Why (and How) aware® Built Two Different Cultures

Michael Jones, VP of People at aware®, has mastered the art of scaling dual cultures within a single organization. As aware® grew from 10 to 30 employees while launching physical blood-testing locations across Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, Michael discovered that building one unified culture across both digital headquarters teams and on-the-ground medical operations was not only impossible but counterproductive. His approach of intentionally designing two complementary cultures - while maintaining shared values and communication touchpoints - has enabled aware® to maintain tight team cohesion during rapid expansion while delivering consistent customer experiences across diverse work environments.

Topics Discussed

• Building two distinct but aligned cultures within a single organization

• Scaling culture across distributed teams with vastly different work environments

• Creating systematic onboarding programs for medical staff and operational teams

• Implementing communication touchpoints that connect virtual and physical teams

• Adapting HR practices for the shift from remote-first to hybrid work models

• Using AI tools strategically for recruitment while avoiding algorithmic bias

• Building culture resilience during the transition from purely digital to physical operations

• Developing structured interview processes and candidate evaluation frameworks