Company culture – developing values that count

Company culture is a phrase we hear a lot in business these days and I believe that’s a good thing. When we look at what it is:

• Making sure each person has a voice and knows where they fit in and how they contribute
• Cultivating positive attitude and respectful behaviour
• Creating strong work ethics

It’s no wonder that it’s one of the main drivers to business growth and enhancing a company’s reputation as both a valued supplier and employer of choice.

When I launched Zicam Integrated Security Limited 25 years ago, my aim was to surround myself with people who were ambitious, committed and who had a great attitude. I’d come from a customer service background and to me, excellence in this area of the business had to be second to none. If I wanted Zicam to be known for two things they were that: (1) we never compromise on the quality of equipment we use in our security systems, and (2) we always deliver unparalleled customer service. But you can’t just demand that of people; it needs to be shown, lived, and developed from day one on the job.

Treat people well and show, don’t tell

I would say it’s as simple as that. You treat your staff how you would like to be treated and be the person who is living the company values. For me they are honesty, integrity, and professionalism and I live that every day and show my amazing team that’s how I believe we should all behave. We’ve created a culture that is very family orientated; I truly believe that if you trust and support your team then they will return that investment ten-fold because people want to give back when they’re treated well. If one of the team needs to leave early because they have, for example, childcare issues, then no problem. They’re probably very likely to stay a bit later when we have a big job to complete. Flexibility and trust are crucial to developing a supportive and committed team.

Invest in the best

If you want the best people around you and representing your business, then investment has to be top of the priority list. I don’t just mean training and personal development, for Zicam that’s a matter of course – to keep people up to date with their qualifications and supporting them when they show an interest in developing their skills is what keeps people interested in their roles.

I mean investing in the kit, the equipment, the vehicles, the PPE, the technology they need to feel a sense of pride in their work. This was important to me 25 years ago and it’s just as important to me now. Zicam will always provide the top range for its staff – everyone has a part to play in the business and I want them to feel proud to be a part of it. When you feel proud of where you work you want to represent it, promote it, and live by its values just that little bit more.

Passing it on

A positive company culture and strong values are meaningless if they’re not retained as a business grows. So how do we instill them in our new starters? Of course, we go back to showing people how we behave rather than telling them but, in my opinion, we start with respect. We have a training matrix that shows respect to the new starter in relation to their on-the-job development and we also have a system where they shadow every role in the business to develop respect for their colleagues and their workload. If you join Zicam as a gate engineer, that doesn’t mean you only shadow other engineers, you also site with admin team and the projects team so there’s a rounded picture of the company and a respect for what everyone does. It also shows how everyone fits in because everyone does fit in here. Everyone has a voice and an opinion that will be heard and valued.

I’m immensely proud of this company and everyone who represents it. We’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing to earn respect throughout the industry, and we’ll continue to invest in our people and develop our culture. It’s what works!

Milan Mazić, CEO, Zicam Integrated Limited.

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