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Company Culture
Helping you develop a strong company culture that naturally drives your business towards your goals
“Company culture” is so much more than just a buzz phrase. It plays a key role in whether a business thrives or falters. It shapes how people communicate, make decisions, and feel about the work they do day-to-day.
Get it right, and you build a team that is engaged, aligned, and proud to play their part in your success. Get it wrong, and even the best business plans can start to unravel.
At People Puzzles, we work closely with ambitious businesses to create positive, people-first cultures that support well-being, unlock productivity and strengthen performance.
Whether you’d like to learn how to improve company culture in a growing business, are keen to start building a strong company culture post-investment or need guidance on how to align your people with your business strategy, our strategic People Directors bring the clarity, experience and structure needed to get your culture working for you.
Company Culture Case Study
Transforming Retention
Fast growing business Total Enterprise Solutions (TES) had its sights set on global expansion but realised that this required pressure to be taken off the CEO and a strategic approach to people planning.
“It gives you the capacity to do your job better -which then means that you’re having a greater impact on the business. It becomes this really positive self-perpetuating energy that’s permeating through the whole business” Paul Faulkner, CEO, TES
Ready to build a company culture that works for everyone?
Discover what happens when your people feel motivated, aligned and proud of the business they’re part of.
Book your free 30-minute consultation today
Call us on: 0345 646 5201 or email [email protected]
What is company culture?
Company culture is the day-to-day experience people have working in your business – how they feel, communicate, and collaborate. It’s shaped by leadership, values and behaviours, and directly impacts how on-board your people are with your goals and future vision. Great culture doesn’t happen by chance – it’s something you need to consciously build.
At People Puzzles, we help leaders define, develop and embed a culture that brings out the best in their people – and their business.
Learn more about company culture in our Knowledge Hub
Why company culture matters
- Higher productivity – engaged employees perform 21% better on average
- Fewer people problems – less time spent on grievances, disputes and HR fire-fighting
- Stronger retention – your best people stay longer when they feel valued and aligned
- Better hiring outcomes – good culture attracts the right people
- Scalable growth – teams are more aligned, accountable and proactive
“Businesses with highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable than those without.”
How company culture development works at People Puzzles
We don’t offer one-size-fits-all HR mentoring or vague advice. Instead, our strategic People Directors work with you to define, build and embed a corporate culture that supports your people and powers your business strategy.
Here’s how we work:
- Getting under the skin of your business
We get to know your business inside and out – your people, leadership, challenges and culture as it stands today. - Define what good looks like
By developing your core values and with input from your leadership team, we help define a company culture that aligns with your long-term goals. - Embed and empower
From senior team workshops to wider engagement strategies, we help bring your ideal culture to life – not just on posters, but in people’s everyday behaviours. - Support and sustain
We provide practical, ongoing support to reinforce progress, evolve with your business and ensure the culture you build today is still working into the future.
“We now have a high performing leadership team and employees who know where we’re going and how their work contributes to our overall success.”
Jeremy Fentiman, Managing Director – McKinleys Group
What are the benefits of Outsourcing HR?
Reduce risk with clear expectations
Clear values and behaviours reduce confusion, limit disputes, and protect your brand and reputation.
Improve productivity with aligned teams
When people feel connected and clear on goals, they perform better and need less hands-on management.
Retain talent by building belonging
A strong culture helps people feel valued and supported, making them more likely to stay long term.
Create a place people want to work
Your culture becomes a magnet for people who share your values and feel inspired to grow with your business.
Scale with confidence and clarity
Culture provides structure as you grow, helping you delegate, empower others, and lead more strategically.
Why choose People Puzzles for Company Culture Development?
Tangible results, not just advice
Our strategic People Directors do more than diagnose issues – they roll up their sleeves and help deliver lasting change. From improving communication to embedding shared values and developing leadership capability, we help you build a culture that aligns people with purpose.
Flexible, embedded support – from day one
With hands-on input from your own dedicated People Director, working as part of your leadership team, we help you develop the kind of culture that improves productivity, reduces business costs, and builds a team of people who genuinely love their work.
A track record of measurable outcomes
We’ve helped businesses reduce leadership strain, improve team alignment, formalise their company values, and set up structures for sustainable growth. At McKinleys Group, for example, culture change led to a high-performing leadership team and people who understood exactly how their work contributed to success.
80+ strategic HR experts, 1,000+ businesses supported
Our 80+ experienced People Directors have worked at board level across a wide range of industries. Collectively, they’ve helped over 1,000 businesses across the UK tackle their people challenges and grow with confidence.
“When he is here, he is seen as a member of the team and he gets involved… he adds energy and value.”
— Mark Crisp, MD – Chapel Properties
Company Culture Development Success Stories
McKinleys Group – Aligning People and Strategy for Confident Expansion
Challenge: With plans to grow, the business lacked the structure and people strategy to scale effectively.
Solution: People Director Victoria focused on restructuring the team, creating clear accountability, and supporting the leadership team.
Results: A high-performing senior leadership team, and employees who feel connected to the company’s goals and future direction.
Chapel Properties – Embedding Values and Leadership to Drive Smarter Growth
Challenge: Strong values existed, but weren’t embedded. Leadership strain, poor project profitability, and unclear communication held the business back.
Solution: People Director Mark Waine helped define ‘The Chapel Way’, improve communication, and restructure leadership and operations.
Results: Clearer direction, stronger communication, and a more engaged team have positioned Chapel for sustainable growth.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is company culture - and why does it matter?
Company culture is the way people behave, communicate, and work with each other in your business. It’s shaped by leadership, values and day-to-day habits – and it influences everything from performance to retention. A strong company culture gives your people direction and motivation, and a reason to care about your business and its ambitions.
How do I know if our company culture is healthy?
Healthy cultures are usually easy to spot. People are engaged, aligned, and feel proud of where they work. Communication is open, feedback is encouraged, and leadership is trusted. If you’re not seeing this, it might be time to review your company culture strategy – especially if your business is growing or going through change.
What is the difference between culture and engagement?
Culture is about the environment you create – the behaviours, values and tone of your workplace. Engagement on the other hand is how people respond to that culture. A strong culture helps keep employees engaged, especially during times of growth or change. Both are vital if you want your people to be aligned with your business strategy.
What is the link between culture and people retention?
People stay where they feel valued, trusted, and part of something meaningful. A clear, supportive culture helps reduce churn and attract people who share your values. In fact, many of our clients see improvements in both people retention and engagement once they embed a culture that truly reflects their business goals.
What are the 4Cs of company culture?
The “4Cs” refer to common pillars of a strong workplace culture: Clarity, Communication, Consistency, and Connection. These principles help ensure your people understand where your business is heading, feel part of something bigger, and are supported by clear structures that reinforce shared values and behaviours.
What are the signs of a toxic or unhealthy corporate culture?
Frequent misunderstandings, high staff turnover and low morale are all potential warning signs of an unhealthy culture. People may do just the bare minimum, avoid collaboration, or feel unclear about the direction of the business. If your team seems disengaged or there are repeated grievances, it may be time to start looking at how to build a stronger company culture.
How long does it take to change a company culture?
It depends where you start from, and how ready your leadership team is to lead by example. But even if you are starting from scratch, culture change doesn’t have to take years. With the right guidance and practical support from a hands-on People Director, you could start seeing transformational improvements within months.
What are the typical real-life outcomes of company culture development?
Businesses that invest in their culture often see measurable improvements in employee engagement, leadership capability, and overall business performance. Outcomes can include reduced risk, clearer communication, better team alignment, and improved retention – especially when growth or investment creates pressure to scale quickly and strategically.
How does ESG fit into company culture?
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) impacts company culture by influencing values, behaviours and the overall organisational strategy of the business. When ESG is integrated into company culture, it creates a sense of purpose and enhances engagement and interactions, not just within, but between the organisation and its stakeholders, building reputation and trust in the process.
Ready to develop a strong company culture to help your business thrive?
When your people are happy, engaged and proud to work for you, your business thrives. Let’s talk about how we can shift your company culture to great.
Call us on: 0345 646 5201 or email [email protected]
Glossary
Company Culture: The behaviours, values and norms that define how people work and interact.
People Engagement: The level of commitment and motivation your people feel when they’re at work.
People Director: An experienced, senior HR professional who provides strategic people leadership on a flexible basis.
Culture Audit: A structured way of assessing your current workplace culture to see where you are currently, and where you need to be.
Values Development: Defining and embedding guiding principles within your business so that everyone is aligned on who you are, what drives you, and where you’re headed.
Employee Retention: The ability to keep great people in your business by creating a workplace they want to be part of.
Culture Strategy: A planned approach to improving company culture through leadership, values and everyday behaviours.
Strategic HR: People-focused support that aligns directly with your business goals – not just policies and admin.
Want more information?
Have a look at our dedicated Fractional HR knowledge hub:
What does outsourced HR do?
How much does it cost to outsource HR?
What are the disadvantages of HR outsourcing?
What HR functions should not be outsourced?
Related Services
Company culture development is just one piece of the strategic HR puzzle.
Explore other ways we can support your people strategy:
Ready to Make Your Business a Great Place to Work?
At People Puzzles, our customised, data-driven, expert-led strategy guarantees that your people are not only managed but empowered to move your business forward. If you’re ready to reap the rewards of a solid company culture, share a few details and we’ll be in touch to discuss the next steps.
See what our clients say!
Clyde has been instrumental in taking BEAR Scotland from 'good to great'
Iain Murray, Managing Director, BEAR Scotland
Working closely with Clyde Marwick we developed a five-pillar framework addressing our goal for a high performing HR function including employer branding, recruitment innovation, and reward enhancement. We have navigated complex employee relations challenges while building strategic capability across our HR team. We now have the people infrastructure to match our operational excellence.
Liz's support was instrumental in us delivering a successful consultation
Director of Finance, National Hair & Beauty Federation
Following the completion of our restructure, I wanted to get in touch to say thank you. Liz's support was instrumental in us delivering a successful consultation. We are extremely grateful for her measured and sound advice, helping us to navigate such a sensitive situation, and we look forward to working with her again in future .
Lynn guided me out of my comfort zone to help me achieve my goals
Samantha Freeman, Management Accountant, Wirtgen Group
I could not recommend Lynn more, she guided me out of my comfort zone to help me achieve my goals and to think about things from an alternative perspective. I have also had a few people comment on the positive changes they can see in me which is a result of our sessions.
Sarah is a trusted advisor and sounding board to both me and my team.
Claire Watkin, Managing Director, Trendsetter
Working with People Puzzles has enabled me to step out of the day to day running of the business and concentrate on our future strategic direction. Sarah has helped us focus on how we develop our future leaders, cross team collaboration, and enhance overall business performance, as well as supporting the achievement of B Corp status.
The achievements of the People Strategy made a measurable difference.
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Sigma
I can't thank Paula enough for all her support over the last 3 years. Her time with us turned out to be much longer than any of us expected but I guess this reflects the extraordinary events and circumstances we’ve encountered since 2019. The achievements over this period made a measurable difference to engagement and has helped Sigma transition our people policies from that of an SME into market leading large corporate. Thank you.
Lynn was always positive and listened when it mattered
Coaching Client – Wirtgen Limited
I cannot give Lynn enough thanks for the help that she gave me to better understand myself and help me find the answers to some tough questions. Lynn was always positive and listened when it mattered, Thanks again Lynn.
I have been able to build a proactive relationship with Pauline
Amy Fisher, MD, Doby Verrolec
I have been able to build a proactive relationship with Pauline. I came into this role last year with an agenda for growth and we have been working together across employee engagement, contacts and policies.
Pauline developed our people strategy with a robust methodology
Jeremy Royle, MD, YourNRG
Pauline’s hands on approach helped us to build on the work we have already taken and develop our people strategy with a robust methodology to meet the current needs and future growth of the business.
Working closely with one local and very knowledgeable person
Amy Fisher, MD, Doby Verrolec
The real benefit of People Puzzles is that your business and industry sector needs are matched with one of the People Puzzles Directors. This means you work closely with one local and very knowledgeable person who can quickly understand the people needs of the business.
Working with Sarah has been a rewarding, productive and an educational experience
Chief Operating Officer, Salford Primary Care Together
We wanted to understand more about what was driving our organisational culture, key risks and issues, what our priorities should be, and to understand what we could achieve with our limited resources. Sarah brought commitment, pragmatism, and positivity to our challenges which helped us achieve many of our goals including organisational restructures, re-design of several key HR processes and upskilling of our teams.
Pauline has very quickly gotten to grips with Your NRG.
Managing Director, Your NRG
Pauline has very quickly gotten to grips with Your NRG, and has brought to our attention some processes that need our focus as a result of our recent rapid growth. We are pushing on with the more pressing operational day-to-day strategies and initiatives whilst also educating the SMT on their overall understanding of ‘cradle to grave’ employment. Pauline continues to work diligently and tirelessly for Your NRG and I am delighted to have her ongoing support alongside us as we continue on our journey to realise our levels of ambition.
Changed the way we approach our senior meetings and develop our strategy.
Chair, Regular Cleaning
Shaun worked closely with me and the senior team and taught us a lot. Shaun dedicated time for each team member and encouraged, educated and guided them to be the best they can be. We achieved so much in the time we worked with Shaun and he has helped to change our focus from working in the business to working on the business giving us time to dedicate to the progression of the teams that make up the rest of our family.
Jill has worked on many projects as our part time HR Director.
Founder, Aura
One was around sick days which she has now reduced by 75%. This has significantly minimised the disruption it was causing.
Stewart's work has been a major factor in helping us achieve our ambitious targets.
Gerry Simmonds, Safpro
Stewart helped to align our senior team around business goals and implemented clear people plan has been a major factor in helping us achieve our ambitious targets. We have grown 20% over the past two years and with the team we now have in place this growth is set to continue.
Lynn's work as our trusted HR consultant and my mentor has been absolutely invaluable.
Oktawia Ellis, HR Manager, We Seal
I have the distinct pleasure of working with Lynn at People Puzzles. Her work over the last few years as our trusted HR consultant and my mentor has been absolutely invaluable. Lynn is an expert in her field, she is very knowledgeable, encourageing, supportive, and an effective leader. She is also really funny and a pleasure to be around! I learned a lot from Lynn and I would strongly recommend her.
The impact Lynn has had on our challenges are beyond my expectations
James Laxton, Managing Director, Laxtons
She has engaged with all our staff and her approach is a breath of fresh air for the business. The support she has given me has made some difficult issues appear straight forward and she has given a new lease of life in the business. We would not have been able to get to where we are now without her wealth of experience and hands on people approach and I am excited to see what the future brings working with Lynn.
Every team leader can now make decisions in line with the vision
Roy Bowie, Managing Director, GreenBlue Urban
I used to have the view that HR was managing difficult cases and moving people on with occasional recruitment support. But what People Puzzles does is so much more than that. It’s about the development of the business and its people as a whole which has been the biggest eye opener for me.
Working with Gill has helped us develop a People Plan which goes beyond compliance
Bernard Sellars, Managing Director, Lindum Packaging
Working with Gill from People Puzzles has helped us develop a People Plan which goes beyond compliance – it has helped us as a team to achieve greater alignment and engagement with the business strategy and goals.
I found the personal development coaching I received from Lynn to be very beneficial.
Alex Calvert, Marketing and PR Account Manager, Intandem Communications Ltd
I found the personal development coaching I received from Lynn to be very beneficial. Lynn helped me to work on some very clear objectives with a good balance of supportiveness and knowing when to challenge and push me out of my comfort zone!
We are now in a strong position from a people perspective, to leverage the future
Craig Bennett, CEO, Sigma Group
Paula developed a clear People plan and road map, which has significantly moved us on. She has developed the existing HR team, and ensured that we progressed quickly on all the initiatives that we identified. I’m confident that based on the last 6 months, with Paula’s input and contribution, we are now in a strong position from a people perspective, to leverage the next 6 months and beyond.
A very professional team
Chris Morling, Founder & CEO, Money.co.uk
It’s been brilliant to have such knowledgeable consultants help us to empower our people. Stuart and Sophie were incredibly flexible, adapting their services to our business and existing culture. I’d highly recommend People Puzzles.
Shifted my view of HR!
Gavin Pooley, Managing Director, Liquidline
I used to think that HR was all about employment law compliance and managing the administration basics. I didn’t get the hugely positive impact strategic HR could make to the business – I do now!’
Transformed my understanding
Managing Director, B2B Supplies and Support Services
Having Alison on the team is like having another MD/MBA in the business. She has totally transformed my understanding of HR.
Fantastic support!
Kerry Berry, Director, S&K Berry Associates LLP
Lynn has been a fantastic support to us and an ongoing fountain of knowledge. If you have a business and/or staff you need to take care of, you need a Lynn on your team!
Such a detailed process
Sue Ford, Director, Bridge Case Management
Lynn ran a detailed process and I wasn’t allowed to get away with anything – All relevant issues were included and dealt with objectively.
We’ve accomplished a lot!
Joseph Carr, Managing Director, Carrs Pasties
This is an inspiring story and it’s all true. I can’t believe it’s about us! We’ve accomplished a lot over the last 18 months.
Helping us shape the business
Stuart Hill, CEO, WNDirect
Carole has helped me and the business massively and added real value while helping us shape the business.
Vee has delivered a huge amount for the company
Bertie Kerr, Managing Director, Albany Associates Ltd
Vee started with a baseline study of where we were. She then presented a work plan to deliver over the coming months and while some priorities have changed it is impressive to look back and see how much has been achieved. She has become a trusted member of the senior team, providing advice and guidance on difficult topics and is regularly consulted by staff for her input.
Alison joined Valleys to Coast on an interim basis and 18 months later is still with us!
Joanne Oak, Chief Executive Officer, Valleys to Coast Housing
Alison has been instrumental working with me to recruit to a permanent role. Alison’s approach has been one of partnership, contributing as part of the strategic leadership team, which has been critically important given the turbulence the organisation has been through. Alison is always available, responsive and I would highly recommend her for expert HR support
Over the last 3 years, People Puzzles has helped build a very strong people culture
Phil Dupont, Director, RVT Group
We now have a clear Vision for the Companies 5 Pillars, In-house manager, leadership ‘Power 90’ Training and a rhythm of key meetings throughout each year. This has had a direct contribution to the significant growth of the company in the last 3 years… With this support from People Puzzles continuing, the company continues to grow both financially and culturally for the benefit of all.