In recent years, we’ve seen an interesting shift. Culture is increasingly being handed over to HR. Chief People Officers are expected to build, protect, and nurture company culture as if it’s a standalone initiative.

At first glance, this makes sense. HR is closest to the people. HR leads onboarding, DEI, internal comms, and engagement surveys. Why wouldn’t culture sit here?

But here’s where it gets complicated.

Culture is not a PowerPoint deck or an all-hands presentation. It’s not posters in the hallway or quarterly engagement results.

Culture is what leaders tolerate. It’s how decisions are made. It’s what happens in the room when no one from HR is present.

When HR is tasked with owning culture in isolation, it creates a dangerous disconnect. Leadership gets to step back because “That’s HR’s job”. But true culture is driven by behaviour at the top. It lives (or dies) in how leadership communicates, hires, fires, promotes, and shows up every single day.

We’re now seeing backlash to the “HR-as-culture-owners” model. Employees see through performative efforts when leadership isn’t aligned. HR professionals feel burned out and under-resourced trying to drive change without executive buy-in. And leaders risk becoming passive participants in something they’re meant to embody.

So where does that leave us?

At Intuitive, we believe:

• Culture should be modelled by leadership
• Co-created with HR
• And reflected in every people decision

HR is a powerful steward. They can coach, measure, and reinforce. But culture starts at the top. Without leadership ownership, even the best HR team is swimming against the tide.

Culture is everyone’s job but if you’re a leader, it’s especially yours.

What do you think? Is culture better off in HR’s hands or in the hands of leadership?