Why our employees are instrumental in supporting organisational growth

You will not be surprised to hear that long-term organisational success is largely attributed to how a business functions internally. Only for so long can a company retain a strong external position, if its internal performance is just not up to scratch.

So what defines success on the inside? Many people – including myself – would argue organisational culture has a lot to do with a company’s shelf life: ranging from employee satisfaction (measuring if employees feel valued – and doing something about it if they don’t), to developing and investing in a workforce that has the ability and willingness to learn and contribute, embrace change, work flexibly and face the next inevitable challenge.

Once it is harnessed, the value of engaged employees is undeniable. These staff members truly believe in their organisation’s vision; they are passionate about the value of services or goods available; and have an irreplaceable understanding of your customer base. So why not involve them in your business growth and development plans?

Employee contributions often seem to be under-estimated, particularly when it comes to focusing on organisational development and defining a new strategic approach. Not involving your workforce is an opportunity missed – our greatest assets can be instrumental in helping to shape future business direction.

At Fusion21 we embrace the above philosophy, and we’re currently working alongside our staff members to help develop our new growth strategy.  We believe an individual’s position in our organisation is irrelevant; it’s their ideas that count.

To help start internal conversations, we’ve been running face-to-face staff workshops and focus groups to listen to and reflect upon the views of our employees. Feedback has already been key in helping us to create a new “Internal approach for success” – a model that we’ll use to analyse and improve performance, in addition to helping us to manage risk.

As an organisation we’ve worked hard to achieve this collaborative culture, and now we’re reaping the rewards. I’m still delighted to say that last year we received IIP Gold status – putting us in the top 7% of UK organisations who invest in the potential of their people.

In addition to being praised for our internal approach to people management, the quality of our client relationships and service delivery were also highlighted as areas of excellence. Our staff should be extremely proud of these achievements – we certainly couldn’t do it without them.

However, it’s also important to recognise that employee aspiration cannot solely be satisfied by working for a driven and successful organisation – we all want to learn and develop in our specialisms, so we can develop and ultimately do our jobs better.

That’s why we also encourage our staff to invest in their own personal growth – by tapping into our learning and personal development offer. As markets continually change and techniques and legislation evolve, it’s essential our team of experienced chartered surveyors, procurement and community regeneration specialists are fully armed with the most up-to-date knowledge.

As an organisation we’ve currently got our studying caps on. We’re supporting staff from across the business to undertake a Chartered Institute of Purchasing Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply Chain – whilst some team members are being funded to study Masters Degrees in construction and procurement related fields.  

It’s fair to say that a growing organisation will always seek continuous improvement – in my experience, a combination of collective input and a commitment to personal development will keep your company travelling in the right direction.

By Mark Chadwick, Director of Business Services at Fusion21