After over 10 years of trading, Hunter Adams know who we are and what we’re good at, and our purpose remains as it always has – we help clients grow and increase their bottom-line profitability. We have always been clear on the value that good HR can bring to any business.
But now more than ever, it’s clear that HR has taken centre stage in business operations. While the link between organisational culture and profit has been long established and championed by some leading business figures, now it has gone mainstream and even the naysayers are turning their attention to how culture and HR can drive their success.
Let’s take a look at some of the emerging trends that are likely to continue into this year and beyond.
The ‘Great Resignation’ and Talent Attraction
While some people may dismiss this as ‘media hype’ it’s clear that people are changing jobs in record numbers, and that top talent is in high demand. Take a quick look at the number of recruiter roles currently live on job sites such as LinkedIn and it’s clear to see that businesses need more people – and fast!
While a lot has been made of rising starting salaries and signing on bonuses to attract employees into certain sectors, the research suggests that salary alone won’t be enough to attract and retain the talent that is needed. 25% of people cite culture as their reason for looking for a new job (Forbes) and 27% of UK Managers say they would take a pay cut to work for a business with strong purpose and values (YouGov).
As the focus on talent attraction intensifies businesses need to ensure the employer brand reflects these new priorities – and critically that their culture will keep talent with them once through the door!
Hybrid working and challenges around culture
The ‘new normal’ largely involves hybrid working, a mix of remote and in-office working, if not fully remote working. This presents a clear challenge when it comes to cultivating a culture. The old adage “it’s just the way we do things around here” won’t fly if there’s no “around here” to speak of.
So how do you create a culture when everyone’s in different places? That’s a question many businesses are asking themselves now. Business leaders need to get intentional about their culture – to seek open and honest feedback from employees and to be willing to address the key issues which arise.
Employee expectations have shifted – and are being made publicly visible
There were some high-profile examples last year of well-known businesses being called out by employees and ex-employees for having a rotten culture. Worse were the ones who were consistently claiming publicly that the opposite was true. We won’t name names 😉
Employees simply won’t stand for it now, even things that were generally accepted as normal just a few short years ago.
Good company culture does take work, particularly if changes and improvements need to be made. But it’s where employers really need to be investing their time and efforts now as it’s just as important to people as their salary and benefits (maybe even more so).
CEO/ Board Focus/ Public scrutiny on people and culture
In the age of new and social media, everything – and everyone – is public property. Love it or hate it, it’s the way it is. There can be no secrets.
So those at the very top need to be scrupulous and to lead by example. Leaders further down the chain need to be empowered and have the skills necessary to navigate 2022 and beyond.
In summary, it really does feel like it all boils down to a company’s culture as so much is hinged upon this. Businesses can offer the best product or service in the world, but if team culture is poor, they will struggle to meet growth ambitions.
This is where Hunter Adams comes in. What can we do to support clients and help improve culture?
Here are just a few things we feel we have going for us!
Our team
We can’t say this enough – we are nothing without each and every member of our fantastic team. Our team is engaged and dedicated. Whilst working for our clients their knowledge and experience enables them to hit the ground running every time. They are friendly and approachable, benefiting too from the vast Hunter Adams back office and our peer review network. There are no people challenge they haven’t come across.
Our experience
In our 10+ years of trading, our bread and butter have always been sectors going through rapid growth and culture change – so sectors such as oil and gas, financial services, technology, professional services, etc. This is where we know we can add value.
We are practitioner-led
At Hunter Adams we are practitioners first and foremost. We certainly don’t just come in, produce an onerous report for you to ponder and then leave again. We work closely with you each step of the way, doing as much (or as little) of the strategy and implementation as you need us to.
Our purpose and values
We use smart and commercial HR to accelerate growth and solve business problems. We believe you will only ever be as successful as your team is engaged and motivated, so that’s our starting point.
Our culture
Finally, we genuinely practice what we preach and we believe our own success is directly attributable to the fantastic culture we have built. So put your trust in us to show you exactly how we did it!
