Is Your Culture Costing You Talent? The Deal-Breaker Execs Don’t Talk About (But Should)

A polished brand. A generous salary. A career-defining role. And yet… the candidate disengages after the second interview. Or worse, leaves soon after joining.

What went wrong?

The culprit isn’t compensation or job description. It could well be culture. And if you’re not treating your culture as a strategic asset, you might be silently sabotaging your chances of hiring and retaining the talent your company needs to grow.

Culture — The Silent Influencer

“Even in my early experience speaking with senior candidates,” shares Kate Patterson, Delivery Consultant at ABN Resource, “I’ve noticed how often culture influences their decisions and how culture can turn a candidate on or off: a disjointed interview panel, unclear answers about leadership style, or visible tension between team members. To experienced professionals, when culture feels off, confidence in the company drops — and so does interest in working there.”

And it’s not just anecdotal. Across markets, we’re seeing high-calibre professionals prioritise culture more than ever. In fact, executives are more selective, knowing they’ll be judged not just on performance, but on their ability to lead and grow within a value-aligned organisation.

When Culture Talks Louder Than the Job Description

Too often, there’s a disconnect between how companies describe their culture and how it’s perceived by candidates.

A company might promote a collaborative ethos — but if a panel interview feels cold or disjointed, candidates notice. A leadership team may claim innovation is a priority — but if decision-making feels rigid or top-down, the message won’t land.

As Kate observes: “Candidates pick up on subtle things — how people interact, whether ideas are welcomed, how transparent communication feels. These are often deciding factors, especially when choosing between multiple offers.”

At senior levels, these impressions matter. Leaders don’t just want a role — they want the right environment to influence, grow, and perform. And they’ll walk away if that environment doesn’t feel right from the outset.

“One senior candidate recently told me they lost interest in a role because leadership couldn’t explain how they supported team development — it signalled a reactive culture, not a progressive one,” adds Kate.

Why Great Culture Isn’t Enough, It Has to Be Visible

Having a great internal culture is a powerful asset — but it must be demonstrated during the hiring process to attract talent. 

What we see at ABN Resource is that the best-performing companies:

• Align their employer brand with their real values.
• Empower interviewers to reflect company culture, not just ask competency questions.
• Create structured, thoughtful interview journeys that show candidates how they’ll thrive, not just what they’ll do.

Without this intentionality, even well-run companies can appear disjointed, bureaucratic, or worse — disengaged.

What Top Talent Wants to Know (That You Might Be Overlooking)

Executive-level candidates increasingly ask:

• “How does leadership respond to feedback?”
• “What’s the track record for internal mobility and development?”
• “How do they deal with diverse viewpoints?”
• “How is performance measured — and celebrated?”

And if those questions aren’t answered authentically — or worse, if they’re dodged — candidates walk even before negotiations begin. No matter the salary.

Don’t Guess, Assess!

At ABN Resource, we work with lubricant industry leaders across the globe to not only attract the right talent but to ensure they’re joining environments where they’ll grow professionally.

We can help you:

• Assess the alignment between your company’s internal culture and external employer brand.
• Build a hiring journey that reinforces your values at every touchpoint.
• Pinpoint where candidates might be disconnecting — and why.

While it’s easy to assume your culture speaks for itself, it rarely does in recruitment.

We’ve seen companies go from rejection-heavy interviews to landing top talent, just by making a few changes — starting with honest culture audits.

Is Your Culture Helping or Hurting Your Talent Strategy?

Whether you’re trying to hire or considering your next move as a lubricants leader, culture is the unspoken filter shaping decisions. Don’t let it quietly kill your chances.

Let’s talk. At ABN Resource, we’ll help you align your strategy, brand, and hiring outcomes — because getting culture right isn’t fluff. It’s your competitive edge.

Get in touch with ABN Resource today to ensure your culture isn’t silently costing you top talent.