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Culture Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s a Business Strategy.
For years, culture has lived on the sidelines—used in onboarding videos, printed on posters, and buried beneath layers of corporate-speak. But Brian Smith, SVP of Business Development at Protis Global, believes that era is over.
“Culture transformation can’t be pushed from the top down—it must come from every level,” says Smith. “If you empower people to lead from where they are, you build something real. Something sustainable.”
And for companies navigating hybrid models, accelerated change, and increasing talent demands, culture isn’t just a matter of employee engagement—it’s a strategic lever that drives performance.
Culture Starts Where People Actually Work
One of the biggest mistakes companies make, according to Smith, is assuming culture lives in vision decks or executive speeches. In reality, culture lives in the behaviors, systems, and interactions employees experience every day.
“It’s not about slogans. It’s about habits. Symbols. Shared rituals. The way people make decisions,” Smith says. “Often, the most junior employees hold the clearest understanding of what a culture really is—because they’re the ones living it without the filter.”
This is why bottom-up activation is just as important as top-down strategy. When you allow employees to co-author the culture—by giving them language, tools, and space to shape it—transformation becomes less of a campaign and more of a movement.
Making Culture Measurable in a Hybrid World
Today’s leaders can’t just hope for cultural traction—they need to measure it. Especially in remote and hybrid environments where visibility is limited, Smith believes cultural accountability must become part of operational planning.
“The people team—especially the CHRO—should own the agenda, lead the metrics, and keep culture visible,” he says. “It’s no different than managing sales or operations. You set the KPIs, track performance, and make culture a standing line item in quarterly goals.”
For example, Smith recommends tracking:
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Retention among key talent segments
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Behavioral feedback from 360 reviews
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Participation in people programs and learning initiatives
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Engagement with rituals or values-based initiatives
When culture is treated as a business function, not a feel-good bonus, leaders can finally see the ROI: higher performance, faster onboarding, stronger retention, and better decision-making.
Where Executive Search Comes In
So what role does executive search play in shaping culture? According to Smith, it’s bigger than most firms realize.
“We’re not just here to fill roles. We’re here to help clients see their culture,” he says. “That means starting with diagnostics—where are the gaps between values and behaviors? What are the unspoken rules that govern how work really gets done?”
At Protis Global, that insight becomes the foundation for every step of the search process:
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Hiring for culture add, not just alignment
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Using behavioral assessments to vet leadership styles
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Designing onboarding and coaching plans that reinforce the right behaviors from day one
It’s not enough to hire great talent—you have to ensure they can thrive within the organization’s actual (not aspirational) culture.
Succession Planning With Culture in Mind
Culture isn’t just at risk during big transformations. It’s also at risk when the wrong leader steps into the right role.
That’s why Smith advocates for a culture-first approach to succession planning.
“We help our clients build leadership pipelines that can carry the torch,” he says. “Not just people with the right skills, but with the ability to model, evolve, and reinforce the values that make the company special.”
This means elevating diverse voices, creating belonging from day one, and viewing each leadership hire as a chance to move the culture forward—not just keep it intact.
The Bottom Line: Culture Is the System
When done well, culture transformation is not a “program.” It’s a system—one built on aligned people, practices, and language.
That system can’t be outsourced entirely, but it can be shaped strategically—with the right partner.
“Executive search firms have a huge opportunity,” Smith says. “If we embed culture into everything—from discovery to onboarding—we help clients build companies where people actually want to stay, grow, and lead.”
Because in the end, culture isn’t what’s on the wall. It’s what walks in the door. Every hire. Every day.
