How do you build a GOOD company culture?

‘Many old-school CEOs and leaders were often “business operations first and people second.” But it's the people that make a business successful.’  Jeremy Bloom, entrepreneur.

At BPS World, we fundamentally believe in People First.  It is this belief that has driven so many aspects of our organisation and it is the foundation on which we have built our company culture.

We have a transparent career pathway with the Stars Programme, a three tiered training programme which focuses on developing employees from apprentices to director level.  As part of this career development there is a comprehensive learning and development programme to support individuals on their journey.  True blended learning exists across the company including digital and classroom learning as well as structured job secondments and shadowing.  Furthermore, funded qualifications are available for all who show that they’re committed to learning. 

To support the career development pathway, all team members have an active Personal Development Plan which are executed in conjunction with their line manager. As well as the long term career view, development plans address immediate learning and training needs to the individual.  We also use Business Intelligence data to support an individual's progress and encourage them to make improvements where necessary.

Our organisational Values and Behaviours underpin everything we do and feed into our GOOD company culture.  Rewards and recognition centre around these values of Commitment (do what we say we are going to do), Delivery (the achievement of results), Excellence (the pursuit of continuous improvement) and Passion (inspire and be inspired).  Individuals who demonstrate the company behaviours are celebrated and recognised as Employees of the Month.

When a new starter joins our organisation, we help them immediately feel part of the BPS World culture by assigning them their very own "Buddy". The buddy is someone that takes the new starter under their wing, upholding the company’s values and beliefs and helping them settle into the organisation quickly. They have regular catch ups and are on hand to give advice wherever they can. Click here to find out more about our Buddy Scheme.

A key characteristic of our culture is GOOD communication and how information is shared and exchanged within the business.  We have global locations so effective use of our intranet is paramount in keeping all employees up-to-date.  Company information is also shared weekly whereby everybody in the business congregates at our main office or dials in from global locations.   Communication is what keeps our internal processes running smoothly and helps to create positive relations with team members inside and outside the business. Monthly we measure employee engagement which is a highly important parameter of trust, integrity, commitment and communication between our organisation and employees. It is an approach that increases the chances of our business success, contributing to organisational and individual performance, productivity and well-being.  Successful communication is a two-way street, allowing for exchange of GOOD ideas. Our annual Company Day is the epitome of this as the strategic focus and direction for the oncoming year is discussed and achievements from the previous year celebrated. 

BPS World believe in recognising and rewarding positive behaviours in the workplace. We also believe in providing GOOD benefits to our team so not only do we offer standard company benefits but we have created an array of other offerings such as gym membership, a monthly monetary contribution towards Smart devices, a cycle to work scheme, an Employee Assist Programme as well as midweek massages, car valet and laundry services that are all delivered on site for our employees convenience. In addition, we offer incentives for GOOD performance including bonus schemes, quarterly commission payments, one-off payments for specific achievements as well as ‘dinner with the stars’ if quarterly revenue targets are hit.  

Social events also play a hugely valuable role in developing interpersonal relationships that team members build outside the office. Everyone has great fun at these events and they strengthen bonds, and break down barriers between peers, departments, and teams. Above all, interpersonal relationships reinforce our company culture, impacting employee happiness, strengthening their ties to the organisation, and, ultimately, deepening their engagement levels.  Quarterly social events are booked into the calendar and have historically included rounders in the park, bingo, live bands and ferret racing!

Social corporate responsibility is another important element of our culture.  Providing our employees with the opportunity to be involved in socially responsible activities can have the benefit of teaching new skills to our staff, which can in turn be applied in the workplace. By undertaking activities outside of their usual work responsibilities, employees have the chance to contribute to work and causes that they might feel passionate about, or learn something entirely new which can help enrich their own perspectives.  A strong corporate social responsibility framework is also essential to building and maintaining trust between BPS World and our clients. It can strengthen ties, build alliances and foster strong working relationships with both existing and new clients. One way this has been achieved at BPS World is through the donation of food bank items through the Trussell Trust to our clients’ community.  We also participate in the Tough Mudder events, raising money for Help4Heroes and support our local playground for children and adults with learning disabilities, the Thames Valley Adventure Playground. We are fortunate enough to have some very talented bakers at BPS World and we enjoy holding "bake-offs" for charities like Macmillan and Comic Relief.

All of the aforementioned areas are - what we at BPS World believe - the key ingredients in achieving a GOOD company culture.  Ultimately, it’s a GOOD company culture that facilitates employee happiness which means lower staff turnover and better company performance. Team members are loyal and companies perform better. It’s a win-win.

What do you think makes a GOOD company culture? We would love to hear from you.

Please contact Jo Rapley on jo.rapley@BPS-World.com