How to Create a Unique Workplace Culture

Summary

In a World at Work interview, Anita Hildreth from McMurray discusses the company's unique workplace culture, emphasizing its core values represented by the number eight. These values guide decisions and include principles like 'do the right thing' and 'embrace change.' McMurray's innovative 'Success Plan' replaces traditional performance reviews, involving 360-degree feedback and forward-looking goals. CEO involvement and initiatives like the annual 'Best Work' survey demonstrate a commitment to staff satisfaction, making McMurray a top career choice for many.

Takeaways

• 🏆 **Best Job Experience**: Nearly 80% of McMurray's staff consider it the best job of their careers, indicating high job satisfaction.
• 🔢 **Significance of Number 8**: The number 8 represents McMurray's core values which drive all company decisions.
• 📋 **Core Values**: The core values include doing the right thing, helping one another, delivering quality service, exceeding expectations, embracing change, accepting social responsibility, and earning a reasonable profit.
• 🌐 **Channel 8**: An internal social media hub where staff access information on benefits, news, staff directory, and more.
• 🔄 **Success Plan**: A forward-looking performance management system that provides a roadmap for staff to guide their next year, incorporating core values and 360 feedback.
• 👥 **Involvement in Goals**: Staff are asked to provide feedback on goals they consider important for the coming year, aligning with McMurray's core values.
• 👩‍💼 **Management Engagement**: The CEO and business unit leaders are deeply involved in implementing the company's values and culture, driving its success.
• 🚪 **Open Door Policy**: Transparency and open communication are emphasized, with the CEO actively seeking and responding to staff feedback.
• 📊 **Annual Best Work Survey**: An initiative where staff provide feedback on the best aspects of working at McMurray and areas for improvement, directly reviewed by the CEO.
• 🛡️ **Healthcare Selection Team**: A volunteer group that gathers staff feedback on benefits, influencing the open enrollment process.
• 🌟 **Unique Enrollment Approach**: McMurray starts open enrollment with a survey to understand staff needs and make necessary adjustments before the actual process.
• 🤝 **Values-Driven Culture**: McMurray's culture is characterized by values-driven, empowerment, and collaboration.

Q & A

What is the significance of the number eight in McMurray's culture?

The number eight represents McMurray's core values, which are the driving force behind all decisions within the company.

What are the core values that McMurray emphasizes in its culture?

The core values are: do the right thing, help one another, deliver raving service, produce quality, always exceed expectations, embrace change, accept social responsibility, and earn a reasonable profit.

How does McMurray utilize Channel 8 in its internal communications?

Channel 8 is an internal website where staff can access information on benefits, news articles, staff directory, and other relevant company information.

What is unique about McMurray's performance management system?

Instead of a traditional performance review, McMurray has a 'success plan' which is a forward-thinking process that provides staff with a roadmap for the next year.

How does the success plan incorporate McMurray's core values?

The success plan ties the core values to the feedback process, with managers providing feedback and setting goals for the coming year, while also obtaining 360-degree feedback from various staff members.

What is the role of the CEO and management team in implementing McMurray's workplace values?

The CEO and business unit leaders are heavily involved in driving the initiative, ensuring the values system and culture are successfully implemented and maintained.

How does McMurray ensure transparency and open communication with its staff?

McMurray has an open door policy, and the CEO actively seeks feedback from staff through initiatives like the annual best work survey, providing individual responses to feedback.

What is the healthcare selection team at McMurray and what is its role?

The healthcare selection team is a group of volunteer staff members from various locations who gather feedback on benefits and help determine changes for the open enrollment process.

How does McMurray approach open enrollment differently from other companies?

McMurray starts with a survey several months before the open enrollment process to gather staff feedback, which is then reviewed and considered for any necessary changes.

What feedback does McMurray's CEO provide in response to the annual best work survey?

The CEO individually reviews the feedback and provides immediate responses, explaining actions that will or will not be taken and the reasons behind them.

How would Anita Hildreth summarize McMurray's culture in three words?

Values driven, empowerment, and collaboration.