A refreshed set of cultural values, intentionally crafted as a call to action, providing clear guidance for employees, leaders, clients and future talent
Full integration of new values and behaviours into talent acquisition processes, competency frameworks, recognition and reward systems, and performance management systems
A comprehensive plan for ongoing measurement, enabling leaders to track progress, reinforce behaviours, and support the embedding of a new culture over time
The challenge
The organisation’s existing values had been in place for over a decade and no longer reflected who the firm was – or who it aspired to become. Despite their longevity, the values had limited influence on day‑to‑day behaviour and were not shaping the culture in a meaningful way.
The leadership team recognised that to achieve the company’s future ambition, they needed a refreshed set of cultural values that would reflect the evolving identity and direction of the business, guide the behaviour of a diverse and growing workforce, and serve as a strategic anchor for decision‑making.
The priority was to build a culture that would enable the business to thrive in the coming years, while being relevant and resonant for people from a range of backgrounds and experience, in different roles across the global business organisation.
The solution
To create a set of values with real meaning and impact, we took a comprehensive, evidence‑based approach:
Leadership insight to ensure strategic alignment
We began with in‑depth conversations with senior leaders to define the cultural attributes essential for future success. Together, we identified the behavioural expectations that would differentiate the firm and help it to achieve its long‑term goals.
Deep dive into employee experiences
Next, we expanded our focus to employees across multiple levels and roles. Through qualitative research, we explored:
What would drive the desired cultural behaviours
What might inhibit them
How consistent these factors were across different employee groups
This gave us a nuanced understanding of the levers and barriers influencing culture in practice.
Firm wide cultural baseline
We then conducted a full census survey to establish a baseline measure of the organisation’s current culture. This included:
How closely employees felt the current culture aligned to the future target culture
Data on the enablers and barriers identified through our qualitative work
Integration of culture insights with broader employee experience themes
Our analysis pinpointed the specific behaviours that would activate the desired culture and highlighted the elements of the employee experience most critical in supporting them.
The impact
The project delivered a rigorous, actionable and future‑ready cultural framework.
A refreshed set of cultural values and behaviours.
Each value was intentionally crafted as a call to action, providing clear guidance for employees, leaders, clients, and future talent.
A compelling cultural narrative.
We developed a strong story that articulated why the values matter, ensuring they would guide decision‑making and resonate across the organisation.
Full integration into people processes.
The new values and behaviours were embedded into talent acquisition processes, role-based and skills‑based competency frameworks, recognition and reward systems, and performance management systems. This ensured the culture was not just something the firm talked about, but fully woven into how the company operates.
A robust measurement strategy.
We created a comprehensive plan for ongoing measurement, enabling leaders to track progress, reinforce behaviours, and support the embedding of the new culture over time.
A global, data‑driven financial services organisation with approximately 6,000 employees worldwide. The firm provides analytical tools, indices, and decision‑support solutions that enable institutional investors to navigate complex markets with confidence. Operating across multiple regions and known for its high‑performance culture and rapid growth, the organisation plays a pivotal role in shaping investment strategies for clients around the world.
Want to hear more? Sign-up here to receive more insights and advice from ENGAGE or get in touch using the form below.
