Trends in Startup Culture

As of late, startup companies have begun to develop their own personal trends in culture. Some of these trends include flexibility in company structure, doing away with job titles, and increased independence for employees. Being able to define your company’s culture is extremely important for a successful business. A startup’s culture is all about improving the overall experience at work. Culture–according to Wired–is defined through identity, growth strategy, and relationships. It is also important that if the team expands, the culture of the company should not change. Employees belonging to the same culture can fit together regardless of background, ethnicity, or gender. Employees want to feel that their role in the startup is working toward molding the company and that they are valued.

Doing away with job titles can help company culture by facilitating learning. When an employee is not tied down to one position and can flow through several roles, it allows them to learn and feel more comfortable within the company. Chief Executive Officer Sampad Swain explained that working in “pods” instead of specific roles helped employees expand their expertise. "We have a program called 'Live Your Potential,' under which an employee can work with members of other teams to gain experience and to even make a potential move to that vertical," says Nandika Pradeep, human resources leader at InMobi. "We also make sure that all our openings are first floated internally and filled within the company to allow flexibility of movement for our employees."

Increasing employees’ independence may also help to reenergize office culture. According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management report, 83 percent of organizations have begun to offer casual dress daily or on a periodic basis, and more than half now offer flex time and the ability to work from home. Many organizations now not only allow employees to bring pets to work but also offer pet health insurance, which has been seen to offset the decrease in health benefits. A prolific amount of companies have evolved their common practices to coincide with the expectations of up-and-coming young talent.