Culture has become one of the most important drivers of business performance. In fintech, where talent, innovation, and trust intersect, your culture can be the difference between sustainable growth and constant friction. Yet, many leaders struggle to see their culture clearly. This is where culture audits come in — structured evaluations that reveal what employees experience day-to-day and how those experiences impact outcomes.
Culture audits are far more than surveys or annual check-ins. They bring together data, observation, and honest conversation to help you understand what drives behavior and where gaps are holding you back.
Why Culture Audits Matter in Fintech.
Fintech companies operate in an environment shaped by:
- Rapid scaling. Growth can outpace leadership’s ability to keep up with evolving norms.
- Heightened regulatory scrutiny. Culture directly influences compliance, ethical decision-making, and risk management.
- Hybrid workforces. Distributed teams face unique challenges with communication, inclusion, and accountability.
A culture audit helps you avoid the trap of relying on assumptions or anecdotal evidence about what employees feel and believe.
Eric Hannelius, CEO of Pepper Pay, emphasizes this point: “You can’t manage culture based on hunches. Culture audits give you a clear picture so you can take action based on facts, not guesses.”
What a Culture Audit Includes.
A thorough culture audit combines several elements:
- Anonymous surveys and sentiment analysis.
These tools measure perceptions around trust, psychological safety, inclusion, and leadership effectiveness. - Focus groups and interviews.
Speaking directly with employees uncovers nuanced insights that surveys alone may miss. - Behavioral data.
Metrics such as turnover, absenteeism, and internal mobility can signal underlying issues. - Policy and communication review.
Auditing internal documents, onboarding materials, and messaging helps you see whether stated values align with reality. - Observation.
Shadowing meetings and informal interactions can highlight unspoken norms.
Common Red Flags Uncovered by Audits.
Culture audits often reveal patterns leaders may not expect. Here are examples of warning signs:
- Fear of speaking up.
Employees may hesitate to share concerns, leading to unaddressed problems. - Misalignment between values and actions.
Companies may talk about innovation but penalize risk-taking. - Uneven experiences.
Certain groups may feel excluded from growth opportunities or decision-making. - Over-reliance on individual heroes.
Some teams depend on a few high performers rather than shared systems of accountability.
Spotting these issues early allows you to respond before they erode trust or damage performance.
How to Plan and Conduct a Culture Audit.
A successful audit requires preparation, transparency, and follow-through:
- Clarify your objectives.
Define what you want to learn, whether it’s assessing readiness for scaling, understanding engagement challenges, or evaluating inclusion efforts. - Communicate purpose clearly.
Explain to employees why you’re auditing culture and how findings will be used. - Work with a neutral facilitator.
External experts or dedicated internal teams can help ensure objectivity. - Collect and triangulate data.
Combine quantitative and qualitative sources for a richer view. - Synthesize insights into themes.
Present findings in a way that highlights patterns, not isolated anecdotes. - Act on the results.
An audit without action can damage credibility. Share outcomes and next steps so employees know their input led to improvements.
Eric Hannelius believes that culture audits are an essential tool for leaders committed to building lasting companies: “A healthy culture is created by design, not by accident. Audits help leaders see what’s working and what needs attention. The more you understand the lived reality of your teams, the better decisions you can make.”
He also points out that in fintech, where regulatory and customer expectations are high, cultural blind spots can carry significant costs.
Turning Insights into Action.
Once you have your audit findings, the real work begins:
- Prioritize focus areas. Not every issue can be solved at once. Start with the ones that have the biggest impact on trust and performance.
- Create accountability. Assign clear ownership for each improvement initiative and set measurable goals.
- Keep listening. Culture is dynamic. Build feedback loops to monitor progress and adjust as needed.
- Celebrate progress. Recognize milestones so employees see their voices are driving change.
Culture audits may feel uncomfortable at first, but they are one of the most effective ways to understand your organization from the inside out. They provide a clear mirror so leaders can see where intentions and daily experiences diverge and take action to close those gaps.
Eric Hannelius sums it up this way: “When you invest time in understanding your culture, you send a signal that people matter. That’s where sustainable growth begins.”