How did Byron keep its culture as it grew to 52 restaurants? Photo: CC

Thursday 17th September 2015

Keeping the feeling

Retaining culture is important, says Byron’s Mike Williams

When any entrepreneur sets up a business, he or she will think about the one thing they’re best at, the need to do something they love and the conviction to grow something they believe in.

These thoughts form the basis of every fledgling company’s mission. And whether or not the entrepreneur is consciously trying to embed them as values – or has no idea what values mean in a business context – a culture will grow, even if they’re a one-man band.

This culture gives businesses a USP. It makes them authentic and allows them to stand out from their competitors.

But can you keep your unique culture as your business grows, even teeters on the verge of being global?

Hearts and minds

Culture is something that’s lived in hearts and minds. You can’t just tell staff about the company values or write down what the culture means and send it out in a staff email or stick it on the wall in a canteen.

Byron Hamburgers’ CEO, Tom Byng, set up the company in 2007 because he liked burgers. The culture of the company was simple – doing one thing (making hamburgers) and doing it properly.

In a corporate environment, it can be easy to forget this. But the crux of my job is to make sure this culture survives and thrives, and that all our people know about it.

We want a culture where our people love our food and know our menu to the very last pickle. And we want managers who know how to get the best from people without ‘management guidelines’. (That’s not our culture at all, by the way.)

We recruit for culture and train for skills. We want to hire sparky people that get our vision, have eaten in our restaurants and love what we do.

My team are always on the lookout for great people. In fact, if we’re eating out in another restaurant and experience great service from someone, we invite them to Byron to have a burger on us and find out what it’s like to work here.

We’ve also introduced speed recruitment nights, where potential managers can meet potential colleagues and experience what it’s like to be a part of Byron.

Extra mile

Appreciation and love for a company culture is something that can never be forced. It’s something people either have or they don’t.

If they do, then they’ll go the extra mile for a business, innovate, delight customers and stay with you as it grows, sharing the culture with new staff.

It’s culture and authenticity that gives a business a USP and the impetus for growth. That’s a big part of how you generate custom and attract talent.

So, think every day about the authentic things that make your company great – even unique.

If you find yourself making a tough choice that doesn’t fit in with your values – no matter how much pressure you’re under – ask yourself if this really is the right decision for the business.

Remember this, and a conflict of culture versus growth should never arise.

About the author

Mike Williams

Mike Williams is a commercial and pragmatic HR professional. Currently People Director for fast-growing restaurant brand Byron, Mike is well known for his ability to work strategically with private equity and corporate investors in order to boost turnover through highly engaged people.