Andy Storch recently engaged in an insightful discussion with Janina Norton, the Group Head of Culture at AXA, a leading multinational financial services firm headquartered in France. Janina shed light on AXA's innovative approaches to culture transformation and employee engagement, emphasizing the crucial role of leadership.

Here are actionable steps you can take to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive organizational culture similar to what AXA is achieving:

Emphasize Purpose and Authenticity

Janina underscored the significance of establishing an authentic and purpose-driven culture. To achieve this, define your company’s core purpose and align it with your actions. Ensure your organizational values reflect your commitment to employees and the community. Authenticity engages employees and fosters a stronger, more cohesive company culture.

Design Effective Employee Surveys

Develop surveys that pinpoint key areas such as employee engagement, strategic alignment, health and wellbeing, and psychological safety. Avoid overwhelming your staff with excessively long surveys. A more targeted approach ensures higher participation and more actionable insights. Consistently refresh your survey questions to stay aligned with your organization's evolving strategies.

Act on Survey Insights

Transition from gathering insights to delivering impactful actions. Identify one to three key focus areas from survey results and implement targeted improvements. Communicate these changes to your employees, highlighting how their feedback has driven positive organizational initiatives. Maintaining this communication loop reinforces the value of employee input and enhances engagement.

Promote Leadership's Role in Culture

Leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping and sustaining organizational culture, especially in hybrid work environments. Develop a clear vision for your leadership team and encourage them to model the desired cultural behaviors. Establish a global leadership framework like AXA’s Leadership Framework to maintain consistency in leadership behaviors across your organization.

Implement Development Programs

Create development programs, such as AXA's Manager Academy, aimed at equipping leaders to navigate change, take informed risks, and lead through uncertainty. Foster an environment that encourages leaders to adapt and grow by providing experiential learning opportunities.

Advance Career Development and Mobility

Acknowledge the necessity for agility and adaptive skills in career development. Collaborate with Learning and Development (L&D) teams to create initiatives such as talent mobility, upskilling, mentoring, and gig assignments. Promote a mindset that accepts failure as a learning opportunity and cultivates creativity and flexibility among employees.

Integrate a Health and Wellbeing Program

Take inspiration from AXA's "We Care" program, which focuses on holistic employee wellbeing. Implement programs that provide extended parental leave, paid leave for caregivers, financial protection, and health checks. Such initiatives demonstrate an organization’s genuine care for its employees, fostering trust and loyalty.

Respect Cultural Differences

As a multinational company, respect and adapt to cultural differences across various regions while maintaining a cohesive organizational culture. Encourage values such as caring and daring, and promote open conversations and appropriate challenging of the status quo. This balance enables a flexible yet unified cultural framework.

Ensure Effective Employee Engagement

Effective employee engagement involves directly asking and listening to employees. Use employee feedback to make practical and sustainable cultural changes. Share success stories where employee input has led to improvements, reinforcing the tangible impact of their voices.

Maintain Agility in Listening Strategies

Remain adaptable in your employee listening strategies to stay relevant and effective. Conduct periodic global and local surveys to capture specific insights and maintain a high participation rate. A short and consistent approach to surveys will encourage continued employee engagement.

Creating and sustaining a thriving organizational culture involves intentional efforts, strong leadership, and continuous adaptability. By adopting these strategies and learning from Janina Norton's experiences at AXA, you can build an environment where employees feel engaged, valued, and empowered to reach their fullest potential.

Be sure to listen to the full episode on the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast!