Building a Better Workplace: 3 Insights from Our Journey to the UK's Top 100

By Dave Coull, CEO of Stage Electrics Group 

At Stage Electrics Group, we’re honoured to be recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work For in 2024.  

Above all, this achievement is a testament to the dedication of each team member in the business, who has played their part in creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and inspired to succeed. 

Our joint efforts towards building a better workplace have been a rewarding experience but also a challenging one. The insights from Best Companies have highlighted several areas where we must still improve if we’re to achieve “World Class” status—an aspiration I hold for our teams.  

In response to the interest and questions I've received from managers and business leaders—both within and beyond our industry, I wanted to share three elements that I believe have been instrumental in our journey to achieving this recognition. 

1. Putting Values into Action: How We Build a Stronger Team  

Our company culture is, in effect, our “people policy” and is rooted in the strong belief that a business's greatest asset is its people. Importantly, it embodies our five core values: professional, considerate, honest, collaborative and innovative. Our culture also has: 

• Inclusivity at the Core: Applying our core values of being collaborative and considerate, we focus on creating an inclusive environment where I hope colleagues feel recognised and empowered to contribute at any level. 
• Innovation as a Focus: By embracing innovation and professionalism, we enable our teams to think outside the box, providing a safety net to explore new ideas while maintaining the highest standards. 
• Integrity: In line with our values of honesty, consideration, and professionalism, we prioritise open communication across all levels of the organisation. By sharing as much information as possible, we empower colleagues to make better-informed decisions, meaning they can positively contribute to achieving our collective objectives. 

Above all else, we recognise through our company culture the value of our people and their vital role in delivering success for our customers and, in turn, the company. An example of this recognition in practice is our company-wide bonus scheme, ensuring that colleagues share in the business’s success. 

2. Purpose: Building a Workplace That Works for All  

At their core, the products and services we offer are designed to enable and enrich experiences. In short, we exist to make performance possible.  

To drive continuous improvement across the business and uphold the industry-leading standards that our existing and new customers expect from us, we understand, as I have already suggested, that our success is built on our greatest asset: our people. That is why, in addition to our purpose: “we make performance possible”, I’d hope colleagues would also recognise our commitment to being a great place to work. 

A “great place to work” is more than beanbags in meeting rooms and prosecco taps in the kitchen, though the latter would be nice! It’s a commitment to colleagues that says their health, well-being, growth, development, and opportunities to progress are, amongst other things, a foundational focus for the group’s management, as are improvements in pay and conditions.  

Our people policy and commitment to being a great place to work are intrinsically linked to our dedication to delivering exceptional outcomes for our customers. By attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry, we consistently rise to the challenge of meeting our clients' objectives. 

3. The Results of Measuring What Truly Counts 

“What gets measured gets improved” is a quote often attributed to Peter Drucker, the renowned management consultant, and Robin Sharma, author of The 5 am Club and other must-read books. Whilst I can’t confirm whether either of them actually said it, I can say with confidence that if the insights gained from measuring are effectively applied, the sentiment holds true. 

In 2022, we made the brave decision to start asking our colleagues how they felt about working at Stage Electrics Group. I say brave because, in my view, it takes courage to do what I’d guess 98% of managers avoid: exposing themselves to everything that comes with such open and transparent conversations with colleagues. 

The Leadership Team decided to treat the surveys, which are anonymous, including the latest Best Companies survey, as valuable tools for learning, growth, and improvement across the company. Exemplifying leadership, they reframed the process—not seeing the survey results as a test, but rather viewing how they worked with their colleagues to address the results as the true measure of success. 

In addition to tracking trends in such surveys, we’ve also observed: 

• Recruitment & Retention: Improved retention rates and success in attracting great talent. 
• Relationships: Happy colleagues equal happy customers and further improvements in customer satisfaction levels. 
• Results: Higher productivity and efficiency levels reflect our progress. 

Summary 

A positive workplace culture isn’t just beneficial for employees—it’s essential for business. After all, the two go hand in hand. We've seen improvements across the organisation by putting our people first, recognising their contributions, and staying true to our purpose. 

We also recognise that being a great place to work is an ongoing journey. That’s why we remain committed to listening to our team, embracing feedback, and continually finding new ways to better serve our customers. 

I hope sharing some of our experiences has been helpful. If you’d like to learn more about our approach, please feel free to contact me—I’d be delighted to share further insights with you. 

Finally, I want to express my sincere thanks to every member of our team. Your commitment, enthusiasm, and hard work have made our “Best Companies” status possible. So, this recognition belongs to YOU!