If you scroll through LinkedIn for long enough, you’ll see the usual suspects: beanbags, unlimited holidays, pizza parties, office dogs, and the obligatory pool table. These things are nice, but here’s the truth - and something we’ve learned the HARD way in these last 12 years - culture isn’t something you copy and paste.
Before you shout at us - we say this as a company with both unlimited holiday and an office dog (Iggy the Pug, loved by all)
But here’s the thing. Those perks only work if they actually mean something. Unlimited holiday is worthless if no one feels comfortable taking time off. An office dog won’t fix a poor work-life balance, even if she is ridiculously cute. Perks are fun, but perks are not culture.
Clichés don’t cut it - here’s why
Perks are often used as a shortcut to culture, but they lack substance. They’re the sprinkles on the cake, not the cake itself. We’re not slagging these off - they’re great - but only if they’re done WITH building a great culture. Not TO build a great culture.
Free pizza twice a year won’t make up for a lack of trust.
A quirky breakout space won’t disguise a culture of presenteeism.
A dog in the office won’t replace good leadership (though it does help morale on a rainy Monday).
Culture isn’t about what you have, it’s about how you work together.
Culture must fit who you are
Another one we learned the hard way. What works for a 200-person tech startup in London won’t work for a 15-person PR agency in Belfast. And that’s fine. Culture has to be yours.
At Clearbox, that means:
- Trust first. Our unlimited holidays work because people know we mean it. Take the time. Recharge. We’ll still be here when you get back. But you better bring treats!
- Flexibility for real life.Hybrid working, flexible hours, and the ability to shape your day in a way that works. We are anti-micromanagement.
- Shared wins. Sometimes that’s cake, sometimes a night out, sometimes a loud cheer on a Friday morning, sometimes a meme fest on our general Slack channel.
- Office pug cuddles. Because some problems can only be solved with a tail wag.
It’s not about following a template. It’s about building something that feels authentic to us.
The unglamorous truth: culture is in the everyday
Culture doesn’t live in your perks - it lives in the little moments:
- How people are treated when they make a mistake.
- Whether leadership listens or just broadcasts.
- How you celebrate success (big or small).
- Whether people feel safe to be themselves.
These things aren’t flashy. They don’t make for glossy Instagram posts. But they’re what makes people stay, grow, and thrive.
Do we get this right 100% of the time? No, of course we don’t. We’re human after all. But we believe we get it right more than we get it wrong, and we’ll keep striving to get to that 100% figure.
Culture is strategy, not decoration
It’s easy to see culture as the fun stuff. But really, it underpins everything we do.
- Retention. People stay where they feel supported.
- Client service. Happy teams do great work.
- Reputation. The way you treat people inside your company shapes how you’re seen outside it.
When your culture is lived, not laminated, it stops being a line in a handbook and starts being the thing that drives you.
Our advice? Build your own
We are not the oracles here - but we have picked up a few things along the years that we want to pass on.
The biggest mistake businesses make is trying to copy someone else’s culture. You can’t just lift it from a TED Talk or a LinkedIn post.
Culture works best when it’s:
1. Co-created. Built with your team, not imposed on them.
2. Lived. Reflected in everyday actions, not just perks.
3. Flexible. Evolving with your people, your business, and the times.
Because here’s the truth: people don’t join a company for the free bevs and the nice sofa. They stay because they feel valued, trusted, supported. And, in our case, because Iggy the pug is ALWAYS up for a cuddle. If only that dog knew how to type…
Final thought
Culture isn’t a copy & paste job. It’s not about chasing clichés or collecting perks. It’s about building something real, something yours, and something that makes people proud to show up every day.
So yes - have your unlimited holiday. Bring the dog to the office. But remember: those are the extras. The real culture is what happens when the laptops close, the deadlines loom, and the people around you make you feel like you’re exactly where you belong.
We have a saying here at Clearbox, which, like all good things, was nicked from a book.
“How you do anything is how you do everything.”
Your culture fits that too.
Over and out!
