Yorkshire Company Culture is Stronger than Average

45% of Yorkshire executives believe their company has succeeded in building a high performance culture 
         
47% of Yorkshire executives believe it is their employers’ responsibility to change their organisation’s culture 
 
Almost half of Yorkshire executives believe that their organisations have succeeded in building a high performance culture, according to research by recruiter Randstad. 
 
This is considerably higher than a figure suggested by a previous research survey carried out by management consultancy Bain and Company, which found that fewer than 15% of companies had succeeded in creating a high performance culture – the unique soul and personality that defines an organisation’s character. Given that the Yorkshire figure is much higher, this suggests that Yorkshire is already a powerful region in terms of employee engagement. 
 
A high performance culture is a vital business asset, a quality as unique as a fingerprint that helps companies to recruit, develop and inspire prosperity. When asked if they could identify this trait within their organisations, over three quarters (79%) of Yorkshire executives confirmed that they could. This was much higher than the two thirds proportion recorded by the Bain survey. 
 
Tara Ricks, managing director, Randstad Financial & Professional, said: “In today’s financial climate, high performance culture is a great way for companies to stand out from the competition and fulfil their true potential.  But developing such a strong competitive advantage isn’t easy. Bringing about cultural change requires commitment by a company’s senior leadership and a constant appraisal of effectiveness. 
 
“Creating a high performance culture isn’t just important for employee wellbeing – it’s vital for the financial health of an organisation. If companies don’t work hard to build an effective culture, they are missing a vital opportunity to boost their business. An empowered workforce will create a more successful company, creating more value for shareholders and more job opportunities.” 
 
The research examined the views of 75 business executives in Yorkshire and was sourced at a recent breakfast debate hosted by specialist recruiter and human resource consulting firm Randstad to investigate how companies can improve their business culture. 
 
The event also featured a special guest appearance from Susie Wolff, the female Development Driver for the Williams F1 Team. Susie gave her perspectives on how to engage a high performance culture within a successful race team. Other panellists included Tara Ricks from Randstad Financial & Professional, Lawrence Tomlinson from LNT Group, John Readman from Search Laboratory and Bob Gomersall from Virtual College. 
 
The key to financial success 
 
The competitive edge gained from a high performance culture can deliver financial returns for organisations that are willing to develop and execute cultural strategies. A survey carried out by Gallup in 2010 discovered that median earnings per share for companies which showed high levels of employee engagement were more than four times higher on average than their industry competitors. 
 
Of the business executives surveyed by Randstad, 63% agreed with the statement: “The stated values of your employer effectively drive frontline actions, even when no one is looking.”  Over half (53%) surveyed also believed that their organisation makes enough effort to celebrate success. 
 
Tara Ricks continued: “A hallmark of companies with high performing cultures is that employees take personal responsibility for business performance. In order to enable employees to fulfil their potential, organisations must invest in individuals at all levels and encourage their staff to do well. The end cultural goal should be to create a workforce that wants to do things the right way, even when no one is looking.” 
 
The role of managers 
 
The majority of business executives (56%) believe that leadership behaviours are the single most important influence on their company’s culture. This is less than the 80% cited by the Bain research and suggests that Yorkshire executives are proactive and take high responsibility for developing their organisation’s culture. Change within an organisation usually starts at the top with clear, effective leadership. One way that managers can encourage a positive attitude among employees is to celebrate success in the workforce. Only 53% of Yorkshire business executives currently believe that their organisation makes enough effort to do this. 
 
Tara Ricks continued: “High performance cultures are highly individual and unique to a certain company. But leaders who are successful at bringing about organisational change tend to follow the same principles. Managers need to stay close to the front line and identify linchpin employees who can disseminate the desired culture seamlessly throughout the organisation. 
 
“It’s also equally important to identify those who actively resist change and deal with these behaviours effectively. Around 75% of change management initiatives fail because employees feel left out of the process. An important job of any leader is to stamp out negativity when it appears.”

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