By Moriah DeJacimo, Client Marketing Manager at S.J.Hemley Marketing

If you work in staffing, you’ve heard it all before. Culture matters. Culture fit is everything. Find the right vibe. It’s basically the industry’s favorite personality trait at this point.

And sure, we all say it. We sell it. We build entire hiring strategies around it. But here’s the part no one loves to say out loud’ if your internal culture is a mess, it doesn’t matter how polished your pitch is. Candidates feel it. Clients feel it. Your team definitely feels it.

After 14 years of S.J.Hemley Marketing (SJHM) being in business, and 4 years with the company myself, I’ve learned that culture isn’t what you write on your website. It’s what people experience when they log in, hop on a call, or make a mistake and wait to see how leadership responds. That’s the real test.

It Starts at the Top (Yes, This Is Where I Call You Out)

Let’s not overcomplicate this, bad leadership ruins good culture every single time.

You can have the best recruiters, the strongest sales team, and a client list that looks great in a case study, but if leadership lacks empathy, flexibility, or basic human decency, it’s not going to work. People don’t stay where they don’t feel respected. And if they do stay, they’re not doing their best work.

At SJHM, we’ve always leaned into trust. Not the buzzword version of trust, but the real kind where people feel comfortable being honest about what they know, what they don’t, and what they want to grow into.

As Emilia Arcon, SJHM Copy Writer, put it, “What I appreciate most… is the trust placed in my skills… and the support I receive daily.”

That kind of environment doesn’t just happen. It’s built by leaders who actually listen, not just wait for their turn to talk. Personally, I’ve always believed in being that listening ear. If someone on my team is overwhelmed, I want to know. If something’s not working, we talk about it. We’re very much a “raise your white flag” team because pretending everything is fine when it’s not? That’s how things actually fall apart.

Constructive Feedback > Corporate Fear Tactics

Let me take you back for a second.

I’ve worked in environments where making a mistake felt like the beginning of the end. Where every detail was picked apart, every success was quietly absorbed by someone else, and the overall vibe was…don’t mess up or else.

Spoiler alert: that doesn’t create high performers. It creates anxious ones.

At SJHM, we’ve made a conscious effort to flip that script. Feedback is part of the process, but it’s meant to help, not intimidate. We don’t just point out what’s wrong and walk away, we show people how to fix it, walk through it together, and make sure they actually understand it before moving on.

Because here’s the reality, mistakes don’t define someone’s value. They don’t erase the good work that came before. They’re just part of getting better. And when people feel safe enough to learn, they improve faster. It’s really not that complicated.

Mentorship Isn’t a Buzzword Either; It’s an Investment

This is where we get into our next topic, mentorship!

Every company says they offer it. Few actually do it well.

Because real mentorship isn’t assigning someone a buddy and calling it a day. It’s taking the time to actually show someone how to do something, walking them through the process, letting them try, and being there when they get stuck. It’s patience. It’s consistency. And yes; it takes effort.

At SJHM, mentorship isn’t forced or overly formal; it’s built into how we work every day. We don’t just tell people what to do, we show them. We explain the “why,” we collaborate through the process, and we make sure people feel confident before they’re off running on their own.

That kind of environment makes a huge difference, especially for someone just starting out.

As Hannah Toomer, Graphic Design Intern, shared, “As an intern…I was nervous entering a professional environment, but I was welcomed with nothing but a positive and supportive atmosphere… Working closely with Elena…her guidance and knowledge of design have helped me strengthen my own skills…I’ve gained a deeper understanding through her mentorship.”

That’s what mentorship is supposed to do. It builds confidence, accelerates growth, and helps people step into their role with clarity instead of hesitation.

And from the other side, mentorship shows up through collaboration. Elena Nerwood

SJHM Graphic Designer, described it perfectly: “The work we create is a true team effort… strategy, copy, and design come together… through collaboration and communication.”

That collaboration is mentorship in action. It’s not top-down, it’s shared. Everyone contributes, everyone learns, and the end result is stronger because of it.

And when you strike that balance, support and challenge, guidance and independence, you create something bigger than mentorship. You create growth people actually feel.

Which is why Teresa Peñafiel, SJHM Content Writer’s, perspective stands out: “I’m not given words to write, I’m given room to grow…that’s why I’m not just working here, I’m invested here.”

That’s the goal. Not just teaching someone how to do the job but helping them become better than they thought they could be.

Recognition: The Most Underrated Retention Strategy

You want your team to care more? Start showing them that you care.

And no, I’m not talking about a once-a-year shoutout or a generic “great job everyone” message. I mean real, specific recognition. Call someone out in a meeting. Tell them the client loved their idea. Share the wins, even the small ones.

It sounds simple, but it makes a difference.

Karla Macias, SJHM Digital Marketing Specialist, said it best: “Everyone is always respectful and supportive…it feels like a work family.”

That doesn’t come from one big moment. It comes from a hundred small ones where people feel seen, respected, and appreciated. When that’s your baseline, people show up differently. They’re more engaged, more collaborative, and honestly, just better at what they do.

Remote Work Didn’t Break Culture; You Just Stopped Trying

Ah yes, the classic debate.

“Remote teams can’t have strong culture.”
“Collaboration suffers.”
“It’s just not the same.”

And listen, remote work does come with challenges. Communication takes more effort. You can’t just swivel your chair and ask a quick question. Sometimes things get lost in translation.

But here’s the thing; those aren’t excuses, they’re just realities you have to work through.

We’ve built a fully remote team that actually communicates better because we’ve had to be intentional about it. We check in, we collaborate constantly, and we make space for different perspectives to be heard.

As Karla mentioned, “We’ve built strong communication as a team, even with different perspectives and backgrounds.” And honestly? That diversity of thought has made the work stronger. You just have to be willing to put in the effort. Culture doesn’t disappear when you go remote; it just becomes more obvious whether you’ve built one or not.

Flexibility Isn’t a Perk; It’s Basic Respect

This one matters, so I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t.

For me, flexibility isn’t just a nice-to-have. Living with chronic illness means I need a schedule that can adjust when life happens. And while I’ve always held myself accountable to my work, I’ve also needed an environment that doesn’t punish me for being human.

That’s something SJHM gets right. There’s an understanding that yes, our clients come first and we deliver on what we promise. But there’s also an understanding that people have lives, responsibilities, and sometimes things outside their control.

That balance doesn’t weaken a team; it strengthens it. As Larry put it, “No backstabbing. No politics. Just great work and great people.”

It sounds simple, but it takes intention to actually live that out.

When People Care, It Shows

You can always tell when a team actually cares about what they’re doing.

The work is sharper. The ideas are stronger. The collaboration feels natural instead of forced. At SJHM, there’s a level of pride that shows up in everything we create. People aren’t just going through the motions; they’re invested. In the work, in the clients, and in each other.

And that’s the difference. When people feel connected to what they’re doing, you don’t have to push them to care. They already do.

14 Years In, Here’s the Real Takeaway

After 14 years in business, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve evolved, adapted, and figured out what actually matters versus what just sounds good in a pitch deck.

And at the center of it all is the team. As Larry said, “Our amazing clients and our unbelievable team… that’s the best part.”

If you’re in staffing, this is your reminder, you can’t sell culture fit if you haven’t built one yourself. Your internal environment sets the tone for everything else, from candidate experience to client relationships.

At the end of the day, culture isn’t a line item. It’s not a slide in your presentation. It’s not something you fix once and move on from.

It’s the whole job. And if you get it right, everything else gets a whole lot easier.