Creating a value-driven organisation: Our Head of People and Culture shares her insights

Winningtemp’s Head of People and Culture, Cecilia Holmblad started her journey with Winningtemp last winter, and it has been a wild ride ever since. The company's primary focus is growth, which implies that both recruitment and the development of digital pre- and onboarding programs were high on the agenda. But in order to succeed in retaining talented employees, she must also work parallelly on building up an exceptional company culture.

It all started with the new brand identity and positioning. When the management team got together to decide the purpose, the vision, and the values, it gave Cecilia more elbow room to work on the company culture that reflects those values. Thus, began the journey towards forging a value-driven organisation.

We are passionate about creating successful workplaces, and we know that one of the most important building blocks to success is to build a strong culture.

Higher engagement and stronger team spirit

It’s common knowledge that shared values are crucial for engagement and team spirit. It impacts how we treat each other and reinforces the idea of ‘us’. This, in turn, boosts better communication and understanding among each other. The best part is, this is not just limited within the four walls of the company.

‍“The goal is simple. Our values should guide us in everything we do and the decisions we make. For instance, refer to your values during recruitment – from the first contact to the final interview. It becomes an effective tool for you to decide whether the candidate fits in with the rest of the people. In the same way, the candidate also gets the chance to decide if they are comfortable with your values.”

‍To work successfully with values, it’s not only necessary to consistently talk about what you stand for but to also dare to define an anti-culture. This means one should even dare to express what they don’t stand for. It’s not always easy, but it paves the way for a stronger bond between your colleagues and the organisation.

Secure and confident employees

Value-driven organisations are thriving because they provide a common purpose for employees. The values ​​serve as principles that everyone can practice when performing their work and promote qualities such as personal responsibility and better decision making.

‍Mathias Hansson Fredlund, one of Winningtemp's founders, sees the values ​​as enablers of a faster and smoother organisation.“Our values ​​give us guidance on issues that arise in everyday life. They help us make decisions and enable us to move forward much faster as an organisation. The values, together with clear instructions and responsibilities, create a self-sustaining and efficient organisation.

”The Executive Assistant at Winningtemp, Erika Wohlert, agrees.

‍“This way of working gives us more freedom, along with more responsibility. We do not have to ask for permission all the time but must use our judgment, which naturally makes the decision-making process faster. Besides, creativity spikes when we have to find solutions to challenges by ourselves.”

‍”When you as employees have values ​​that guide you along the way, it is easier to make decisions per the company's values. The purpose of it is to become more fast-footed by reducing unnecessary follow-ups that tend to take up a lot of energy and resources.”, says Cecilia.

Satisfied customers and increased profits

Studies have shown a clear link between value-driven companies and higher growth and better profit margins. Living by its values enables companies to drive employee and customer satisfaction.”

Actually, it's not that strange. If there is clarity in communication both inside and outside the organisation, it leads to an increased sense of belonging, participation, and understanding. It also helps inspire confidence among the customers. It’s merely like the well-known saying - What you see is what you get", concludes Cecilia.