The Business Case for Measuring Workplace Culture—Backed by Science

In industries like construction and financial services—where risk, compliance, and retention are mission-critical—there’s a growing realisation that culture is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s the silent engine behind performance, engagement, and resilience.

But despite its impact, workplace culture is still often treated as an intangible, hard-to-measure asset. Many organisations rely on instinct, occasional feedback, or outdated annual surveys to understand how their people are really doing. And in the absence of solid data, they’re flying blind—missing the very insights that could reduce turnover, unlock potential, and build trust at scale.

Why Culture Really Matters

A strong workplace culture does more than boost morale—it drives outcomes. Decades of research have shown that when people feel psychologically safe, supported, and connected, they don’t just stay—they thrive.

Let’s break down the science:

• Trust powers performance: High-trust organisations outperform their peers by up to 400% (Zak, 2017). They’re more innovative, more engaged, and more resilient in times of change.

  
  

• Psychological safety boosts productivity: When employees feel safe to speak up, contribute, and even fail without fear, they become more collaborative and creative. Google’s famed Project Aristotle confirmed it—psychological safety was the number 1 trait of high-performing teams (Rozovsky, 2015).

  
  

• Belonging improves retention: BetterUp found that employees who feel a sense of belonging are 3.5 times more likely to perform at their highest potential. On the flip side, exclusion leads to disengagement—and costly turnover.

  
  

• Wellbeing links to financial results: According to Gallup, companies that invest in wellbeing see a 21% boost in profitability and a 41% drop in absenteeism. Culture directly impacts the bottom line.

  
  

• Support drives engagement: Employees with clear job support and guidance are 2.3 times more engaged (CIPD, 2021). In high-pressure industries, that support can make or break performance.

  
  

It’s time to stop thinking of culture as a soft metric. It’s an operational necessity.

The Problem with Traditional Culture Surveys

So if culture matters this much, why are so many organisations still relying on outdated tools to measure it?

The truth is, annual culture surveys are too slow, too shallow, and too biased. They capture a moment, not a movement. They generalise where nuance matters. And most importantly—they fail to show leaders where to act and who needs support.

In short: they’re not fit for the complexity of today’s workplace.

Enter: inclusio’s Scientific Culture Model™

At inclusio, we set out to solve this very challenge. Our Scientific Culture Model™ is built on eight years of academic research and leverages AI to give leaders a data-rich, real-time view of how their people experience culture.

Instead of assumptions or stale snapshots, organisations get live, anonymised insight across five powerful metrics:

• Trust

• Psychological Safety

• Belonging

• Job Support

• Wellbeing

  
  

These aren't just buzzwords—they're scientifically validated indicators of how healthy (or at-risk) a workplace really is.

With inclusio’s platform, employees are invited to share how they experience work—confidentially, interactively, and in ways that reflect their unique identities. Leaders get clear, visual dashboards that show what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus.

And most importantly: people engage. In fact, our average employee engagement rate exceeds 84%—a testament to the trust we’ve built and the need this fills.

Culture as a Competitive Advantage

For CEOs and Chief People Officers, the implications are clear: you can’t afford to ignore culture. Not in today’s talent market. Not in industries where compliance and risk mitigation are top of mind.

By using a model that blends science, technology, and lived experience, leaders can:

• Reduce churn in talent-short sectors

• Strengthen regulatory and cultural compliance

• Improve productivity and engagement

• Build trust from the inside out

  
  

Final Thoughts

Workplace culture isn’t a feeling—it’s a measurable, actionable business lever. And the organisations who get ahead of the curve will attract the best talent, keep them longer, and build teams that thrive under pressure.

So the real question isn’t “should we measure culture?” It’s “how soon can we start?”

Ready to Measure What Matters?

Talk to our expert team to learn how inclusio’s Scientific Culture Model™ can help you drive change backed by data.

References

BetterUp. (2019) The value of belonging at work. [online] Available at: https://www.betterup.com 

CIPD. (2021) Employee engagement: Why it matters. [online] Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk 

Edmondson, A.C. (1999) ‘Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), pp.350–383.

Gallup. (2020) Employee wellbeing and business outcomes. [online] Available at: https://www.gallup.com 

Rozovsky, J. (2015) ‘Google’s Project Aristotle: The five keys to a successful team’, Google Re:Work. Available at: https://rework.withgoogle.com 

Zak, P.J. (2017) ‘The neuroscience of trust’, Harvard Business Review, Jan–Feb Issue. Available at: https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust 

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