Culture Audit For A Remote Startup

Problem Statement:
A fast-growing remote SaaS startup experiencing
- Rising employee turnover in key roles
- Silent dissatisfaction visible through reduced Slack activity and missed deadlines
- No structured feedback mechanism in place
- Inconsistent manager-employee relations

Goal:
To lead the audit as an employee advocate and uncover the unsaid realities of their remote work culture and create actionable, employee-backed recommendations for improvement.

Methods:
Over 4 weeks, I used four methods to uncover insights and deliver recommendations
1. General Sentiment Survey to uncover baseline sentiments of the employees, given in Week 1 and Week 4.

2. Micro-longitudinal surveys were sent weekly to track weekly moods, tones and satisfaction levels

3. In-depth interviews were conducted with selected employees to gather detailed insights into the employee experience, pain points and opportunities.

4. Participant observation was conducted through being a part of Slack channels and meetings, observing communication approaches, conversations and general interactions.


Key Findings:
1. Inconsistent & informal feedback systems
- Employees often felt unseen unless problems escalated
- Lack of formal feedback rituals demotivated proactive performers

2. Communication gaps in the remote setting
- There was a drop in casual conversations on Slack
- Information largely flowed top-down, leaving employees uninformed and disengaged

3. Limited Managerial Support
- Some managers were highly supportive, others absent
- Employees under less supportive managers reported twice the stress levels


Highlights from Thematic Analysis:
1. Feedback System
- Average CSAT for feedback system: 2.8/5
- Top words: “non-existent”, “unclear”, “maybe”

Quote: “It's mostly like when things go wrong, that's when I get the most feedback but what about the other times when I am doing great?”

2. Communication:
- Top watercooler topic: deadlines, venting, memes
- Observed: Minimal personal check-ins on Slack, even less in meetings


Recommendations:
1. Launching fortnightly feedback ritual
> Framework
- Template feedback forms
- Set 20-min slots every fortnight
- Mandatory for both employees & managers
- Anonymous summary shared every quarter

2. Revamping Slack Conversations
> Framework
- A casual channel to share memes, articles, bits from personal life
- Fortnightly hangout calls
- Leaderships sending check-in message on larger groups at least once a week to increase the feelings of being seen and heard

3. Manager Training Pods
> Framework
- Monthly feedback coaching for managers
- Quarterly peer review of manager-employee interactions
- 360° feedback report twice a year


Why This Matters:
Through a culture audit and workplace research initiative, companies can understand the gaps in day-to-day functioning that can often be overshadowed by workload, deadlines and time constraints. Understanding the pulse of the company can enable leadership to stay updated about employee sentiments, take steps to boost morale and future-proof their remote work culture.