Engage to Grow – building a brand through people
I have often written that at the heart of every business are people and that many businesses don’t give people the consideration they should.
There are two compelling reasons to focus on your people:
- (Culture focus) Provide a safe working environment with a good culture,
- (Money focus) Have the best team possible to maximise profits.
Whatever your view, the reality is businesses (generally) exist to make money and people are central to this. However, a great culture and profitable business are not mutually exclusive.
A business that is full of connected employees sharing similar values and working for a common purpose will see higher levels of motivation and productivity. Even if you are not employing the most qualified or technically competent team, the culture will ensure that your business performs well because there is a desire to achieve a shared vision.
Consider a business that drives people hard and forces performance, profits may be good but culture will suffer. The owners have brought in the most highly qualified and competent people but they are not connected to each other or the business. This is a short-term strategy that may produce quick results but long-term innovation, retention and growth will suffer.
Building Long Term Value
The most successful businesses create a sustainable growth strategy by doing two things:
- Aligning recruitment strategy to vision/values/culture;
- Identifying and engaging the best traits, skills and knowledge across the sector.
When you achieve this something truly remarkable happens to your business; not only do you have the best talent in your industry, but those people are also aligned with your vision and values. The result of this is an increase in staff motivation and a sustainable increase in growth and long-term profitability.
