Know what your culture is and where it needs to go
Deepler Culture maps the culture of teams and organisations on six cultural polarities and puts it next to the culture your organisation actually needs. That makes the gap visible, and something you can talk about.
- Measurable on polarities, not on one vague score
- Tied to your own ambition, not to an outside norm
- From map to choices: where to adjust and where the risk sits
Example · fictional data
The biggest gap sits on customer focus and on how much agreements count, exactly what sales effectiveness asks for. On feedback the balance is already there, so that needs none of your energy.
Our trusted clients & partners
Culture is not measured with one score, but with polarities
Every polarity is an axis with two poles. There is no right or wrong side. What matters is where you stand, and where you want to be.
Preserving ↔ Innovating
Holding on to what works, or making room for the new.
Internally focused ↔ Customer focused
Is it about your own organisation or about the customer?
Non-committal ↔ Binding
Are agreements an intention, or do they really count?
Fragmented ↔ Connected
Do teams work past each other, or with each other?
Indirect ↔ Direct feedback
Is it discussed afterwards, or said to each other?
Results now ↔ Long term
Scoring in the short run or building for later.
Culture has a vote, but nobody can point at it
Mergers run aground on culture. Friction between teams without anyone knowing why. Acquisitions turn out more expensive than the numbers promised. And the strategy stalls because the culture makes execution impossible.
Mergers stall
Two organisations come together, but nobody knows in advance where the integration will creak.
Friction between teams
Collaboration is sluggish, and nobody can say exactly where it gets stuck.
The strategy stalls
The ambition is clear, but the culture is not built for it. So the plan never gets off the ground.
From gut feeling to map
Deepler Culture makes culture measurable on a set of cultural polarities, inspired by the academic work of Quinn and Cameron, Hofstede and Trompenaars, and translated into daily practice. We put the current culture next to the culture your organisation actually needs, and make the gap visible.
What sets it apart: culture tied to a concrete need, not to an outside norm.
Current culture
Everyone places themselves online on the polarities. No right or wrong, but a clear position.
The ambition
In an intake we record what your organisation needs to be able to do, and therefore where the culture needs to go.
The gap
The difference between those two is your route: where to adjust, and where the risk sits.
How to read the map
Every polarity works this way. Six axes together make the culture map.
No right or wrong side, only the question of whether you stand where your organisation needs you. The longer the bar, the more steering pays off.
One method, four applications
The same map every time, a different question.
Private equity
“Am I buying a culture risk?”
Test the culture as part of due diligence and steer on it across the portfolio after the deal, towards value creation.
Merger & integration
“Where will the integration creak?”
Put two cultures side by side and next to the target culture, and know in advance where to steer.
HR & organisational development
“How do I get a grip on our culture change?”
Measure where teams stand, steer towards the ambition and follow the movement over time.
Interim & change management
“What exactly am I stepping into?”
A grip on the culture you are stepping into within a week: no months of feeling your way, the right levers straight away.
From start to route in four steps
Little burden on the team, a shared picture quickly. A complete project runs in four to six weeks.
Define the need
In an intake we record what your organisation needs to be able to do, and therefore where the culture needs to go.
Intake · 45 min
The team fills it in
Everyone places themselves online on the polarities. No right or wrong, but a clear position.
<2 min per employee
Read the map
The current culture next to the ambition. In an interpretation session we open up the gap for discussion together.
Session · 90 min
Steer along the route
Concrete choices: where to adjust, which teams strengthen each other and where the risk sits.
Repeat & follow over time
Teams side by side
Distance between Sales team North and the Service team, per polarity. The longer the bar, the more friction.
On feedback both teams sit almost level, so that runs by itself. The other five axes call for agreements, and that conversation is now about the axis, not about people.
Example with fictional data.
Where does cooperation click and where does it grate?
Put two teams side by side on the same polarities. The further the dots lie apart, the more friction you can expect. Where they coincide, things run by themselves. The rest calls for agreements.
That turns “we just don’t click” into something concrete you can actually discuss.
Application · merger & integration
On innovation B already sits at the target culture and A has the longest way to go. On connectedness both sides have to move. You know in advance where the integration will cost energy.
Example with fictional data.
Two organisations, one new culture
Put both cultures side by side and next to the target culture. Where A and B sit far apart, the integration costs energy. Where one of them already sits at the target culture, you have a head start.
You know in advance where to steer, instead of discovering it along the way.
The risk that is not in the numbers
Culture is the part of the value that does not appear on the balance sheet, and it is exactly there that returns are lost.
Before the deal · due diligence
Map the culture alongside the financials. See where integration or growth will run into friction, and price that risk in before you sign.
After the deal · value creation
Put the culture next to your value creation plan. Steer on the same polarities across the portfolio and follow the movement over time.
That way you buy more than a balance sheet, you also buy the culture that makes it real.
Deepler Culture stands on its own. In combination it gets stronger.
Each suite works on its own. Together they tell the same story from several angles.
With Deepler Research
Culture shows which behaviour your direction asks for. Research shows what is going on among employees right now, so you know where the culture is under strain.
With Deepler 360
Culture defines which behaviour fits your ambition. Deepler 360 makes visible how individuals relate to it and feeds the development conversation.
With Deepler Journeys
Culture is made at the moments that matter. Journeys measures at the touchpoints in the employee journey, from preboarding to farewell.
What clients say about Deepler
Organisations working with Deepler on the collaboration, the guidance and what it delivers.
-
Larren
Recruitment Lead,
De Selectie
“Recently, I used Deepler to arrive at an EVP. Great what they were able to achieve in a short time! In a period of two weeks, we collected information and were able to continue with our AMC plan. In any other situation, it takes weeks, if not months, to get this done. Contact is good, friendly and constructive. Very nice club to work with.”
-
Douwe
Recruiter,
Securitas
“Ideal tool and company to gain more and better insight into the organization and employees as an organization! And especially with speed! For us, it was also the need to get tools for the topics of retention, to prevent future absenteeism or turnover. I also have experience with other parties and I sincerely value the speed of switching, follow-up and personal contact with Deepler. Absolutely recommended.”
-
Jolanda
HR Business Partner,
Nedcargo
“Deepler is a great tool for continuously collecting feedback from our employees. This input is then centrally available for us as management, but also for managers who benefit from it.”
-
Jonathan
Manager,
UWV
“What makes Deepler special is that it doesn’t get stuck in numbers. It helps you immediately understand where it is and what teams need. For us, this ensured that employees themselves came up with areas for improvement and took responsibility for them. The insights were sharp and useful, but most importantly: the conversation that started afterwards made the difference. Thanks to Deepler, we didn’t get a paper plan, but change that was supported by the people themselves.”
-
Amadeus
COO,
OSRE
“The software has a positive impact on us as a rapidly growing organization. By better understanding what is going on in the workplace and what people offer as solutions for improvements, we can make more effective decisions. The platform helps us to gain real-time insight and to respond directly to it via the tool.”
Frequently asked questions about measuring organisational culture
Wondering whether a culture measurement fits your question? These are the questions HR, executive and deal teams ask us most often.
What exactly is a culture measurement?
A culture measurement maps how people experience their organisation on a set of cultural polarities, such as preserving versus innovating or non-committal versus binding. Deepler Culture puts that current culture next to the culture your organisation actually needs, so the difference becomes visible and discussable.
How much time does it cost my team?
For an employee: under two minutes, once. On top of that we schedule a 45-minute intake with the board or management team and a joint interpretation session of half a day. A complete project runs in four to six weeks.
Which polarities do you measure on?
On six axes: preserving versus innovating, internally focused versus customer focused, indirect versus direct feedback, fragmented versus connected, non-committal versus binding, and results now versus long term. They stand in the tradition of Quinn and Cameron, and have been translated into daily practice with Hofstede and Trompenaars. The axes are sharpened around what your organisation needs.
Is there a right or a wrong culture?
No. Every polarity is an axis with two poles, and both sides have their strength. What counts is whether your current position fits what your organisation wants to achieve. That is why we always tie the measurement to a concrete ambition, not to an outside norm.
Can we compare teams with each other?
Yes. You put teams side by side on the same axes. The further the positions lie apart, the more friction you can expect in their cooperation. Where teams coincide, things usually run by themselves.
Does this work for a merger or acquisition too?
Yes, and it is one of the most used applications. You put two cultures side by side and next to the target culture, so it is clear in advance where the integration will cost energy. In private equity this makes culture part of the due diligence and of the value creation plan.
How does Deepler Culture relate to employee research and 360 degree feedback?
Deepler Culture measures the culture of the organisation, Deepler Research measures what is going on among employees and Deepler 360 focuses on the behaviour of individuals. They work separately, but together they tell the same story from three angles.
Is our data secure and GDPR-compliant?
Yes. All processing takes place within the European Economic Area and in line with the GDPR. Participants position themselves through an encrypted link and reporting happens at team and organisation level, so individual answers cannot be traced back to one person. Our privacy statement sets out exactly which data we process and how long we keep it.
Can we connect Deepler to our HR system?
Yes. Deepler can take employee data from your HR system, so you do not have to maintain participant lists and the team structure is always correct. Your HR system remains the source system. During set-up we look together at which connection fits your situation.
Know where your culture stands and get it moving
Book a 30-minute demo. We map one of your teams live, so you see straight away what it delivers.
No obligations. You get a first picture of where your culture stands and where the gap with your ambition sits.
