with me saying "I'll take care of you first thing in the morning". The Germans understand work/life balance!

[@dotcom3987]

I will second this. Germans got it right. Work is WORK, they can be strict, but they will be upfront and fair. They will respect your intelligence as a human and treat you as an adult. They are very precise, if you sign a contract for 6h work, they expect you to work 6h without slacking, BUT they will also never ask you to work "just a few more minutes". No bullshit meetings, no "work parties" etc. They respect your time and all they demand is that you fulfill your part of the agreement. Everything is very non-personal, as a job SHOULD be.

[@jenniferburchill3658]

They have the right idea.

[@Gojira_Wins]

My favorite line to use when being told to go to corporate fun events is "Am I being payed overtime for this event?". Every employer to this date has dropped it the moment I said that. Another good reply is "No, that's not in my job description." A job is paying you to borrow your time. You are there to work and go home afterward. Don't give them more of your time unless it's paid OT.

[@hiranom20]

Facts.

[@camp002]

That only really works for hourly jobs. Salary on the hand

[@alexanderlyon]

Great video. I've been saying in my college classes for many years, "Culture is a way companies attempt to get more commitment _from_ you without giving more of a commitment _to_ you."

[@HowMoneyWorks]

Love that quote. You're teaching them well!

[@tomasbeltran04050]

Ðat's an awesome quote if I ever saw one

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Your job is title is as unnecessary as "company culture manager"

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

Very true.. But it's not only the companies' fault. Many adults nowadays behave like children, and need *safe-spaces* . Not just politically, but all the time. So the Culture Manager creates that bubble for them, in which they are infantilized enough as to not think on their own, produce and be totally submissive. Like a parent would.

[@ragepig1059]

Lol no the people don't NEED that, gouvernement and corporations create that cUlTuRe lol. They go along with the crybabies for virtue points and the whole culture has been swept along but most people actually are quiet disagreeers.

[@djsidmashups4769]

The more "amenities" and "fun things" a corporate office has, the more hours they expect you to stay there instead of your own house.

[@jenniferliggett6385]

It is also a distraction so that you don't notice the flaws in benefits offerings or level of salary ... "yes, we aren't paying you enough and there is a $2500 deductible on the medical and a limited network - but there is free pizza on Fridays and you can wear jeans once a week if you meet your sales quota!"

[@alicias4557]

Exactly

[@restoreleader]

@@jenniferliggett6385 Depends, our office kitchen has beer pipe and when you say with colleagues to HR that you want to make a little event after work, they will provide money for few kegs. Drinking in the office after hours till 2am is something that i could not imagine in my last job - there are companies which still understand the true meaning of office culture :D

[@andrew_owens7680]

@@restoreleader Unless like myself, you don't drink. Then you will find such a culture uninviting and undiverse.

[@vahlen5281]

​@@restoreleaderI'd much rather spend that time with family or actual friends instead of spending more time in the office just to drink beer.

[@beauneo]

This stuff is insidious. It’s worked it’s way into almost every industry. We have mandatory “inspirational” meetings. Mandatory “leadership” classes. And I’m in construction. All they do is cost us time on our projects and give everyone a feeling of resentment about the wasted time.

[@Seattle-2017]

I've been through this too, in architecture. Boss throws insane deadlines on me, then in the middle of it we have a "cultural event". I say "Sorry, I don't have the time - got these deadlines to meet." Boss then tries to gaslight me: "Sure you have time, you're just working too hard! Don't you want to have fun and be a team player?"

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Never heard of the US Govement/milltay and leadership eh?

[@lovealways729]

@@Seattle-2017 so true, then they use the word, "team player"

[@SoulDevoured]

I've always hated that stuff. I've always hated how Leanne and Bobbette would spend hours talking and people would try to engage me in that nonsense. I come into work to work. If I'm not needed at work to work then why tf am I at work? I left office work to be a low tier maintenance worker at a park and I love it. Almost every day I'm working from clock in to clock out and I'm needed for my job. Sometimes we'll have meetings, once a year we'll do a fun shindig, but it's always made abundantly clear that if the park needs me I don't need to attend. Corporate America is so much mindless nonsense it drove me nuts. I'm glad to have my boots on the ground and my feet in reality. Downside of it is where corporations seem to have more than enough employees to spend time looking important when they're usually just idly chitchatting we never seem to have enough staff to get everything done.

[@lianalonge1984]

Our HR department sent an email to all employees where you would accept the email to your calendar as a reminder to sign off telework or leave the office no later than noon every Friday as a means of bettering work-life balance. This is way better than company cults.

[@Winternova]

❤

[@williamstearns7490]

Being an introvert (not to be confused with social anxiety) forced socialization with coworkers always felt like I had somehow joined a Cult.

[@SI0AX]

It is a cult. They manipulate a large group of people to behave in a way that benefits a small group of people... Now this just sounds like all of the corporations..

[@AEVMU]

It is cult like, the overly social people just dont realize it because they are easier to control.

[@williamstearns7490]

@@AEVMU and if they did realize I’m not sure they would care all that much. They’d simply try to overcome your reasoning by loudly spraying you with trendy positive-sounding terminology and with attempts to pseudo-cheerfully bully you into drinking the KoolAid with them. Introspection and personal space aren’t words strongly associated with that type. 🙄

[@alexandersims1613]

Same. Went from a small firm to a large firm and this is easily the worst part about the job. I signed up to work for a paycheck, not for a new group of 200 friends. There's nowhere near enough money to pay me for that nonsense.

[@hendywijaya3213]

Can you just turn down the invitation?

[@lakinwimmer1838]

I was denied a promotion at my call center job to become a team manager. I was more than qualified, but I wasn’t “fun” enough to “embody the company’s values.” The guy they promoted with less leadership experience ended up losing his shit on one of his employees and storming out. I bet he was a lot of fun, though! 🤣

[@KusogeMan]

im having fun reading this so i guess he was a lot of fun!

[@la6136]

Companies do not hire or promote based on skills like they pretend. It is all about who they like the best and who networks that is it.

[@ktm42080]

🤣🤣 if they are that shortsighted they will run into a wall.

[@Headhunter_212]

Probably a Foosball Final Boss

[@Eag757]

They hire fraternity, sororities cult minded.

[@charlotteb.5542]

I got rejected for a job the other day because I seemed like too much of an introvert. I needed to “sell myself behind the camera” for the job and that I wouldn’t fit in with their current group of employees. It was a marketing position. I was going to be making pamphlets and posters. I think I dodged a bullet.

[@EvonneLindiwe]

I’m right with you 😢

[@ADAPTATION7]

It's funny how companies brag about ''diversity'' and yet, they set aside people who aren't thinking or behaving like them. See the irony?

[@Whodat-te6pn]

They prob dodged a bullet too. Works both ways.

[@katembo7]

I just recently quit my job. I was the youngest one there and the only one born in the 21st century. Everytime we had a meeting, lunch, team building event, I'd feel so uncomfortable. Like i was really out here aged 18-21, forced to go bowling with people older than my parents 😂. I also used to get written up for not engaging in small talk or sharing my personal life with coworkers. I don't even do that with people my age😅. I'm super introverted, majority of people wanted the workplace to be a fun zone, but I and another person were always focused on getting work done and then going home. I'd pray that they'd fire me, but the bosses liked me and somehow viewed as a valuable asset. I then eventually quit because I have an opportunity to chase my dreams.

[@johnjohnson3709]

They actually wrote you up for not doing small talk? Was the company owned by Sam Walton?

[@Seattle-2017]

Written up for not engaging in small talk and sharing your personal life = harassment. Good on you for getting out of there.

[@johnjohnson3709]

That’s a company I would not want to deal with in any form or fashion.

[@dirtywhitellama]

A) being written up for not making small talk is dumb except maybe in very specific jobs and even then meh but also B) it's absolutely good for young people to communicate with older people and learn things and different points of view. Goes both ways tbh

[@cmhughes8057]

Go for your dreams, I hope they work out well for you, gen-Xer here has your back. I want you to succeed and be happy.

[@kristianjensen6104]

The biggest mistake we've made in the last 20 years is that we now treat children like adults and adults like children.

[@MrAlepedroza]

Yeah. Seems like asking so much from kids we hardly allow them to act their age and repress all that only makes them to want to relive that lost childhood/teenage way too late.

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

"We treat".. Or that's what adults ARE today ?

[@varunemani]

@@goofygrandlouis6296 Ha haa love to shy from societal responsibility at the first chance with ususal exuses and rehtorics don't we.. 'OH DO WE TREAT, HOW CAN WE THE SOCIETY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY!!' .. well if that's what 'adults are today' as you put, then best ask what causes them to be 'that' and what is the solution to change? Got those thinking hats anybody!? :0 :)

[@johnmagill9496]

Very well said.

[@Ehh.....]

I'm still baffled at some of these states trying to pull back on child labor laws. Crazy that in this country you can be old enough to work at a bar but can't drink at that same bar.

[@evanthesquirrel]

I got fired from 3 office jobs for not fitting in with their culture. I now work in the trades where the closest thing we have to culture is the mold growing inside the beer fridge.

[@davidalvd]

What kind of trade if you allow me asking?

[@jimyoung9262]

Trades are significantly better than corporate jobs. Not a lot of woke people pushing to get into those fields either because they might get dirty. Another bonus.

[@57broski]

As a former corporate desk jockey transitioning into the trades, I really appreciate this lol the mold in the beer fridge is all the company culture necessary.

[@saviomutaganda1642]

How exactly were you not fitting with the company culture at your previous jobs?

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

Can you eat it?

[@jomamackdaddy]

If, during the hiring process, you are told, "It's like a family here." Run! Learned this the hard way.

[@voctur]

Yeah, that was a red flag on my previous job. Luckily didn't fall for that and never got attached to that job, leaving as soon as I could for a better one.

[@sylvesteraugustine6815]

Yep, agreed 100%. I worked for Loreal, Kelloggs, and Alstom-Gibela, who all had this B$ mindset. All of them were toxic workplaces...... so much for "family"😂😂😂

[@turtleanton6539]

Yeh😮

[@lakegroce685]

When I first entered the workforce in my early 20s, I loved the concept of “ we’re a family here” at my first job. 2 years later, I quit because I was written up for a mistake my boss made. It was easier to throw me, the 22 year old who is clearly stupid under the bus than him, the 40 something year old loved the sound of his own voice admitting he made a mistake. He even made us watch a video where a bunch of rich people said poverty was a myth and if you’re poor, you’re just not working hard enough.

[@ScrollsUnearthed]

I worked for several years at a small, family-owned business. We worked hard and for long hours, but there was no bullshit involved. You show up, do the day's work, and go home whenever it's done. Once a year they'd take us out for a Christmas dinner. That's the kind of company I want to work for.

[@jaysmith1408]

We had office shenanigans, but work got done, boss was happy, union was happy, we did our job, and went home. We got thanksgiving turkeys, and catered lunches every now and again. At the end of the day, I do my job, and go home. Little tokens of appreciation person to person are nice, dedication at EVERY turn was excessive.

[@Daedalus117]

Sure, but miss me with the long hours

[@HornetLarry]

A Xmas dinner is all it takes to entice you?

[@heickelrrx]

@@HornetLarrythe standard is low these days

[@stuntman083]

Small business is the absolute worst, everyone underpaid and overworked. It's a sweatshop

[@monsterfurby]

Reminds me how much I love how Walmart crashed and burned trying to set up shop in Germany. Walmart: "Let's all have morning rituals where we confess our undying loyalty to our great corporate leader while wearing uniforms and chanting in unison!" Germany: "Yeah, let's not do that. Believe us. We know how that ends."

[@nyalan8385]

I feel like Germany is a workers paradise to any American solely because the country values a work life balance

[@12345fowler]

That's funny. Not sure it happened for real like this but still a good story. I suppose there was also a union thing issue soemwhere, and actually respecting work contracts.

[@lars7935]

​@@12345fowler Upper management tried pushing the insane cult thing and wrongfully terminated a bunch of people. They got sued into the ground by multiple unions, workers rights organisations and the government and closed all germany operations shortly after. Even with the diluted state of unions here they are still infinetly more powerful than in most of the US.

[@anjoliebarrios8906]

Yup. For all Americans say that they hate tyranny (fascism, "communism", etc) the same tyranny can, and does, happen in the US. Except because it's private companies doing it (instead of the government) it's suddenly OK somehow.

[@theotherther1]

I worked at a Walmart. They didn’t do that every day but I eventually just got out of having to participate when it did happen. Our boss would do weird shuffling motions and holler wildly when he saw us. Early on in my work there another manager told me he was just showing off his dance skills and I said, “I thought he had Tourette’s.” Lesson learned: don’t put the lady who cleans the bathrooms through any more corporate bullshit.

[@DimaRakesah]

I used to be an HR admin. I was in charge of managing people's timecards, checking for errors in payroll before it went out, organizing and checking employee paperwork, answering multiple emails, phones and the front entrance to the building, etc. I often had more work than I could do in 8 hours and was constantly being interrupted. Whenever there was some company event like a cookout or whatever it just meant I had to stay late to get my work done. It sucked. Fuck "culture" just let me get my work done and go home.

[@brs690]

I work for a company that doesn't try to create "company culture" and it's a fun company to work for. I used to work for a company that tried too hard and made work miserable.

[@Tranzisto]

That trend of calling customers "guests" has always seemed utterly bizarre to me - there hasn't been a single time I sold a drink to any of the guests I ever invited to my place, or charged them for entry

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

Well that's the entire point. To try and take away the transactional nature of your relationship with the customer. It's subtle conditioning.

[@sarahconner9433]

In brothels, the guest is called a John.... And the whore a trick.... tomato , toe mato.... Your right

[@MissEynah]

@@hittingyouoverthehead It's even worse, when they give you a certain device to pay for things. I think it was Disneyland, where you get some kind of bracelet that's linked to your credit card/bank account(?). So buying things doesn't even involve the process of "buying" anymore, since you just hold your arm in front of some paying device before you get a drink (and after a few purchases you don't even know anymore how much you've already spent). To be fair, credit cards are quite similar, but they at least have the looks of a paying device. I think this is one reason, why cash money is still so popular here in Germany. One look into your wallet and you know how much you've spent. :D

[@reginaburks7414]

I always thought the "guest" thing was a weird dig at the customer in an attempt to get them to behave. So many people who think of themselves as "customers" will behave absolutely atrociously as they've internalized the worst of the incomplete "the customer is always right" phrase. But if they're a guest? Well, guests are supposed to behave themselves and treat their hosts place and people with respect.

[@laurent3415]

​@@reginaburks7414 For me, it really depends on how well I've gotten to know my customer. My long-time regulars are guests to me. I know about their family, what they do/did for a living, and attend many of the same community events and fundraisers with them. The upgrade from customer to guest happens when I no longer need the company sales models and scripts to meet their needs. It happens when I know them by name anywhere I see them, not just when they are shopping where I work. However, this is not culture, it's community. That's what these companies are chasing with their bulls**t insincerity. They don't understand that.

[@nickender7094]

I worked for a big insurance company, we'd have "team activities" set up. My team was littered with people who would sit there and complain to each other about how busy they were all day. My team went bowling at like 3PM on a Wednesday. I stayed at my desk and said I wanted to stay and finish my work. I ended up taking calls for my team that afternoon because none of them were at their desk. I was talked to the next day because of my "lack of being a team player" lmao. It was at that time I knew I needed to get out of corporate America.

[@nickender7094]

@Vogel Account lol pretty much. I was basically told that despite having great "KPI metrics" I was never going to move up unless I was more of a team player. So I printed out a picture of Wilson the volleyball and pinned it up in my cubical

[@charliervr]

Had a similar experience working for a small advertising agency. I was fired for being a "bad fit" because I didn't want to go drinking with a bunch of people that In had nothing in common with.

[@attiumeyami417]

I have an absolute hatred for the word "team player" or the phrase "we are like family here. its like......... 1)I aint no player. I didn't sign up to do ur dumb school spirit dance. I singed up to do my job and get money. now give me my d*mn work, stfu and pay me my money and we'll get along just fine 2) u are not my family. family are people I care and give a sh*t about. if my family had an issue or needed me I would be there for them regardless. however if a crater opened all the way down to the center of the earth and ur corporate building were to fall right into the melting core, I would gladly sit there and watch as it becomes one with the earth. unless off coarse u give me a pay raise of a thousand percent. then mabey il think about finding a crane. employment is a transaction. now take ur corporate culture and shove it.

[@churchofpos2279]

Same here. I refused to attend the Company picnics or the Annual Christmas party aka Winter Fest. I am pretty much introverted and don't like most Social Events. Plus, I don't get paid to attend those events. Staying home, ordering pizza , and watching a good movie is a lot of more pleasure.

[@dama301]

​@@vogelaccount5902 if the paid for event during company hours doesn't force you to work extra time to make up for what you missed, you can't complain. You just need to play the game or leave

[@travelbyfire8474]

I always bristled against this type of stuff. I used to work at a bank that had this type of culture in their retail arm. On my first day in commercial banking the executive overseeing the office said "we don't do that mcdonalds shit up here".

[@JayP-vh9wc]

😂

[@Ioria89]

I worked both at google and meta. Yes, it's like being in a cult. You cannot criticise any of their features or saying out loud that you prefer using the competitors' products.

[@johnjohnson3709]

Well that’s ate up!!

[@jakobellis8244]

I can understand competitors, but if something you work and associated with isn’t working and you can’t criticize it, how will it improve?

[@Werewolf.with.Internet.Access]

@@jakobellis8244 Psst! It doesn’t

[@sylvesteraugustine6815]

I'm retired now but in my 44 year career I worked for Nestle, Cadbury, Kelloggs, Loreal, and Alstom-Gibela (and 2 others too but they're not relevant to this comment). All of these companies were virtually clones/copy-cats of the negatives outlined in the video. Besides the factors about "control & expected overworking" outlined in the video I suppose there's also the "fad aspect"....... "all the other big companies are doing it so we must also do it". Then there's the ambiguous, and sometimes meaningless too, corporate vision/purpose/values statements. I found consistently across all of these companies that it was "taboo" to question anything BUT "open discussion" was encouraged 😂. What a flippin joke!!!! I seen executives, senior managers, as well as middle managers, shown the exit if they dared to "speak out of turn".

[@epbrown01]

The number one gripe about "corporate culture" crap is that companies will spend tons on it - and say they can't afford raises. The second huge downside is HR problems. One job I worked at had an elaborate company Christmas party, and it's main claim to fame was the fallout of divorces, drunken confessions and sexual harassment cases that followed every year. In 20 years, that party had one good result - a coworker outed a friend about his crush on a girl in another department, and they got married 6 months later and are still happy 15 years on.

[@luisfilipe2023]

Wow

[@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel]

Serious, I'd rather a straight bonus

[@whiteshadow7584]

Big yikes to that company you used to work for.

[@epbrown01]

@@whiteshadow7584 Standard big corporation antics, in my experience. All these strategies to "improve engagement." I told them repeatedly: I come here to make money. You want me to be happy? Pay more. You want me to stay here? Pay more money. I'm not going to take another job because they have better birthday cake.

[@andyholstein237]

Corporate culture, "we work hard and play hard," etc. usually just boils down to "we'll work you well over 40 hours a week, but there are energy drinks in the fridge and on rare occasions we go to happy hour." Holy shit, I don't know if I can handle all that excitement.

[@markeastwood74]

"Don't be a dick" is the only advice anyone should ever need. It means a lot more to me than any of my company's vague, corporate-speak 'values'.

[@ordinaryhuman5645]

But my penis is a core part of my identity, and my identity must be respected.

[@shuki1]

@mark, for sure. But I have found that the dicks in the office are usually the ones who think they are above playing the game of 'company culture'.

[@Galworld761]

Oh my god!!!!! This!!! I keep saying this!!!!! You are so right!!!

[@EverettBurger]

"Don't be an idiot and don't be a jerk" That's my advice to my kids and my students

[@catatonicbug7522]

Reminds me of the book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten." Learn to share, get along with others and be relatively beneficial to society.

[@nineveha]

I worked for a tech company that had all the FUN company trappings. I loved it, the office slide, the free lunches and pub meetings and work trips to fancy places. Looking back I realise I spent time I could have spent that time with my family. Also, not only did I not spend time with my family I also took nothing back for them. I feel massive guilt for this and I should it was a terrible selfish thing to do. I now work remote and get paid extra to leave my house if I need to.

[@johnjohnson3709]

When you said work trips to fancy places I rolled my eyes. I never want to have to go on a work trip with my coworkers.

[@skree272]

If i was in a company like that im ignoring all the company events, im here to work, get paid, and live my life out of work

[@johnjohnson3709]

And how many times did you go down the office slide? I can’t believe companies will actually have one of those. Major eye roll!!

[@briansmaller7443]

I was at one of these things once and we did that stupid "trust exercise" about falling backwards and being caught. I refused to take part. I got asked if I did not trust my work colleagues. I said I trust them to do their jobs because I have seen them working. However I do not trust them with my life.

[@joncarr1200]

I worked as an intern for a publishing company. The work culture was simple: treat everyone with respect and patience. To let you know how effective it is, people have worked there into their old age.

[@calisongbird]

What is the name of that company???? Don’t leave us hanging

[@joncarr1200]

@@calisongbird Penguin Random House

[@nataliaofthenightlords]

@@joncarr1200 damn! I think I have a few books from you guys, thats good to know I'm supporting a company that does good buy there people

[@Grombrindal91]

You know what company culture I love? Working from home.

[@l.5832]

Why do you think they are demanding everyone return to the workplace? 😆

[@SnakeSeeker]

This should be the top rated comment

[@ronhoover5516]

You know what mine is? Retiring early and getting out of the corporate rat race.

[@CrimsonA1]

And excessive middle managers everywhere are feeling the squeeze. They're on the chopping block next for the next set of corporate cuts and they know it.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Why not be a mercnary i mean contractor/freelancer?

[@user-ck4xl1cs1o]

Being mindful of "company culture" is a good thing if done properly. Culture is more than pizza parties and reciting affirmations. Compensation, work hours/flexibility, and attention to employee wishes and demands are central to creating a positive environment. My old job had the stereotypical fruit basket, afterwork drinks and Foosball table. But they also provided the option to work from home whenever we wanted and we could set our hours ourselves as long as we attended meetings and got our job done on time. Compensation also reflected the value that company put on employees. Even as an intern and subsequent student assistant, I got a pay increase of about 20% without even asking for it. Some of my co-workers became parents while I worked there and they never had a problem with taking parental leave or reducing their hours. The most important part about company culture is the things that make a tangible positive impact on employees' lives. Not the mandatory pizza party on friday afternoon.

[@AA-iy4gm]

Basically yours is the exception to the rule.

[@LastNameTom]

The worst "employee appreciation" event a company can do is a pot luck. They are literally having you spend your money and time oitside of work for team building without the company spending a single cent.

[@JayP-vh9wc]

I buy bottles of water and bring them back home but yea it's a scam lol

[@DannysGarage]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that finds company culture stuff weird and dystopian. At the last company I worked at, it really felt like a cult sometimes, with lots of "mandatory fun." I'd rather get paid more and have my own free time to see my actual friends and family, not the corporate drones I'm already forced to spend time with.

[@ivand0007]

🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@jackr2287]

The small companies who are saving the pennies and dimes don’t subscribe to this shit. It’s a job. Work. Don’t F around.

[@Wft-bu5zc]

And look how well it works. Walmart has their employees chant about the company every day, but Walmart has the worst customer service and the worst employees who give 0 craps about their job or about their customers. Walmart is the one place you can guarantee you'll get garbage customer service no matter which location you go to.

[@Terrytechhead]

@@ivand0007 bootlicker

[@davehollis66]

I used to work for an HVAC company that had “employee appreciation day” where you had to drive 1.5 hours to a paintball place. If you didn’t go you didn’t get paid and you weren’t allowed to use PTO

[@leafypotatostyle]

Is it weird to want to work a bland job that respects my free time and personal space such that I can live my life how I want it? Like seriously I just want to be an employee, not a zealot or "one of the boys" Is that unrealistic?

[@KarolYuuki]

Give me a boring job that I can do and go home, without feeling the pressure to always be perfect.

[@luisfilipe2023]

I mean there are companies like that. But they aren’t as exciting or well known

[@luisfilipe2023]

@@KarolYuuki that’s called a hobby not a job

[@TheScourge007]

@@luisfilipe2023 A company that's not "exciting" or "well known" often means a very stable company that'll pay on time with no fuss, be cool with vacation time, and won't be a scandal in the news for fraud. Which is a pretty great gig. You want to roll the dice with either flying high or crashing and burning? Have at it, but it's not a good approach for most people.

[@MakotoIchinose]

@@luisfilipe2023 Corporate simp. Companies waste money on "corporate culture" and underpaid their employees at the same time. Making it "less exciting" by having no forced intrusion at work and making recreational activities *optional* is much better for workers, especially with impairments. As an introvert myself, I hate "corporate culture" and got myself into it in my past daytime jobs. Now I'm working remotely full time in game dev without all the corpo bullshit and it's infinitely much better.

[@Phamyunx]

Cult! I used to be with a firm that had lots of events all year round. The boss liked to say:”we are all family”. One of the events named “Family Day”. Without further clarification, so many singles didn’t show up on “Family Day”. I was very curious to ask one of my colleagues why he didn’t show up. He told me that since he was a single, it was better not to be there. I was joking and said: “Don’t you think xxx LLC is our family”? He didn’t say anything but showed some subtle hints on his face.

[@audrablue515]

In my country, we don't have that much corporate cultishness like in the US. But it does creep in and people push back all the time. Most of us just want to come in, get along with everyone, do our jobs and go home.

[@GodotOfficial]

Most employees: can we have fair salaries, a decent work-life balance and fair treatment from managers? Companies: did you say *ping pong tables and pizza parties???*

[@nikolaykopernik9124]

If only you knew how hard this type of shit is making my blood boil...

[@ZacksRockingLifestyle]

Once I learned about how gluten can cause mental instability in humans, pizza parties have taken on a whole new fkin meaning to me. Same thing when my employer tried serving pancakes, grilled cheese, and cheese quesadillas. Bread is not human food. Too many of the executives are fit for me to believe the serving of breads was not be malicious. Also funny seeing almost everybody not among the upper executives just get more fat. It’s almost like they want fat, weak, mentally unstable employees. I don’t even eat on lunch at work anymore; eating one meal a day has made me feel too good. I wish I could leave work a half hour early and take no lunch. An unpaid lunch break is bullshit. If I have to come back after the break or lose my job, that’s no break, that’s business utilization of economic downtime, like being told to work say 10am-2pm and then 5-10pm. That employer has rather effectively ruined an employees whole day, but they get to just not pay for the hours that are inconvenient to the employer. And why is it that every employer I’ve worked with that has cared about company “culture” or having a “work family” has committed wage-theft?

[@Lonovavir]

More "corporate culture" = Bad work environment/low salaries.

[@tonyclemens4213]

How about free coffee but not the good stuff that's only for management.

[@racpatrice]

That's literally all that we want as employees sigh...

[@NICO-Z-TRADER]

As an employee, I didn't hate corporate culture... But only in nice respectful companies. Corporate culture can become a nightmare when the company in itself is bad. When I became a manager, I discovered another side which is not included in this good video: As a manager, your higher ups will FORCE you to diffuse "Corporate Culture" whether you like it or not. You'll be given a budget and asked to arrange activities, retreats, team building and so on. And of course, at the end of the year, when there were no pay rises, I was the one who had to give this shitty news. I always found it utterly disgusting to be forced to go on retreats or other activities with coworkers that were disgruntled about their pay rise... The level of insane hypocrisy was beyond my level of acceptance...

[@schizophrenicgaming365]

Is it even cheaper to send 30 people to Puerto Rico for a (salaried) week instead of just giving them money

[@Eliastion]

Overall, the problem with company culture is that corporations try to fake it. I mean, think about an awesome company where you have a good time working, you like most of your colleagues and you don't think it's sucking the life out of you every day. There's a good chance that you're going to also socialize with your co-workers (since you like them), occasionally have a beer together etc. You're also likely to think and speak well of your company and you won't leave it just because someone else offers a bit more. You're also going to put in honest, hard work because that helps the company you feel well in and your colleagues that you like... Problem is, that the visible elements of company culture (people socializing, having events together etc) aren't the REASON why the company is a good place - they are the RESULT. They might help sustain the good situation but you won't get true good company culture by trying to replicate these things, much less pushing them to 11. And it gets ESPECIALLY bad if - as you describe - the company just doesn't treat people fairly. Bonus points when the leadership engages in spreading optimism about how well the company is doing and what an awesome company it is, while short-changing employees on their money, not even matching inflation with bay raises. "We're doing great, we're earning a lot, but not enough to give you a pay raise ensuring you're not earning de-facto less than last year" doesn't exactly build goodwill.

[@thiloreichelt4199]

That hypocrisy is forced on you intentionally.

[@thiloreichelt4199]

@@schizophrenicgaming365 Yes, because the company pays ONCE for the week. The next manager can easily swear about the moron of his predecessor who did that. Raising salary will rise the costs permanently.

[@nickthompson1812]

@@schizophrenicgaming365 it is. Pay raises compound year after year. A week long trip is just a week long trip once per year.

[@rogercroft3218]

“Culture is what keeps people around.” Actually being paid does that.

[@cjsmith8319]

I worked at 2 huge accounting firms before settling down at my current smaller firm. I knew right away that this company culture philosophy was not for me. I see a job as a way to provide for my wife and kid. That’s it. I spend 50-55 hours a week with my coworkers.I don’t want to have nerf gun wars or pizza parties off the clock. I love that my current boss shares my view on what work is supposed to be.

[@jeisselima]

I was, once, kidnapped and held at gunpoint. My company held a paintball mandatory, team building exercise and I was forced to join in. Had a panic attack because of ptsd and accused of not being a team player ❤

[@topkek996]

Peak HR corpo-rat behavior

[@_Devil]

only in a large corporation would you be lectured for having a panic attack for being kidnapped lmfao

[@heavensgate2245]

​@@_Devil capitalism moment

[@MustacheDLuffy]

Couldn’t you tell them that you have ptsd over it?

[@scipher99]

I worked for a company 4 month out of active duty and 6 combat deployments to Iraq/Afghanistan for mandatory paintball team building BS. I showed up in multi-cam and full kit ready for war. With 14 years of military and actual CQC combat experience I proceeded to decimate the opposition. Afterwards I was pulled aside and told I was overly aggressive, and some co-workers were afraid of me now. They had 2 more events in the time I worked there, and I was actively excluded from both. Mission accomplished!

[@MolonyProductions]

I work in medium sized company and was given the honour for planning a "fun" event that wasn't the Christmas party. I just got a burger van to come out and fed everyone. Everyone was well fed and an army marches on its stomach. No lost man hours and no one doing something they don't want to.

[@ZePopTart]

Thank you! We just want work events to come from work time or lunch and not personal time after work.

[@no_peace]

​@@ZePopTart lunch is personal time lol. I'm not going unless i get paid

[@MolonyProductions]

@@no_peace that is the definition of a free lunch haha

[@buddyrojek9417]

start a burger business on wheels and go visit corporates

[@jondoe406]

Completely missed an opportunity to do icebreakers where people share personal details with coworkers they dont like

[@rlosable]

I remember the news stories when Walmart tried to expand to Germany in the early 2000s. They wanted to start the day with the company chant. Employees just said "no". The Americans were somewhat surprised that people would just said. Amazing what you can get away with if you have basic social security and organized labor. A few years ago, I was on a project in the US. Team was European but PM was American. He wanted to introduce communal breakfast and a "energizing session" in the morning. The team was experienced, middle aged professionals. We all said "no". He was exasperated and and escalated. Partners just laughed and told him not to suggest kindergarten methods in the future 😂

[@factorfitness3713]

The Germans said no to loyalty rituals like a company chant for a very good reason. And is was idiotic for Walmart to not get that.

[@Grim67894]

@@factorfitness3713learning Germany rn in case I need an out. Fuck American corporate culture

[@sean6077]

Company Mandated Fun is a way for companies to spend money to give them an excuse when it comes time for raises. They spend the money, and then say, "Well, it's just not in the budget this year to give raises." And then they wonder why all the good people leave.

[@janesmy6267]

Working at google is similar to being at a university campus and everyone around you is a top performing student. The better you are at building communities and results, the more recognition you get. You need to be good at public speaking to stand out there. As an introvert, it stressed the shit out of me. There’s definitely a specific mindset they’re looking for.

[@luisoncpp]

Yep, I worked there too, but now I'm working in a small company and I'm starting to miss perf reviews. The daily reports take a lot of time and energy.

[@theL33Tm4ster]

i'm still there and i miss perf too ironically

[@__Jah__]

Yeah…they want people smart enough to do the work but not smart enough to realize how much of their own farts they sniff

[@TheSuperappelflap]

It is a lot like a university indeed, youre surrounded by woke nonsense, there is no incentive to be efficient because they can never run out of money anyway, and the people that get the best grades are good at parrotting back whatever their professor wants to hear instead of critical thinking. I like some of the open source code google puts out but working for such a company would make me want to kill myself after a week.

[@destituteanddecadent9106]

Are universities like that in the US? In my country top performing students are just those who score the most on exams and homework. No public speaking unless it's explicitly a public speaking course, with the exception of the odd presentation of course, but it all depends on the area. I know this is off-topic from corporate culture, but maybe the culture is different from the education phase? I'd be interested to know more.

[@Rukifellth2792]

I lost it when it got to the whole Walmart cheer. We do the same thing at Sam's and one of the first things I did as a supervisor when I took over was to stop doing that. Everyone knows it's fake and 15 people spending an extra few minutes doing some useless cheer is labor lost on the floor that could have been spent getting things done so we could all get the hell out on time. When asked by management why I don't do it, my response is always the same. They can't pay me enough to be that fake with people.

[@smellme6313]

Hero 👆🏼

[@DumbTacoBeast]

I’ve been working at a Walmart DC for 5 1/2 years. When I first started it was expected to stretch after every break (two breaks a day while working a 10 hour day 4 days a week) and do the Walmart cheer. Only one department (not mine) followed the protocol until finally it was completely given up. Nobody wants to do that corny shit or gives a damn about the company like that. Everyone just wants to show up, work, go home, and get paid. Big companies pretend to be more pleasant than they actually are to look good to the public and draw in potential employees. They’re more willing to overspend on equipment or tech that they think will increase productivity and profits (majority of the time it does the opposite) but try to cut costs by cutting man hours or refuse to pay employees who do all the work to make them successful better wages. They also try to push good employees to over achieve without extra benefits and punish them for dumb things while letting the underperforming employees just slide by because they suck and don’t have the balls to fire them or push them to work.

[@moseshamlett3887]

God bless you sir

[@cthulhulordofchaos3465]

I worked at Walmart almost a year and we never did the chant and nobody ever even mentioned it lol

[@LtIsadeCaine]

@@cthulhulordofchaos3465 I've worked at Walmart for almost three years and we've never done it. Thank god!

[@acb9896]

Every job interview that Ive had in the 35 years Ive been working that talks about being part of a "family" or "team" gets walked out on. Im here to get paid. Period. I have a family. These strangers dont give a sh!t about me or pay my bills so, no. Ill just do my job that you hired me for.

[@Xaytan]

We can be a team. That's fine. We're working together, that makes us a team. But we are not family. If we happen to become friends great, but we don't have to be to work together.

[@ShugaAnnSpyce]

"Culture" triggers my anxiety. Everyone isn't an extrovert.

[@_nimrod92]

Amazes me the lengths that companies would go to circumvent the issue that your pay may suck big time which warrants them to promote a Kindergarten type culture among adults.

[@luisfilipe2023]

Tbf if they paid more people would still complain they aren’t being paid enough. Whatever you’re paid becomes your new standard

[@_nimrod92]

@@luisfilipe2023 People will always complain about pay to a degree especially with how it is in todays world where there is huge disconnect between the cost of living and pay. Me betting on a companies perceived culture at face value is as closest thing to gambling as it can be. You start with pay followed by discovering if the tools necessary are provided by the firm to succeed in the role everything else is secondary or waste of time. If the organization is getting wealthy and your not as well no amount of culture programs will fix that.

[@luisfilipe2023]

@@_nimrod92 no there isn’t there’s a disconnect between people’s expectations of style of living and pay. Especially in the USA where workers are some of the best paid in the world but still complain. No one who has lived in southern or Eastern Europe would complain about an American salary

[@ilyarepin7750]

"some of the best paid" now factor cost of living + inflation and say that again. And why should American workers settle for third world living standards anyway?

[@retrojay86]

​@@ilyarepin7750 cuz freedom I guess

[@Alexwhatisit]

I worked at Disneyland 10 years ago now. Only reason I put up with a lot of the “company culture” crap is because a) I was young with access to Disneyland anytime I wanted to go with my friends. b)I sold a lot of my complementary passes for extra cash. After leaving and experiencing other “company cultures” I look back at Disney as the least offensive of the group. At least they had something I wanted, but it was annoying when we’d have to be pulled from work to hear about an executives experience in Beijing while touring the new park that was about to open, like dude we work in the laundry department why the fuck are you telling us these things? It’s 3pm on a Wednesday, we’re busy.

[@frevazz3364]

Execs love patting themselves in the back lmao

[@Bomtombadi1]

I hate the feeling of obligation to an office cult. I’ve been there and know the feeling of alienation when you take measures to separate yourself from the extracurricular expectations. It’s awful and you’re treated like an outsider.

[@Xolanidj]

The crazy thing about company culture is that it’s the supervisors that buy into it the most. They are the most brainwashed, and it’s their job to sell it to the new recruits. The job that I got fired from (I mentioned them in another comment), was also actively trying to promote me, but I declined several times. The promotion would’ve had me making less money than with the sales bonuses I was making on the floor, so that was a no for me. Once they realized that there was no way that I was going for their offer, I was on my way out. They also saw that I was a lot less enthusiastic about the company culture, and that I was just there to make money (wow, what a concept). And for those that they don’t fire or layoff, they will push you to the point of just quitting anyway. Why? Because they gotta focus on the new batch of recruits, that they will probably pay less anyway.

[@robdog114]

I'm at a company that doesn't do any of that company culture crap or have a fancy office. Instead they just treat me like a human being, give me autonomy, and increase my salary. Best place I've ever worked.

[@AA-il9pc]

As someone who works as a software engineer at a tech company, I often feel like I’m in a dystopian reality when I’m at work.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Dude, theres massive labor shortages in every sector of IT. If youre not happy where youre at, there are 20 recruiters in your linkedin DMs right now who want to put you somewhere else for a higher wage. Do it.

[@CCRUEnthusist]

​@@TheSuperappelflap you're not doing a great job at pushing back against the whole "dystopia" thing.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@CCRUEnthusist Yeah sure its a race between whats going to kill us first, climate change, world war 3, killer robots, so many options. But in the meantime you can at least work somewhere tolerable with decent colleagues instead of being miserable.

[@cattysplat]

@@TheSuperappelflap I wonder why there are shortages? (because it is hell and people would rather work doing anything else)

[@MephiticMiasma]

Perhaps you are in the matrix, Neo.

[@JDrocks4ever]

Reading these comments is truly a breath of fresh air. I’ve been thinking this as soon as I started working full time out of college a year ago. I hate being pressured to participate in this culture bs. I already spend most of my waking hours at work/commuting to and from work. Why are they trying to suck more time outta me like I don’t have a life I wanna live outside of work? If I connect with coworkers, we’re fully capable of engaging and making plans outside work. On top of that, they expect us to make up the hours of work that we otherwise would’ve done if they didn’t have the culture stuff. The worst thing about it, is that when I bring this up to people, they look at me like I’m crazy. I’m glad there’s alternative views, so I don’t feel like I’m the crazy one lol. Call me old school, but work is mostly for work. Sure, a Christmas party or a summer picnic is fine, but that should be pretty much it for the most part imo.

[@obi-juantacobi8552]

In 30 years the only place i ever worked where i wanted to hang out with coworkers was when i was fresh out of college, single, and in the military. Since I got out, I can count on 1 hand how many times I met co workers outside of work. I could care less about gettinf to know co workers on a personal level. All i need to know is their strengths and work ethic.

[@Fibonaccisghost]

Yes, the company that I've worked for that was the most "fun" was also one of the most toxic workplaces I've ever been in. The bosses only wanted to have fun and were awful at resolving serious issues on the team. Since then, offices with the most "fun" things to do around the office tend to be the worst places to work in my experience. I'm currently at a company with no games or fun activities in the office, and I honestly love it. I can just work, talk to coworkers, and go home.

[@tallyp.7643]

That's my dream, honestly. I can have fun on my own with what I want to do, and have free coffee to boot.

[@angelachanelhuang1651]

I tried jobs in america. warehouses, receptionist. clerical. I ended up in healthcare

[@mizv4043]

you know what would make a fantastic company culture? paying everyone enough to support themselves and their families on and treating everyone with respect and dignity

[@steverogers7601]

Teach your kids. Show them these videos. Teach your kids how corporations roll. Teach your kids how corporations use these tactics to manipulate and influence employees. Teach your kids that corporations don’t care about people.

[@craffte]

I love this comment so much. Chef's kiss.

[@pooppyybuhhole]

I’ve only worked at 2 different corporations so far as a corporate accountant and they all had such a toxic company culture. The bs team building exercises, the mandatory “happy hour” after a long day of work, the stupid company events we have to pretend to care about… the list goes on! So much wasted resources within the companies, including having staff show up to the office when they could’ve done the same work at home and without the 1-2 hrs of daily commute time.

[@JDavisishere]

I served 5 years active duty marines and I've never seen such a culture. People who are the same rank (job) are usually instantly friends. The difference is, we only specifically talk about work and it's only because shared hardship. You go through boot camp and you have 4 or 5 guys you can trust and those become your only friends. Corporate America is trying to emulate that without understanding what causes it

[@MrRevan0035]

And ironically they are achieving it by making their employee's lives a living hell

[@cpK054L]

you missed out, because Obama made it EXTRA HO MER SECK SUAL. Unless you were in a Division/Victory unit, things were extra stupid and dumb My unit 9th ESB was NOTORIOUSLY dumb. then I moved to 1st CEB where you literally can't make friends after the first deployment.

[@KRaikkonenSF]

Presently serving in some NATO army and I'll say the military is good at creating a made up group culture - IRL, people act friendly and respectful by default that's true, but whenever important stuff comes up such as carreer, deployments, medals etc, you got yourself some real douchebags just like in the rest of civil society. I've seen people who were litterally experts in manipulation, who'd definitely learnt and perfected this skill while in the military, and got promoted for it.

[@rekt3651]

I was looking for this comment😂 debil. It makes me want to go back but..money is good here

[@deanwinchester1836]

In the Marines, those guy have your back. In corporate America, those guys will stab you in the back to get ahead.

[@SkellyBobRoss]

The only problem I have with this is I do actually believe there is a way to build a culture that works and isn't toxic, the problem is people aren't going to bother with it. A culture where managers care for their employees, employees are given reasonable workloads and time off, and everyone is expected to get work done is all we need. No one wants to keep it simple though.

[@sailormatlac9114]

You don't need an artificial "culture" to have that. I've worked for a company that did care for its employee but never pandered them. They trusted us and we trusted them. But it's rare. My HR recently asked me what the company could do to make my personal life better, I simply asked: "stop being my substitution mother". I've come to remark that bosses that care for their employee generally give freebees and are humble enough to not plaster it everywhere.

[@andreacook7431]

My company is mostly like that. We have a lot of people who have been there 20+ years, and they actually bitch at us for NOT taking our vacation

[@drewidlifestyle7883]

That’s the point of most of these initiatives, but because some companies are bad actors everyone decides it’s bad.

[@ferjitsu9560]

I worked many years for one of the big techs from US and can't count how many times I needed to say "no, I don't like it". Jesus Christ, they always wanted me to be part of stupid activities with people I didn't like. It gaves me some problems because people were looking at me with other eyes in the end, but I didn't give an f and kept refusing any of those stupid activities. I ended up working from home and, when they called us back, I quit.

[@Faith_L3S5-ZERO]

i have a friend that when shown all of this just said "so what? so long i get paid, in fact it is more convenient to work" provided that the guy is still a freshgrad i feel kinda sad realizing some don't really value their freedom more..

[@joepiekl]

Strange that US companies are interested in certain aspects of Asian work culture (the hours of unpaid overtime) but not so interested in providing the long-term job security and benefits that these companies typically offer. Japanese or Korean companies might be controlling, but in return, they at least still provide you with a 40 year career and a decent retirement. Interestingly, I worked at a chain of English schools in Vietnam that did a team building activity once, and at the end the CEO stood on the stage and got everyone to chant the name of the school. All of the Vietnamese staff joined in. All of the British staff just left. The word 'cult' was definitely mentioned back in the office the next day.

[@forstuffjust7735]

Asian companied take "we are a family" actually seriously, as you said, if you join these loyalty cults, at least the company is loyal to you too

[@klobiforpresident2254]

A friend in Taiwan worked for a company that closed one of its divisions because the aging (widowed and childless) founder couldn't keep up with it anymore. Every employee there was transferred internally and kept on payroll. Most left because there really wasn't much to do for them but nobody got fired. Some stayed on and the rest retained wages until they found new employment. Quite different from what happens elsewhere.

[@cartertrask6107]

I worked for a company that ran schools in SE Asia and they made us come in for an unpaid 'team building' activity on the Friday before Christmas holidays ended. We all had to reduce our planned trips by 3 days so that we could do this activity. All the western teachers were ticked and few came back the following year.

[@deletedwaffles]

"Japanese or Korean companies might be controlling, but in return, they at least still provide you with a 40 year career and a decent retirement." It's great if the employees don't kill themselves by retirement.

[@joepiekl]

@@deletedwaffles Well yeah, there is that. I was offered a job in Korea and before I accepted my friend put me in contact with someone who worked there who said 'Whatever you do, don't come.' There are definitely a lot of cultural differences between what they expect of workers, and if you are only planning on staying there for a couple of years, there's nothing in it for you to kill yourself for the good of the company.

[@AbsolXGuardian]

I read an account from someone who worked in a government office to help autistic/developmentally disabled people find jobs. They said that ten years ago, it was easier to find jobs because it was basically "hey this guy can't hold a conversation but is amazing at data entry". They get the job, and while they eat their lunch at their desk, their co-workers call them the r slur behind their back. Now, no one would do that, but the workplace has become more ableist in ways that matter more. It's harder to get their clients jobs that they can do because a nuerodivergent person won't fit into "company culture"

[@sanetvanart]

100% spot on.

[@LightningMcCream]

Very well said. We are moving forward in someways, we're making progress, but totally blind to the new ableist potholes we're still creating to this day.

[@nat_the_gray]

Wow. Yeah, I never thought of it that way but it is inherently ableist. Neurotypical people fit in immediately, everyone else has to put in twice as much work to not let anyone see behind the mask.

[@hieug.rection1920]

Haha. Ableist.

[@ethanstump]

Autistic here, it's all the more frustrating realizing that all the effort to get more education, to better myself and to move up in the world, just simply does not matter, because a fundamental part of my identity is rejected. I'm a young, white, male, culturally Christian, intelligent and decent looking person, yet even that doesn't matter. ( Not bragging, just showing how all of the privilege in the world means squat if your ND)

[@TheSpoonman00]

It's probably true that culture is a significant factor of employees staying at a company and being more engaged. But the problem is that it needs to come naturally - it can't be forced, or else everyone will know what you're up to and hate the company for it. Culture managers are fighting a losing battle in that regard. By doing their jobs, they're effectively making things worse.

[@xTrovezDiesLastx]

True. Currently working in an accounting firm with a strong "FUN" workplace culture and this is my first job. At first, I thought things were just cool with quarterly karaoke nights and team building activities. Until I felt that the whole thing feels to repetitive and forced. It's funny that every time an upcoming activity is announced, I'd wish that I get sick on that day or an emergency might come up so I can have a valid excuse to not attend

[@ct6852]

Walking around SF at certain hours when the techies were off was definitely...something. Like they all walked at exactly the same speed. It was weird. Felt like a cult of marching ants. Asked my friend who lived there if he ever considered working in tech. He said fuuuuuuuuuck no.

[@James-gm9cs]

Top tip: if a company puts down 'Agile' as one of their written core values. I guarantee that the leadership is not in any way agile...

[@robertbeisert3315]

Man, ain't that the truth. When I started at my current company, they told me it was Agile with sprints, but refused to elaborate. Years later, we have a 25+ state Waterfall workflow implemented in Jira, no sprints, and no meaningful backlog. And that's progress.

[@nintendoeats]

There are two groups of software developers: those who know this, and those who write JavaScript.

[@HrHaakon]

​@@timhopp1381 It's supposed to be a box of time and then we talk about what we can sort of think we can get done within that time, and then we prioritize. As time goes by we're supposed to get better at it. Of course, when developer churn is strong, forget about it.

[@pac1fic055]

Most slogans are aspirational, and not about how things are.

[@carlrood4457]

In 30+ years of corporate work I've found that there's always new buzzwords and theories, but it always boils down to the the few people who know where everything is doing it the way they've always done it.

[@megharoni]

I worked for an aquarium before and one day they invited us all to an early breakfast "for anyone who wanted it." Which I should have realized was code for "come into the office early today and don't expect to leave early." At least, that was the case for everyone who attended- I didn't attend and got yelled at for it. Was told I should be more of a team player and show up on time for team building events at work. They should've made that clear before expecting someone who's already not a morning person to come into work an hour early for breakfast and speeches, especially when I also don't eat breakfast. (How was I to know they had "mandatory" speeches to make?) I liked working at an aquarium, but stuff like that really, really annoyed me. Now I work from home and only have to be around my husband and my dogs.

[@attiumeyami417]

"team player " phrase will cause me to turn. at that point the manager will see a side of me he wish he didn't. all out war no rules. I have a special hatred for this phrase. one of the biggest reasons I quite corporate America and refuse to my dying breath to go back.

[@ThejollyFrenchman]

The lack of honesty is what infuriates me. They know that if they call it mandatory, they look like the bad guys, so we all have to try to understand the doublespeak.

[@megharoni]

@@ThejollyFrenchman Exactly!! I'd rather they just be up front about what they wanted to do instead of blasting me for not knowing their coded language later.

[@megharoni]

@@attiumeyami417 Totally agree. Especially when up until that point, I thought I was a "team player," since I enjoyed working with everyone and got along well with them.

[@KRaikkonenSF]

Can't wait to hear about the mandatory speeches employees who'd got up at 5:30 would come up with about the life of the fish and how it impacts their perception of humanity lol

[@SillyWilly-vp9pc]

My favourite company culture ritual is the bounty festival. It happens on the last day of every month and that is the day I get my paycheck.

[@Headhunter_212]

I’ve owned a business for 32 years. I made it clear from Day One that I have a life of my own and so do all my employees. The corps would find Amazing how boundaries and respect engender two-way trust. Being self-employed has it’s downside at times but yeesh, this company culture ish sets my teeth on edge.

[@jdraven0890]

My corporate tool of a former supervisor wrote me up for not organizing enough events for the "team" outside of work hours. No one but him wanted to do it, we were already putting in ridiculous hours and the other guys resented having to show up. All part of trying to build this fake-ass work "family".

[@calanon534]

Off the clock, they don't own you. That write-up was bullshit, and I hope you documented it.

[@jdraven0890]

@@calanon534 It's hard to believe, but that supervisor actually put it in writing on a Performance Improvement Plan, as if it was a legitimate failing I could be terminated over. I should have recorded a few more things and built up a case and let them fire me -- but I got paid really, really well for 14 months and I didn't have to close out the job and got to walk away clean, right back into full-time self employment. More people should sue and hold companies accountable, but I can definitely understand why people don't want to go through it.

[@BuckingHorse-Bull]

most people who like these team building events don't have any outside of work friends. so they take advantage of the situation and enjoy the forced friendships they can have thru work. same way some people get a dog and only pay it attention when it gets them attention from other people and or whatever popular hobby or item gets attention. Also car culture

[@allesarfint]

"Why Is No One Having A Good Time? I Specifically Requested It" - HR

[@LetLiveEverything]

I hated these because if youre the type of person who just wants to work and go home, then youre not that thrilled about company culture. And then youre labeled ungrateful despite it being mandatory bs

[@LiLiBi01]

I got a write up the other day because I don't organise friday afternoon drinks like my predecessor did. In my free time, mind you. With colleagues who are all adults and can perfectly organise such a thing by themselves. I was so pissed. I didn't get a raise for flawless, unexpectedly good work just because I prefer to enjoy my free time with my own friends. Time to find another job, ASAP.

[@Mekias]

I recently came back from a corporate getaway. Very cultish. Several hours of team building and propaganda every day. Even in "free time" you were encouraged to socialize (which mostly led to more work talk since that's what we had in common). I'm not upset about it as it was better than day-to-day office drudgery but I'd rather get a raise with that money.

[@luisfilipe2023]

It would probably cost the company more for really nothing in return

[@retrojay86]

Why waste money on corporate culture drivel then

[@Abyzz_Knight]

​@@luisfilipe2023 it would motivate people to work more than trying to brainwash them

[@madhavmathur4008]

What if a person says no and doesn't take part in mandatory fun will they be fired?

[@tjenadonn6158]

​@@luisfilipe2023 Higher wages attract better workers than company themed Jonestown larping.

[@parito5523]

It's not just an issue of corporate america. It's widespread in many countries, in south korea or in my country too for example, you have to spend "fun" time with your coworker and bosses after works whenever they see fit. It's presented as though it is not mandatory but in fact, it is.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

In France a man just won a massive court case because he was fired for not attending these mandatory fun events. Its also illegal in France to mandate your employees to read their email outside work hours.

[@varunemani]

@@TheSuperappelflap The French truely love their citizens and have strong unions for everything you can think of.. No jokes!

[@cattysplat]

@@varunemani Except their president who is bypassing democratic process to enact laws like a tyrant.

[@dicksdrugsanddebutantes9305]

​@@TheSuperappelflap he was also autistic and likely just wanted some much needed alone time to decompress and recharge (which is important for everyone but especially autistic folk) so he could have also sued for discrimination. Im glad that he won and I hope he found himself a better job.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@dicksdrugsanddebutantes9305 as someone who can get a high score on any autism test while working a job that involves a lot of social interaction i can definitely relate, and i wish i lived in france. greetings from Holland and good luck with the strikes.

[@lupolinar]

I had this at an american based company here in germany and I flipped them the bird after a few weeks. You can't force happiness at work, especially if there is stuff that is just not fun and wastes my time of work.

[@johnfoltz8183]

I worked at a Chewy fulfillment warehouse and they called the workers Chewtopians. It had “fun” trappings such as a ping pong table, and a photo booth during the Christmas season which one year had a BSOD. And they had pizza parties with the obligatory maximum of two slices per worker. It was a toxic work environment where people ratted on others and new supervisors would suddenly find fault with you. Someone ratted on me and the supervisor did not tell me who ratted on me or what my supposed offense was. And they wrote me up behind my back for problems on their end that contributed to my underperforming quota. In essence, they set me up to fail. Finally I was called into an HR inquisition where they did not believe my side of the story and I could not try anything to salvage my job. It was an environment where people did not care about their work and where it felt like a high school setting

[@AA-iy4gm]

Not completely related but regarding Chewy, how come it's usually (not all) dog owners that have the most entitled, abrasive, selfish attitudes. They don't want to admit the pet laws apply to them, they don't care if they leave an untrained dog at home to bark, they don't care that the breed they got is one they know nothing about and have insufficient space for, they just want to be seen as saviors, heroes etc...

[@NepsterSVK]

so thats why every CEO wants you to be in the office, its hard to indoctrinate you through remote work.

[@acctsys]

There's also cases where 1) the employee gets distracted by happenings in the home, 2) the manager / executive gets distracted or annoyed by what they see happening around other people's homes. No. 1 is a legit concern, but bet that it's No. 2 that really gets them hating on remote work.

[@chaoscarl8414]

@@acctsys Why would a manager ever see what's going on in their employees homes?

[@acctsys]

@@chaoscarl8414 Zoom

[@LuaanTi]

In general, if someone insists on meeting you in person to discuss something, you can be almost certain they intend to manipulate you. The "managerial class" has lived on using their "people skills" to push their agenda through without having any arguments why you should actually do something for quite a while now.

[@victoria.josephine]

Bingo

[@jqk369]

I just switched from the private sector to being a public employee and I'm so happy to have to deal with less to none of the fake politeness and fancy buzzwords. Funnily enough HR in public is really transactional and is only focused on keeping the daily tasks moving along but my coworkers genuinely enjoy each other and we take it upon ourselves to get togther when we actually want to, not because it's being forced down our throats.

[@sailormatlac9114]

The need for fake corporate culture should be seen as a symptom of a bad working environment.

[@rookiej5587]

Are you talking about America?

[@jackshaftoe1715]

After work what I do is none of the companys damn business, and those meetings where you know you'd better cheer 🤮

[@mommabearof4850]

I worked at a place like this. They also had a "No Asshole Policy" that they painted on the wall! What is a No AH policy you ask? Who the hell knows, they sure didn't. It was like working in the wanna be corporate version of that episode of Spongbob when Mr. Krabbs sold the restaurant to a group of corporate guys. I felt like Squidward minus the gruff. It was a blessing when I was gone!

[@shiningdragon8737]

You know what people really want companies? A a good salary that keeps up with inflation, benefits, worklife balance, and for you to leave them a lone and stop with the micro management.

[@fuzzywuzzy5749]

Amen!

[@Geospasmic]

I just got horrible flashbacks to my time doing cheers and jumping jacks at Best Buy. They made us come in on Sunday morning for that shit. Its like I've said for awhile, its not enough to do your job with a smile and never complain, you have to love the company. They dont just want your labor, they want your soul.

[@loganmedia1142]

Sounds like the rubbish they made us do at school.

[@greatest7391]

They want to own you...

[@l.5832]

That is it in a nut shell. Cults lead by narcissists. I just quit a job like that. Fortunately I only have one more year til I turn 65 so I only need to work part time and would like to continue that a few years after I turn 65. I don't want that crap 40 hours a week any more. You can pay me for my labour but leave the rest of me alone.

[@johnjohnson3709]

Your comment made me never want to shop at Best Buy!

[@sustainablesolutions7976]

Living in Europe, we have less of the "putting in extra hours for free" -thing, but the corporate culture and labour shortage is still true. I am about to change for another job with better pay but also more stress, I am currently in a job with a great culture and great colleagues and I love it. I wouldn't change if it wasn't for the fact that we have to stretch our family economy to get around - salary is really the biggest reason I work.

[@Tdr-jv2nc]

Not in the U.K. here work is pretty similar to work in the USA

[@ellastreets4579]

At my last job they had a Halloween costume contest every year and the dept I was in would do a team costume. I was already getting fed up with the culty workplace and said something to the boss to the effect of “legally I don’t think you can force anyone to do this” and a month later I was on the chopping block 😂

[@sailormatlac9114]

It brings back bad memories of a HR girl at my previous job who came full of these ideas for team building. It was annoying and everybody hated it. At some point, she started to make mandatory improvisation nights at the office. One day, we hired a new employee and she was forced, that same day to attend that obnoxious event... on the next morning, she sent an email telling she was refusing the job. She felt it was overreaching and she was right... fast forward and that company is now in shambles.

[@thestarkknightreturns]

Corporate culture doesn't care if you're having fun with your colleagues or not, or even if the team is composed of good people who support each other. It's all about social media visibility, it's about clicks, views and corporate branding. It's about having everyone in the same room and taking a team picture in front of a banner with the corporate logo stamped on.

[@ChrisFay1996]

So true, reminds me of a time we did 'volunteering' and management were so annoyed no one get any photos🤣like they cared more about the photos than the work itself

[@user-eu3qy8uf7f]

Exactly. They use you as a digiprint to market the company brand. Just look at all our cool people having FUN. Buy our product and you will too. Our company even wanted our Facebook and other access.

[@kenny.lyh108]

This phenomena has seeped into every nook and cranny of the world. My country is having this as well and I really dislike it. I don't wanna be forced or pressured to stay and play games with my colleagues. I am here to work my hours and off I go to my home

[@Electric_]

My favorite company culture is one that pays me high and leaves me alone when I’m done for the day