Company Culture’s Culling
How Company Culture Becomes a Weapon of Discrimination
Company culture. The phrase evokes images of beanbag chairs, motivational posters, and curated Instagram posts featuring a “quirky” team-building event. But beneath the surface, culture often morphs from a rallying cry to a cudgel — a tool wielded not to unite, but to exclude. When left unchecked, company culture becomes an invisible yet potent weapon, quietly fueling discrimination under the guise of “fit.”
The Myth of Culture Fit
Let’s start with the myth we’ve all been sold: hiring for culture fit. Sounds great in theory, right? “We want people who align with our values.” But let’s call it what it really is — a velvet rope designed to keep certain people out. Culture fit becomes an excuse to hire people who look, think, and act like those already inside. It’s a bias-driven echo chamber where differences are seen as risks rather than assets.
Instead of fostering diversity, this approach nurtures homogeneity. It rewards those who conform and sidelines those who challenge the status quo. The unspoken message? “If you don’t fit our mold, you don’t belong.” Whether it’s someone who didn’t attend the right schools, lacks the same social interests, or simply doesn’t blend into the team’s preferred communication style, culture fit becomes a weapon to justify exclusion.
The Language of Exclusion
Company culture is often defined in vague, feel-good terms: “We’re a family,” “We hustle,” “We work hard and play hard.” But these phrases are Trojan horses. “We’re a family” sounds inviting until you realize it means sacrificing work-life balance. “We hustle” often translates to an unspoken expectation of endless availability. These cultural expectations disproportionately disadvantage employees with caregiving responsibilities, disabilities, or simply different life priorities.
Moreover, the way we define “culture” often carries implicit biases. Certain activities — happy hours, ski trips, video game nights — become de facto cultural tests, subtly disadvantaging those who don’t drink, don’t ski, or don’t game. It’s not just about fun; it’s about access. Those who don’t participate become outsiders, and in the corporate world, outsiders don’t get promoted.
Microaggressions Disguised as “Just Jokes”
When culture is wielded as a weapon, it creates an environment where microaggressions flourish under the guise of humor or “just how we do things.” The offhand joke about someone’s accent, the assumptions about their background, the constant interruptions in meetings — they all get dismissed with a casual, “That’s just our culture here.” In reality, it’s a free pass for discriminatory behavior to persist under the radar.
When employees speak up, they’re often met with resistance: “You’re being too sensitive,” or worse, “You’re not a culture fit.” This shields problematic behavior and isolates those who don’t conform to the dominant norms.
The Pipeline Problem: Self-Perpetuating Discrimination
The hiring pipeline is where culture weaponization starts, and it’s a vicious cycle. Homogeneous hiring panels select candidates who reflect their own experiences, favoring referrals from within their networks. The result? A revolving door of sameness.
“They just weren’t the right fit” is the go-to excuse when diverse candidates don’t make it past the first interview. But what does “fit” really mean? Too often, it’s code for “not like us.” This narrows the talent pool and locks out people from different backgrounds, further entrenching systemic bias.
Diversity Initiatives vs. Culture Reality
Companies love to flaunt their diversity initiatives — that splashy DEI webpage, the token leadership hire, the obligatory Pride Month post. But here’s the rub: diversity isn’t the same as inclusion.
Culture, when weaponized, makes it impossible for diverse hires to thrive. They may get in the door, but the environment makes sure they don’t stay.
Token hires are often set up to fail, expected to assimilate rather than bring their authentic selves. And when they leave? “Well, they just weren’t a culture fit.”
The Cost of Weaponized Culture
When culture becomes exclusionary, it costs companies more than they realize. The best ideas don’t come from echo chambers; they come from friction, from the collision of diverse perspectives. Companies stuck in their own cultural bubble miss out on innovation, market insights, and, ultimately, profit. Diverse teams aren’t just good PR — they’re good business.
Employee morale takes a hit, too. When workers feel they must conform to a narrow cultural ideal, they disengage. The best talent won’t stick around where they don’t feel valued, leading to high turnover and recruitment costs that could have been avoided with a truly inclusive culture.
Building Culture Without the Weaponry
So, how do we fix this? First, we need to rethink culture not as a set of rigid traditions but as a living, evolving ecosystem. It’s not about “fit” but “add” — who can bring something new to the table?
Leaders must be intentional about inclusion, creating spaces where different perspectives aren’t just tolerated but celebrated. Hiring processes should prioritize skills and potential over superficial “fit.” And the language of company culture needs a detox, stripping away coded terms and replacing them with clear, measurable values.
Final Thoughts
Company culture should be a force for good, not a means of discrimination. It’s time to retire the velvet rope, ditch the homogeneity, and embrace the messy, challenging, and rewarding work of true inclusion. After all, the best cultures aren’t built on exclusion — they’re built on belonging.
Brian Fink is the author of Talk Tech To Me. He takes on the stress and strain of complex technology concepts and simplifies them for the modern recruiter. Pick up your copy today!
