Introduction
Many organizations view culture as the sole responsibility of Human Resources. While HR plays a critical role, expecting one department to own and sustain the entire culture effort creates an unbalanced system. This often leads to scattered initiatives, misalignment, and burnout among HR professionals—while employees across departments remain disconnected from the values and behaviors that drive success.
When culture is siloed, it struggles to scale. It risks becoming a tagline rather than a lived experience.
Solution
Organizations that sustain thriving, values-aligned cultures do something differently: they share the responsibility.
Instead of keeping culture work locked in HR, they activate cross-functional teams—what we call Employee Experience Teams—to serve as internal culture champions. These teams steward the behaviors, communications, and systems that shape the day-to-day employee experience.
At SOAR, we guide clients to form these teams using our C3 Framework, with a clear structure, tools, and training. These teams are built to:
- Align culture-building efforts with business strategy
- Represent diverse voices across departments and levels
- Translate core values into behaviors and team practices
- Support efforts around recognition, feedback, inclusion, and cohesion
- Create open listening channels between employees and leadership
These aren’t symbolic groups—they’re a catalyst for culture transformation.
Action
If you’re ready to expand and deepen your culture work, here are steps to get started:
- Design a Culture Charter – Clarify the mission, purpose, and scope of the Employee Experience Team. Define roles, meeting cadence, authority, and how the team partners with HR and leadership.
- Build a Cross-Functional Team – Select employees from different departments and roles. Prioritize diverse backgrounds and experiences. Look for those who care deeply about making your workplace better for everyone.
- Equip the Team with the Right Tools – Use behavioral insight tools, collaboration profiles, and structured meeting templates like those found on our C3 Tools page. Train your team on effective facilitation, communication, and peer engagement.
- Integrate with Existing Rhythms – Don’t silo culture conversations. Embed them into real business practices—like integrating Manager, Team, Job, and Culture pulse check-ins into monthly meetings or including peer recognition in team standups.
- Celebrate Progress and Impact – As efforts take hold, spotlight wins and elevate stories that reflect your values in action. Visibility and celebration inspire momentum and trust.
Conclusion
Culture doesn’t live in one person’s job description. It thrives when it’s embedded into every part of the organization—through shared responsibility and clear structures.
By building a strong, well-supported Employee Experience Team, you shift culture from theory into practice. You empower champions at every level to make values visible and create a more cohesive, collaborative workplace.
To explore templates, tools, and behavioral insights that help these teams succeed, visit our C3 Tools page.