Culture Queen
We’ve all heard the famous quote: Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is king. Well, if cash is King, then culture is undoubtedly its Queen.
On average, it takes UK businesses seven years to build a world-class culture, a culture so ingrained in the fabric of the business that nearly every employee should be able to articulate exactly what it is in one sentence or less, word for word.
In the ongoing war for talent and the retention of that talent, culture is by far the most intrinsic factor in winning. Yes, salary, benefits and work-life balance all matter, but when you spend 70% of your week in one place, among the same people, it’s culture that ultimately makes the difference.
How we cultivate our teams
At Ashtons, we have a saying: "The fish rots from the head down." This means that everyone, from top to bottom, is accountable for driving our culture and values. We invest heavily in training, not just to be a market-leading agent but to ensure our people become the best versions of themselves. This includes a six-week tailored training programme from the day you join Ashtons, designed to develop communication, mindset, objection handling and commercial awareness. Every year, we also invite a group of high performers across the business to join our ‘Ashtons Way’ development programme, which is designed to cultivate the future leaders of our business.
Work hard, play hard
As well as working hard, we play hard. Our team activities include development days such as The Crystal Maze in London, pushing ourselves physically with Tough Mudder challenges or climbing The O2 and our highly competitive Top Performers competition. Winners of the competition join our MD, Karl Judd, in London, where they are awarded £1,000 in Selfridges vouchers to spend (the only catch - whatever you don’t spend has to go back to Karl!). The day is rounded off with an afternoon of Michelin-starred dining.
In conclusion, if your business has a clear cultural mission that is inclusive, rewarding and resonates with your workforce, you’re six times more likely to succeed in your long-term business objectives.
The undeniable power of culture
Funnily enough, as I’ve been writing this, I’ve just received an email from a candidate expressing interest in joining Ashtons. To quote:
"I wanted to reach out as I’m in the process of moving on from (company name), an estate agency based in (location), and I’m now looking for a fresh challenge. I’ve been really impressed with Ashtons and the reputation you’ve built, so I wanted to introduce myself and see if you’d be open to a conversation.
"I’ve attached my CV for your reference, and I’d love the opportunity to discuss whether there might be a potential fit. Please let me know if you’d be available for a quick chat."
If that doesn’t prove the power of culture, I don’t know what does.
At Ashtons, we’re always on the lookout for talented people who share our values and want to be part of something special. If you’re looking for your next challenge, let’s have a conversation.
Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
