4 business leaders on the value of a People-First strategy
The modern workplace is undergoing a cultural shift that puts people first. Businesses are moving away from more traditional corporate values that focus on service delivery and revenue towards a more positive workplace culture where the human factor is a priority.
The data shows that putting people first can have a significant and positive effect on client and employee retention by improving morale and building real relationships. Research by Oxford University found that employees are 13% more productive when they are happy. At the same time, 82% of employees feel they don’t get enough recognition for their contributions – a costly mistake considering 63% of companies report that retaining employees is more difficult than hiring them.
While happy, healthy and supported people do better work and stay longer, they also contribute to the commercial, social, ethical and civic success of the company. An organisation that identifies and nurtures talent in an environment of trust and transparency will always have an advantage when it comes to retention and business growth. But while business leaders are recognising the benefits of a people-first approach, knowing how to implement one is a different matter.
A people-first celebration
The ON Festival has been designed to examine this shift in corporate value focus. Live streamed from multiple locations on 24 June 2021, this 3-hour multi-location event will examine ways in which a people-first strategy can help companies succeed both in terms of growth and scale, but also in terms of new success through ethical investment in their people. Bringing together over 5,000 business leaders from across Europe as we re-emerge from the pandemic, the festival is designed to support and educate business leaders as they start planning the implementation of this new strategy style and values.
Key topics of the On Festival:
- Why positive psychology and a people-first approach is key to business success in today’s environment – backed by behavioural science
- The corporate culture that made Netflix a success
- How to identify and embed your brand’s purpose into your company’s culture
- Why putting people first will lead to measurable business growth.
Are you ready for an afternoon celebrating values like empathy, happiness and work-life balance? Check our programme here. Our expert speakers will deliver valuable insight as well as practical information about getting ahead of the game with a people-first strategy. Here’s a brief look at the topics they will cover:
Tal Ben-Shahar – The Effect of Positive Psychology on Organisational Success
Nobody knows how positive psychology can affect your company’s success better than author and lecturer Tal Ben-Shahar. His Harvard courses ‘Positive Psychology’ and ‘The Psychology of Leadership’ were hugely popular, and now he will join ON Festival to discuss his research.
Dr Ben-Shahar will share insights and tips to help leaders build strategies around the people-first approach. He uses behavioural science and technology to support his research and will inspire you to fully commit to culture change in the workplace. He has consulted and lectured all types of businesses including multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies on how mindfulness, goal-setting, ethics and other elements of positive psychology, can accelerate the development of leadership skills and business growth.
Mark Randolph – the Inspirational Story Behind Netflix’s Success
Netflix has become one of the most famous names in entertainment. We’re excited that Marc Randolph, the streaming giant’s co-founder, will be at ON Festival to share Netflix’s inspirational origin story. He’ll talk about his role in creating a pioneering start-up in 1997 that went on to dominate streaming and eventually resulted in Blockbuster’s demise. He’ll discuss how Netflix became so successful, so fast; highlighting the values and unique corporate culture that he believes made Netflix a hit.
Randolph has founded a succession of successful start-ups and knows the power of innovation, persistence and optimism in creating a positive workplace culture. If you’re set on emulating his success, you can ask him your burning questions in an open Q&A session.
Alexandra Dimiziani – why Brand Purpose is Crucial to Building Long-Lasting Relationships
Have you ever struggled with defining your brand’s purpose? Then you won’t want to miss Alexandra Dimiziani’s talk ‘Acting on Purpose’. The former Global Marketing Director of Airbnb and current CMO Advisor to tech start-ups draws on data and real-world anecdotes to explore the role of brand purpose in your company’s success. She will explore the importance of brand purpose, how to truly embed purpose into your culture and how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes. Discover how your business – driven by the right purpose – can create a shared vision of your values, increase engagement and reap the rewards.
Girish Mathrubootham – Why People-First Makes Business Sense
Freshworks’ co-founder and CEO Girish Mathrubootham will talk about his experiences implementing a successful people-first workplace culture since 2010. In the past decade, the entrepreneur has seen his company grow from a unicorn start-up to an international SaaS powerhouse, which offers a suite of products for customer and employee engagement.
Mathrubootham will expand on Freshworks philosophy of ‘Kudumba’ (a Tamil word meaning ‘family’) that informs how everyone in the company and beyond is valued. Join him at ON Festival to discover why he believes that the values of Kudumba, alongside delighting every customer and building genuine relationships, has been key to Freshworks’ success.
A festival, not (another event)
Join us at ON Festival on 24th June at 2:00 pm (BST) to discover how a people-first strategy can ensure your company’s success. Don’t miss out! There’s still time to register, even for accessing the on-demand content!
