Is there such a thing as an "ideal" culture?

On my drive home from Brisbane to the Gold Coast recently and hearing a radio segment on companies moving away from DEI initiatives, it got me thinking about a fantastic blog I read a little while back about culture fit vs. culture add (I'll post the link below).

Is there really such a thing as an ideal culture? Or does every organisation thrive with a different approach?

There’s also a broader question to be asked here: if every organisation chases the same cultural buzzwords—innovation, agility, creativity —do we risk a world where all workplaces feel the same? What happens to the richness of diverse work environments that allow people to find a space that truly fits them?

Take hospitals, for example. You wouldn’t want a culture of boundless innovation where surgeons experiment freely without structure or safeguards. In contrast, an SME in the SaaS space thrives on agility, quick decision-making, and responsiveness to market shifts. So, should we be hiring to change an organisation’s culture, or should we be looking for individuals who align with and strengthen it?

I believe culture fit isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The key is understanding yourself—your values, leadership preferences, and ideal work environment. Likewise, organisations must deeply understand their own culture and clearly communicate it through their employer brand so that the right people can find them.

When companies do seek a cultural shift, it’s unrealistic to think one hire can drive that change alone. True cultural transformation must start at the top—with leadership setting the vision and getting buy-in across the organisation. Otherwise, that new hire is left pushing a rock uphill, leading to disengagement and frustration (more on this in the link below).

Ultimately, rather than chasing a “perfect” culture, we should focus on understanding and embracing the nuances of workplace dynamics. That’s how we create successful, high-performing teams that are not only innovative but also commercially sound and future-proof.

What are your thoughts? Do you lean more towards culture fit or culture add in hiring?

Further reading: Clearing up the Culture Fit and Culture Add Debate