After 30 years of HR leadership experience across diverse sectors including federal courts, healthcare, and architecture, Erin Shelby has seen it all when it comes to workplace culture. Now, as the founder of Shelby HR Solutions, Erin sat down with us to share how she’s made it her mission to help organizations create more humane workplaces through strategic culture audits and transformational leadership.
The Power of Culture Audits
“Culture eats policy for lunch,” Shelby emphasizes, quoting a professor’s advice to legislators during the height of the #MeToo movement. This philosophy drives her approach to workplace transformation, where she employs culture audits as a critical diagnostic tool.
One of her recent successes involved a law firm facing undefined cultural challenges. Through a comprehensive “listening tour,” Shelby conducted individual meetings with employees, carefully collating their feedback while protecting anonymity. She then presented the CEO with data-driven insights and specific recommendations. The result? Within just three weeks of implementing her suggestions, the firm saw dramatic positive changes in their workplace culture.
“Employee engagement surveys aren’t fluff – they’re data,” Shelby asserts. In one instance, a company with 200 employees generated 42 pages of detailed feedback and suggestions. Using AI technology, Shelby analyzed this wealth of information to identify key themes and priorities, providing leadership with actionable insights they hadn’t previously recognized.
Identifying Toxic Workplace Elements with Culture Audits
Through her work, Shelby has identified several hallmarks of toxic workplaces. While obvious signs include aggressive behavior and malicious gossip, she points out a more subtle and challenging scenario: high-performing employees who are simultaneously toxic to the workplace culture.
“Sometimes it’s a superstar,” Shelby explains, recounting a case involving a top-performing architect who brought in millions in revenue but created a hostile environment, particularly for young women. Despite his financial value to the company, Shelby advised the CEO that retaining such an employee sent a clear message that women in the organization didn’t matter. The CEO ultimately chose culture over short-term profitability, leading to improved workplace dynamics and recognition as one of the best places to work in Los Angeles.
In another instance, Shelby learned that employees felt a complete lack of support psychological safety at a small biotech startup. Shs ge used the results of a listening tour to advise the CEO to hire an HR director to avoid losing key talent at the organization.
The ROI of Cultural Investment
Organizations often view HR initiatives as expenses rather than investments, but Shelby argues this is a costly misconception. “The return on investment is profound – 20 to 50 times whatever dollar you put in,” she notes. This investment pays off through reduced turnover, increased productivity, and avoided litigation. Shelby explains, “The litigation that I’m involved in, most of it could have been prevented. Had they had the right HR support, had they had the right intervention, had they had the right policies in place and that they followed what they say they’re going to do.”
Shelby’s approach to culture audits typically includes:
- Individual listening sessions with employees
- Anonymous feedback collection and analysis
- Data-driven recommendations for leadership
- Implementation planning and support
- Leadership coaching and communication strategy
- Ongoing measurement of improvements
The Role of Leadership in Culture
“CEOs are often the most insulated people in an organization,” Shelby observes. A crucial part of her work involves helping leadership understand the reality of their workplace culture and guiding them through necessary changes. This includes creating talking points and messaging strategies that promote transparency and vulnerability in leadership communications. “[G]etting those CEOs to talk to their people as much in groups in a very vulnerable, honest way. That’s the way you move culture.”
“When rumors reach the CEO level, like ‘Sally’s had six assistants in 18 months,’ that should trigger action,” Shelby explains. “Maybe it’s a training issue, maybe it’s behavioral, but we can’t ignore it.” Shelby encourages CEOs to confront these issues to get to the root cause, and to see this type of intervention as a way to enhance the bottom line.
Looking Forward
As workplaces evolve, new challenges emerge. Shelby agrees that there is an increasing need to understand neurodiversity in the workplace and a need for specialized training to help HR professionals better support all employees. She emphasizes that diversity extends beyond traditional categories to include experiences shaped by socioeconomic background, family structure, and geographical origin.
“I want to humanize the employment experience,” Shelby says, highlighting her company’s mission of transforming workplace culture. Through careful assessment, data-driven insights, and compassionate implementation, culture audits serve as a powerful tool for creating more inclusive, productive, and humane workplaces.
The message is clear: investing in workplace culture isn’t just about creating a pleasant environment – it’s about building sustainable, successful organizations where both employees and business can thrive. Through proper cultural assessment and intentional change management, organizations can transform toxic environments into spaces where everyone can contribute their best work.
To learn more about our Culture Audits, reach out to us by phone (415) 322-9767, email us at hello@aecuslaw.com or download our PDF here.