REWARD
“Be realistic about what you can actually deliver before making promises”
its critical role in people's livelihoods, demands particularly high standards of trust and reliability. If you're leading a business, take a hard look at your stated values. Then ask yourself: l do our operations truly reflect these values? l would our clients and staff agree that we live up to them? l are there areas where our actions contradict our words? (And for this one, really kick the tyres of the business). This self-assessment may be uncomfortable, but it's essential. The gap between stated values and actual behaviour is where trust is lost. The reward of alignment When you align your business around authentic values and live and breathe them as guiding principles, something powerful happens. Decision-making becomes clearer. Staff engagement improves. Client relationships deepen. Most importantly, you build a business you can be genuinely proud of. And, in today's world, that's not just the right approach; it's also good business. n
leadership making tough calls that prioritise values over short-term gains, it sends a powerful message. Recruitment and training are key Building a values-driven business starts with bringing in people who share your ethos. Technical skills matter, but attitude and alignment with your values are equally important. We've sometimes chosen candidates with less experience but who are a better fit with our values, and it's paid off every time. Skills can be taught, but people who actually ‘get’ your values are priceless. And when you have the right people in place, you need to nurture them and allow them to behave in a way that lives up to your values. In my experience, this is one of the hardest balancing acts to achieve. Staff need to know what’s expected of them, but the business must also give them the authority to make and act on decisions. It must become second nature.
This will happen through a mixture of training, processes, management style and the mechanisms to help make it happen. For example, I implemented a ‘Customer Wow’ programme that allowed our team, who were in regular contact with clients, to capture information we could use to celebrate key moments in their lives. This went beyond just birthdays to include other life events such as marriages, new babies and even retirement, which were marked with personal gifts and messages. Customers loved it. The staff felt great, and we lived up to our values. Standing out through authenticity In a crowded market where many service providers seem the same, your values can become a genuine differentiator – but only if they are authentic. Clients increasingly look beyond the core product or service. They want to work with businesses that operate ethically and consistently. The payroll sector, with
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 112 | July-August 2025
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