Culture Matters
According to a study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, absenteeism and presenteeism cost UK employers an estimated £87 billion per year due partly to poor work culture and management practices. (Source: CIPD, “Health and Well-being at Work” report, 2020).
Can you answer these ten questions about the culture in your organisation?
How would you describe your organisation’s culture in three words?
What values do you believe are most important to your organisation’s success?
What behaviours do you observe in your organisation that support or undermine your culture?
How does your organisation recognise and reward behaviours that align with your desired culture?
What steps are being taken to fully integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the organisation’s culture and practices?
What rituals or traditions does your organisation have that reflect and reinforce your culture?
How do you involve employees in shaping and maintaining your organisation’s culture?
How does the organisation measure and track progress on cultural initiatives?
How has your organisation’s culture impacted performance, innovation, and employee satisfaction?
How does the organisation ensure that all employees, regardless of their position, are held accountable for upholding the desired culture?
If not, we can help with our On Culture programme.
How we help
Identify
Identify cultural challenges and uncover opportunities to eliminate discord
Remove
Remove barriers that limit opportunities to thrive culturally
Align
Create alignment between your purpose, daily operations and practice
Be intentional
Drive intentional thinking about how your culture exists across all aspects of your organisation
Empower
Empower leaders to take actions that build and develop a positive culture
Navigate
Establish a path forward to build the culture that you and your employees want
How it works
Flash Survey
Gets to the heart of how employees perceive the current culture
Baseline Workshop
A structured self-assessment process using the On Culture Canvas looks at all aspects of the business through multiple lenses, including DEI, hybrid working and the competitive landscape
Mapping Workshop
Define the culture you want to build and develop a roadmap of the next steps, with clear priorities and areas of focus
About the tool – the On Culture Canvas
Looking to gain a broad, holistic perspective on your organisation’s culture? The On Culture Canvas is a powerful tool developed from our work with clients on growth strategies, internal and external communications, creative problem-solving, and process facilitation.
The canvas will guide you in considering where you are now, what you may need to do differently to build the culture you want, what opportunities exist, and what areas need addressing.
Beginning with your purpose and values, the On Culture Canvas looks at how culture is present across 12 key pillars. Each pillar is analysed through multiple lenses to help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of how your organisation is explicitly fostering or undermining your culture.
Whether you’re seeking to improve your work culture or just gain a deeper understanding of it, the On Culture Canvas is an invaluable resource for any organisation looking to achieve its goals.
The striking impact of poor work culture
- Only 8% of UK employees are actively engaged at work, with 87% not engaged or actively disengaged, according to Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace” report (2017). Poor engagement leads to reduced productivity and profitability.
- According to a survey by the UK mental health charity Mind, poor mental health in the workplace is common, with 56% of surveyed employees reporting that their work harms their mental health. This can result in increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and other costs. (Source: Mind, “Thriving at Work” report, 2017)
- In a survey conducted by Gartner, 71% of HR leaders reported that poor work culture was the biggest barrier to organizational success. (Source: Gartner, “Rebuild Your Workplace Culture in a Post-COVID-19 World,” 2020)
- High employee turnover costs as much as £30,000 in the UK, including lost productivity, recruitment, and training costs, according to Oxford Economics in their “The Cost of Brain Drain” report (2014). Poor work culture is often cited as a critical reason for high turnover rates.
- Poor work culture and management practices can lead to poor mental health among employees, reducing productivity, absenteeism, and other costs. The Mental Health Foundation estimates that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £45 billion per year in their “Thriving at Work” report (2017).
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In a survey conducted by Deloitte, 82% of respondents stated that culture is a potential competitive advantage, and 87% believe that culture is important for driving business performance. (Source: Deloitte, “The Talent Acquisition Factbook,” 2021)
These statistics illustrate the significant negative impact of poor work culture on UK businesses. Organisations must prioritise and actively work to improve their work culture to avoid these negative consequences.