Some companies don’t have culture.
They have casting.
From the moment you’re hired, you’re not joining a workplace—you’re stepping onto a set. The lights are bright, the smiles are rehearsed, and the welcoming committee? Flawless. They’ve done this before. They know how to dazzle new talent. You might think you’re walking into Wicked… but it turns out you’re starring in Whack: The Musical.
Act One: The Interview Illusion
During the interview, it’s all love and light. They roll out the good china, let you meet the “fun team,” brag about their pulse surveys and Friday trivia. It’s all “we’re so glad you’re here” and “we’re like family.”
What they don’t show you?
The mess behind the curtain. The roles nobody wants. The burnout. The unresolved tension. The folks doing three jobs with one title and no raise.
It’s like visiting a friend’s house and thinking, “Wow, your mom is so sweet!”
And your friend hits you with, “Girl, she’s fake as hell. You don’t live with her.”
Corporate culture loves a good front. And if you’re charming enough, they’ll even let you help keep up the illusion.
Act Two: Know Your Role
Once you’re in, you learn the script.
Some folks are the cheerleaders. Loud, proud, always pushing to make things better. Sometimes it’s real—because that’s just who they are. And sometimes, it’s survival. Either way, companies love this type. As long as you keep smiling, they’ll hand you more work and less support.
Then there are the extras. People who know how to keep their head down, play the part, and never speak against the script—even when they hate the show. Companies don’t mind them. Extras keep the story moving without causing friction.
And then we’ve got the so-called villains. The ones who ask questions. Who challenge the plot. Who push the writers to tell the truth. Companies tolerate them… until they don’t. They’ll steal their language, adopt their ideas, and when it gets too real? Cut them from the scene.
But here’s the twist:
Villains usually aren’t villains.
They’re the only ones refusing to lie to the audience.
Act Three: The Set Is Not Real
There’s this iconic moment on RuPaul’s Drag Race, during the Snatch Game—a parody game show where queens impersonate celebrities. Jinkx Monsoon, dressed as Judy Garland, sits across from RuPaul, who’s playing the host.
RuPaul asks, “Judy, what’s over that darn rainbow?”
And Jinkx, perfectly in character, says,
“Ru… it’s a set. It’s not real.”
Whew.
That’s how so many workplaces feel.
The rainbow? The values? The purpose-driven branding? It’s a set.
A carefully built illusion meant to sell you on something they never intended to deliver.
They told you you were going to be Meredith Grey.
They told you you were Olivia Pope.
But when the cameras roll, the light never hits you.
You’re not the lead. You’re barely in the frame.
You showed up for purpose, growth, and impact—
But you’re stuck playing supporting character in somebody else’s ego project.
Final Act: The Curtain Call
Every show ends with a bow.
And when that corporate curtain falls, only a few step into the spotlight.
The CEO. Maybe a senior VP. Maybe the culture committee lead who never responded to your email.
They’re the ones featured in the press. They’re the ones who “built this award-winning culture.”
But let’s talk about who really kept the show going:
• The tech crew who fixed what broke with duct tape and determination
• The orchestra who improvised their way through budget cuts
• The cast members who covered extra scenes with no credit
• The ones who brought props from home, filled in gaps, and missed meals just to make the job work
They were never given lead roles.
They were background.
But without them, the show would’ve flopped after intermission.
Some people truly are cheerleaders. Some truly love to serve.
But when a company treats authenticity like a casting requirement—when they only want what’s already natural, and punish growth, range, or resistance—they’re not building culture. They’re running a production.
You don’t have to burn the theater down.
But you do need to ask:
Is this really the show I want to be in?
Because not every set is worth staying on.
