“Culture is to recruiting as product is to marketing.” - Hubspot Does your company offer good benefits, free gym membership, an occasional free lunch here or there? Great. That’s a good start. In today’s world of office masseurs, daily catered lunches, and paid time off – the perks that used to make up a company’s culture are no longer enough. Your employees need to feel empowered, needed, and appreciated in order for them to feel good about waking up and going to work everyday. This is a hard order to fill – we get it. These companies' corporate cultures are top notch – take notes and learn. Twitter The microblogging company received the highest rating from its own workers in terms of corporate culture and values on the popular career website, Glassdoor.com. (Fortune) Glassdoor community expert Scott Dobroski says that, "Company culture is among the top five factors that prospective employees consider when looking for a new job." The Twitter platform is instantaneous which means the work involves a lot of cutting edge technology and solving interesting problems from mobile bugs to building self-learning machines. (Business Insider) Regeneron Regeneron is a scientist’s drug company. Founded by a pair of brilliant scientists in 1988, they run their biotech company in a way that employees say set it apart from other big pharma corporations. “The focus is not on the bottom line but on the patient,” says one employee. (Forbes) “At Regeneron, we pride ourselves on innovative thinking and constant reinvention. Our employees 'follow the science' in order to turn their ideas into medicines that improve patients’ lives." –  Angi Calkins, executive director of talent acquisition. (BioSpace) Zappos Zappos is so dedicated to finding the right employee that they offer a "get out of jail free" incentive. New employees are offered $2,000 to quit after the first week of training if they decide the job isn’t for them. There are ten core values instilled within every team member upon hiring. Employee raises come from workers who pass skills tests and exhibit increased capability (not based off of office politics). There are also portions of the budget that are dedicated to employee team building and culture promotion. (Entrepreneur) Genentech In an industry not known for its diversity, this drug giant boasts 41% minority staff. Women make up 46% of its frontline managerial ranks. (Fortune) Clearly it's a diverse place to work – but what's the daily grind like? “Genentech is the most inclusive company I have ever worked for. Workers cherish the chance to 'improve lives' through game-changing drugs." (Fortune) Citrix Because Citrix makes software for remote employees, their own employees have the freedom to explore how, when, and where work gets done. (Business Insider) "Behind every breakthrough innovation, transformative solution, and successful customer there’s a team of talented individuals who make it all possible. We understand that we’re strongest when we hire the best people in the business—no matter who they are or where they come from—and support them fully." – Donna Kimmel "Culture and good values define who we are as a company." Citrix Systems Senior Manager REI For outdoor enthusiasts, REI has long been the company to turn to for the best gear. Employees of REI also agree that this is a place where greatness happens. REI’s mission is to equip both customers and employees for the outdoors – and not just to have fun, but also in promoting stewardship of the environment. (Entrepreneur) REI says that its employees give “life to their purpose,” firmly attributing company success to workers. The CEO of REI has acknowledged that employees can get benefits anywhere, but allowing outdoors-oriented employees to immerse themselves in REI culture is what makes it unique. SquareSpace This successful startup is regularly voted as one of the best places to work in New York City. Its company culture is one that is “flat, open, and creative.” (A flat organization is one where there are no (or very few) levels of management in between managers and subordinates.) SquareSpace also offers robust benefits and perks, including 100% coverage of health insurance premiums, flexible vacations, attractive office space, catered meals, stocked kitchens, monthly celebrations, and relaxation spaces. (Entrepreneur) Adobe Adobe is a company that goes out of its way to give employees challenging projects and then provide the trust and support to help them meet those challenges successfully. While it offers benefits and perks like any modern creative company, Adobe avoids micromanaging in favor of trusting employees to do their best. For example, Adobe doesn’t use ratings to establish employee capabilities, feeling that that inhibits creativity and harms how teams work. Managers take on the role of a coach which lets employees set goals and determine how they should be assessed. (Entrepreneur) Novo Nordisk One of the only companies that can boast that they are working toward putting themselves out of business – this pharmaceutical company is searching for a cure for diabetes. Some of their perks, you ask? They cover the cost of diabetes care for their employees – so they understand the market from both sides. An interesting perk is that they also cover college admissions counselors for their employees' children. The inspiring mission resonates with the Danish firm’s hardworking and honest staff, who say “coming to work is more than just a job." (Fortune) Netflix We’ve often seen and written about Netflix’s outstanding office culture. From extended maternity and paternity leave to unlimited vacation, the Netflix rulebook seems to promote freedom, lots of time off, and autonomy. (My Domaine) Instead of creating endless rules and processes, Netflix asserted that its business will focus specifically on two things: 1. Invest in hiring high-performance employees. 2. Build and maintain a culture that rewards high-performers, and weeds out continuous, unimproved low performers. (Forbes) Dropbox Employees at this Silicon Valley company love the “supportive work environment” where they can “innovate irrespective of role, level, or seniority.” Their annual "Hack Week" that gives staffers five days to work on any project is beloved by all. (Fortune) There’s also a clear dedication to diversity. Dropbox responded to the immigration ban last year with extra support from HR and legal advice to those affected. The company keeps its employees happy with many perks, including a café and bar that offers gourmet meals, generous PTO and VTO (volunteer time off), and plenty of on-site amenities. (The Muse) So, what's this all mean? Creative and fun benefits help create a culture, but they are not the sole instigator of successful culture. Inspiring leaders and open lines for communication make employees feel heard and wanted. It's important to remember that company culture is not a one-size-fits-all solution or even the sole answer to a company's problems. The best and most successful company culture's make all employees feel safe, welcome, and wanted. Hiring someone because they'd fit in with the culture can actually limit your chances of finding successful and high-performing employees. This is where diversity comes into play. You don't want a homogenized team – you want to hire a person that completes the puzzle. Read more bite-sized brilliance on our LinkedIn and Twitter.