Uniting three distinct businesses without changing contracts or reporting lines was no small task. But by co-designing a shared culture operating system, this Chief People Officer aligned 900 people around a common language and purpose – while preserving each team’s unique identity.

Bringing together three distinct businesses, each with its own identity, systems and practices, was never going to be straightforward. But by co-designing a culture operating system with our people, I worked with our broader HR team at Versent to align 900 employees around a shared purpose and language. 

In just five months, we embedded a practical, people-centred framework that now underpins performance, engagement, recognition and identity across our business.

Versent operates in the technology consulting space, across areas like data, cloud and identity. In recent years, we’ve brought together teams from Versent, Telstra Purple and Epicon. Although these groups operated independently, we needed them to collaborate as one business.

Each had its own culture, practices and people systems, and we couldn’t rely on hierarchy or a restructure to drive cohesion. Instead, we chose to use culture as our anchor.

Rather than defaulting to a set of values, we built what we call our “culture OS” (operating system) – a shared set of operating principles designed to guide behaviour, decision-making and collaboration across all levels and entities. 

The term “culture operating system” was intentional. We didn’t want it to feel like HR-speak. We work with technologists, and we wanted the language to feel authentic to them. Our culture needed to feel practical, not performative. 

Just like any OS, Versent’s Culture OS isn’t static; it evolves thoughtfully and adapts to our business context and team needs. While culture shouldn’t shift week to week, it isn’t set in stone either. We designed it to be flexible, relevant and responsive to how we work together.

Co-creating a cultural compass

Our goal was to create clarity. Many people hadn’t encountered the concept of cultural principles before, so we started by defining what they are and how they work. 

We explained that principles should be simple, memorable and scalable. They should act as a compass, helping people navigate complexity and choose the best path forward, regardless of their team or function.

To design the culture OS, we pulled together a diverse cohort of employees across all three businesses to learn where they wanted to take the culture. 

We tested every idea through four lenses: self, team, customer and community. We asked, how does this principle feel to the individual? How does it play out in a team setting? How does it benefit the customer and the broader community?

We landed on four operating principles:

1. Done. Done. This is about more than task completion. It’s about delivering outcomes that exceed expectations. It’s a signal of quality, accountability and follow-through. Getting something “done” isn’t enough; we aim for “done. done”.
2. Craft tomorrow, today. We reframed learning and development around the idea of craft. Our people take pride in their mastery, and they want to stay ahead of what’s next. This principle reflects both our internal commitment to growth and the value we deliver to clients.
3. Own it. This principle reinforces trust, autonomy and personal accountability. Everyone is empowered to make decisions and take responsibility for outcomes. It’s about openness, integrity and delivering on commitments.
4. Tech with heart. At our core, we’re a people business. This principle is about empathy, care and wellbeing. We want people to feel supported, valued and connected – both within the business and in how we serve our clients.

Each principle works individually, but they also balance each other out. Sometimes there’s healthy tension between them. For example, “Done. Done.” demands urgency and excellence, while “Tech with heart” reminds us to care for people and pace ourselves sustainably. That tension helps us have the right conversations.

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Putting our values out in the open

From the start, we knew embedding the principles would be the true test of success. So we integrated them into every part of the employee experience. 

We ask about them in recruitment, assess them in performance reviews and reward them through our recognition program. We also use them in customer proposals and town halls. They aren’t hidden in a slide deck – they’re part of how we operate every day.

Importantly, this wasn’t a people and culture initiative that we pushed top-down. We deliberately stepped into the background and allowed our cohort to lead. They presented the principles, shared stories and embedded them into their teams. When people see themselves in the work, they own it.

Equipping leaders to bring culture to life

One of the most effective things we did was develop simple, practical tools to help leaders embed our cultural principles in their everyday conversations.

We knew that principles like ‘Done. Done.’ or ‘Tech with heart’ would only stick if people understood what they looked like in action, not just in theory.

So we created conversation guides for leaders to use in one-on-ones, team check-ins and feedback sessions. These weren’t complex toolkits. They were short, sharp prompts designed to help managers ask better questions, spot values-aligned behaviours, and give meaningful recognition. 

For example, a check-in prompt for ‘Own it’ might be: “What’s something you took initiative on this week?” Or for ‘Craft tomorrow, today’: “What did you learn this month that’s shaping your work?”

We also encouraged leaders to reflect on how they were modelling the principles themselves. If people don’t see their managers living the culture, no amount of workshops or slide decks will make it real.

This approach helped shift our principles from abstract concepts into shared, observable behaviours – ones that people could name, repeat and celebrate. It also gave leaders confidence to use the culture OS not just as a reference point, but as a practical leadership tool.

Rewarding cultural alignment

One of the simplest but most impactful ways we’ve reinforced our culture OS is through Slack. We use it as a live channel for recognition, giving shout-outs to individuals or teams who embody our cultural principles in their day-to-day work.

These aren’t reserved for major milestones or award winners. They’re often for the quiet wins: someone who stepped up to solve a problem collaboratively (Own it), or a team that delivered a high-quality outcome under pressure (Done. Done.). 

These micro-moments matter because they make the culture tangible. People can see what good looks like and how the principles play out in different contexts. 

We’ve also anchored our quarterly Aspire Awards around the principles, celebrating the people and teams who bring our Culture OS to life.

It’s also inclusive. Everyone, from any level or function, can recognise a peer. It keeps our cultural language active and authentic. It becomes part of the way we communicate, not just a message that sits in a policy document.

“While culture shouldn’t shift week to week, it isn’t set in stone either. We designed it to be flexible, relevant and responsive to how we work together.”

Culture is not a side project

Despite what many might assume, this transformation didn’t take years. We delivered it in five months. We had a roadmap but stayed flexible. Some things took longer – particularly finessing the language – but we moved quickly and iterated along the way. 

Our startup mentality helped. We didn’t wait for perfection before launching. We tested, refined and adapted in real time.

We also backed our approach with data. We analysed engagement surveys across all three businesses to identify common strengths and points of difference. That gave us a head start when shaping the principles and helped us tailor our conversations.

Since launching the culture OS, we’ve seen measurable impact. Engagement has improved, and people speak with renewed pride about where they work. They understand what we stand for and how to contribute. That tells me this isn’t just internal branding – it’s real, lived and embedded in how we deliver outcomes.

Most importantly, our people feel connected. We didn’t force uniformity. Instead, we built something inclusive and practical that helps everyone perform at their best while still feeling like themselves.

For HR leaders considering a culture refresh, I offer this advice: Start by listening. Involve people outside of HR. Be clear on your purpose. And don’t be afraid to move fast. Culture isn’t a side project – it’s the operating system for everything else.

Dora Peake FCPHR is Group Director of People and Culture at Versent.

Don’t miss your chance to hear from your HR peers, such as Dora Peake FCPHR, at AHRI’s National Convention and Exhibition, held in Sydney from 19-21 August. There’s still time to secure your ticket. Don’t miss out.