Whenever I stop to think about this , or am asked for examples of exceptional workplace culture, my #1 pick for places I have worked with or for, is always Property Exchange Australia, more commonly known as PEXA.
I was lucky enough to conduct a project with the good people at PEXA a number of years ago*. And when I say ‘lucky enough’, I truly mean that – I distinctly remember sitting in the CEO’s office one day and pinching myself, to see if this dream project was real. Spoiler alert – it was.
What was so darn excellent about PEXA?
First, there was the unmistakable vibe. The Mabo, if you will – and if you are a fan of The Castle.
The vibe hit you as soon as you walked in the door of their Melbourne headquarters, with a palpable and unmistakable positive energy so real you felt you could reach out and touch it. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
The receptionists made you feel genuinely welcome; unlike organisations where a log in machine greets you instead of a person.
Immediately after you walked past reception, you arrived in an impressive and light filled common area. Now I know there are a lot of culture experts who will tell you that the days of attracting talent via pool tables and pinball machines are over.
Whilst I tend to agree with this statement, the fact is that when perks like these, plus basketball hoops, one of the most impressive kitchens I have ever seen (complete with free booze and awesome, healthy snacks), cool areas to chill out in and collaborate in: when these perks are combined with great culture? Well, think of it like an equation.
Fun perks + great culture = excellence.
What are some other examples of PEXA’s great culture, aside from their welcoming and positive vibe?
First off, is the passion that staff had for the work they were doing – from the CEO down. I witnessed this in the 1:1s I had with the Executive, the focus groups I ran, and the HACK days I was a part of.
Hack day topics were not limited to ideas for new and innovative services, but included ideas for internal engagement and corporate and social responsibility.
When I attended part of their whole-of-organisation annual conference, I loved seeing how Pexarians who were living the organisation values received formal shout outs and congratulations. This is an organisation that truly believes in, and celebrates, employees who are ‘living the values’.**
In fact this is a monthly tradition, where PEXArians who go above and beyond to demonstrate the values of Better Together, Innovate For Good, Make It Happen, Make It Count are celebrated.
Then there is the kudos wall (as per the below photo). One of my favourite forms of visual recognition.
Other examples of PEXA’s excellent culture include:
- ‘Collaboration is strong on the agenda at PEXA. They utilise a platform to collect ideas for key areas of focus for the business. The ideas are visible to all employees, and each have a number of votes per day. Ideas that receive the most votes or have the best viability, are tested in a prototyping experiment and then rolled out if the experiment is successful’. [WRK+ 2021 Best Places to Work]
- Wellness hub. A hub of information for mind, body & soul, providing information via Masterclasses and wellness experts. Available to anyone, Pexarian or not, interested in wellness tips. #winning
- Certified Family Inclusive Workplace (includes providing school holiday programs for families).
- Since 2019, provides $1000 per month to support childcare.
All of the above are some pretty convincing reasons as to why PEXA was named 3rd in WRK+ Best Place to Work 2021.
And just recently, when chatting via the socials with one particular Pexarian, he told me how they have a slack channel dedicated to comedy – because they understand the value of humour in the workplace. Ding ding, there’s some more bonus points on the Excellence scale for PEXA.
BTW if you want to learn more about the value of Humour in the workplace, check out our previous blog in the A – Z of Workplace Culture series, ‘H is for Humour’.
What does excellence mean when we are talking about workplace culture?
Great question!
The more comprehensive answer to this question lies in the complete A – Z of Workplace Culture series: the link to all the blogs starts here.
Side note: look out for my book inspired by this series, coming your way later this year. #excited
The shorter answer to this excellent question, is to look at the Pexa Case Study, because Pexa are without a doubt, one of the best examples of high performance / exceptional culture that I have ever worked with.
Keen for more examples?
Well, an excellent culture will adopt a people centric / focused approach.
The leaders of people-centric companies understand that it’s people who make their company successful. These companies realise that when people feel valued and cared for, they do their work with stronger intrinsic motivation, a deeper sense of meaning, and a greater level of engagement. They go the extra mile simply because they want to contribute to an organisation that cares about them. (Forbes)
Want to understand what a people-centric approach is? Read our blog, Why a people-first approach is no longer just a nice to have.
What else makes an organisation excellent?
Another business that I have previously worked with, let’s call them DS, was asked by their international owners to share why the Aussie arm of the business had been deemed to have ‘the best’ aka ‘most excellent’ (yes, I’m paraphrasing) workplace culture by independent consultants.
We discovered that the reasons included:
A) Clarity and Alignment
o Team members understand the broader strategic goals of the organisation.
o Team members understand how their role contributes towards achieving those goals.
o Team members are able to connect their individual work with those goals.
B) Exceptional Leadership
o The leadership team provides support and guidance to all staff.
o The leadership team acknowledges the broader team’s efforts and good work.
o The leadership team are knowledgeable and experienced and share that with the rest of the team.
C) Communication
o Everyone has a voice.
o No-one is afraid to ask or answer questions.
o There is frequent communication from the leadership team to the rest of the team, and amongst all staff in general.
D) Psychological Safety
o Team members are not afraid to ask and answer questions or to speak up.
o Team members are not afraid to ask for help when they need it.
o Team collaboration is a feature (team members learn from each other, and sharing ideas and opinions, and own up to mistakes).
E) Accountability and recognition
o There is celebration of one another’s and team successes, and acknowledgement of when team members have done a good job.
o All staff have clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
o The leadership team regularly check-in and follow up on tasks, and end of job discussions are held to ascertain what went well, and what could be improved.
F) Deliberate Design.
o There has been a noticeable and deliberate push to foster a friendly and communal working environment.
o There are many social gatherings and catch ups including breakfasts and lunches that are not work focused but designed to foster positive connection and culture.
o ‘Culture’ is recognised as being everyone’s responsibility.
G) Wellbeing
o The leadership team demonstrates respect when team members need time away from their job due to personal reasons, and more generally demonstrates care about an individual’s personal wellbeing.
o Co-workers are mindful of each other’s work loads and aim to spread work around where possible.
o Team members regularly check-in with each other.
H) In general
o Team members are provided both independence and a sense of responsibility.
o Team members regularly get the opportunity to learn something new.
o There is a focus on team building and a positive working environment to counteract low salaries.
Lessons from Awards like Great Place to Work
What do awards like ‘Great Place to Work’ Australia tell us, when it comes to excellence in culture?
“The best employers are focusing on wellness beyond the physical – providing benefits that support their employees’ total well-being – mental, emotional and physiological. We are seeing a concerted effort to take care of the mental health of people, supporting leaders and normalising mental health conversations.” [Roland Wee, managing director of Great Place to Work Australia]
Both PEXA and DS clearly prioritised the wellbeing of the employees, as they understand that the wellbeing of all your employees is a crucial element in excellent workplace culture.
Want to know how to improve the wellbeing of your employees? Then check out the Workplace Wellbeing blogs in the A-Z Series: Part A [Y is for Y you really, really need to care about workplace wellbeing]and Part B [The How you can look after the wellbeing of your employees].
Atlassian is a frequent star on the GPTW list, and last year it ranked third in its category (>1000). Atlassian employees rank the following when considering why their workplace deserves to be deemed ‘great’.
A massive 98% of Atlassian employees said they are able to take time off from work when necessary, while 97% said they are proud to work at Atlassian; are made to feel welcome; their work-life balance is encouraged; and that management is honest and ethical in its business practices. [Smart Company]
Excellent culture does not just happen overnight.
But with a deliberately designed strategy and dedicated efforts, excellence is obtainable for any organisation.
Need some help designing said strategy? Then reach out here and book an obligation free time to chat about how Workology Co can help you gain clarity as to the current state of your culture, and identify where you need to dedicate your time and efforts to improve and move towards excellence.
*Whilst employed as a Senior Consultant with Apricot Consulting
**Want to understand the importance of Values for Excellent / High Performance Culture? Read our previous blog here, V is for Values.