Our culture is one of individuality and positivity. We encourage each of the Swans to be themselves at work, and we appreciate the diversity this brings. Over the years this is something we have become known for – something we are very proud of. With this brings curiosity and intrigue! I’ve lost count of the number of events I’ve attended, and someone has asked me ‘what it’s like to be a Swan?’ or ‘how do you get such a good culture?’.
Where there are questions there are answers, so I decided to compile a list of some of the most asked questions around culture. I sat down with James and he answered them below.
Do you hire new employees based on whether they will fit your culture?
“This is of course an important area to consider. With that being said, one of our values is “Celebrate Individuality”. Due to this anybody can add to the culture that has been created, their unique personality will bring a new dimension to the team and allow us to continue to evolve our culture in a positive way whilst remembering to celebrate each and every member of the team.”
How do you get such a good culture?
“It takes time. A good culture does not happen overnight. It takes patience, a clear vision and clear values that your whole team can buy into both inside and outside of work. Leaders within the business set the bar and encourage others around them. In time you all become part of one team, moving in the same direction, looking to achieve great things and have a true sense of belonging. You can’t imagine working anywhere else or with anyone else.”
Can I come and work for you?
“I love that people ask us this question. The fact that the spirit of our culture has been spread across the Norfolk business community is something that myself and all the Swans are extremely proud of. We have positions available at different times throughout the year and I would encourage people to keep an eye on the careers page.”
Why is ‘happiness first’ so important to you?
“Happy team means happy customers, happy suppliers and a more effective and successful company. I want people to wake up in the morning without the Monday morning dread. Our Head of Finance, Hayley, said it best after Christmas, when she woke up and said that she didn’t dread coming back after the holidays but instead was looking forward to it and seeing her Indigo Swan family. If we can be happy, we can have honest conversations, we can collaborate in a positive way and we can push each other to be the best versions of ourselves, every day.”
Is it real or is it for show?
“It is 100% real. I truly believe that every single Swan would be able to go out into the wild and speak authentically about Indigo Swan. Sometimes words don’t do it justice and it is more something you feel. If you are ever in Norwich, come in and feel it for yourself.”
Is everyone on board with the culture you have created?
“I believe so. The culture has been created by all the Swans. It started as Emily’s (Our founders) vision and has evolved and embedded by each member of the team over the last 10 years. Every Swan brings something different to the nest and to our culture. Our employment engagement score is 84 and is something we are all extremely proud of and well above the UK average of 11!”
“Our culture is one that is open and honest, and this is reflected in the fact that every Swan has 5 personal goals that they feel comfortable to talk about with their line manager and each other. All swans actively engage with our ‘lunch & learn’ sessions as well as our ‘Fantastic 5 Minutes’ where they can talk to the rest of the team about something, they are passionate about. Open, honest, caring, challenging and always evolving. The Swans and I continue to want to make something beautiful everyday by challenging each other and committing to the vision for the company that was created 10 years ago. Once a swan, always a swan.”
How do you come up with ideas for your lunch and learns?
“Each year that we run our Employee Engagement survey we follow it up with a half day workshop with the team. We pick the 3 areas that we scored the lowest in and work together on ideas on how this can be improved within the next 12 months and beyond. In 2018 the feedback was that the team wanted more opportunities to learn and grow. They didn’t just want to learn and grow within their roles, but within their lives as well. Due to this the ‘lunch & learn’ sessions were created. We wanted to have a monthly session, where we would provide lunch for the team and they would have the opportunity to learn both new business and life skills. So far, we have had sessions on Workplace Wellbeing, Nutrition, Financial Wellbeing, Public Speaking, Social Media Awareness, Christmas Wreath making, Reflexology and Phone Fear.”
When I asked James the next set of questions, he thought it best for the Swans to answer these themselves…
Do you like being referred to as a Swan?
“Being referred to as a Swan gives me a sense of belonging and acceptance.” – Alex Wiseman, Client Discovery Coach & Wellbeing Ambassador
“I’m happy to be referred to as a swan, it’s much better than “employee number 12”. It creates a strong sense of team and reinforces the commitment to a shared vision from everyone across the team. We’re all ‘in it together’ so to speak.” – Aimee Konieczny, Head of Client Relationships.
“Yes! I must admit I wasn’t sure at first, but as you feel more confident and your sense of belonging grows, being a Swan is a badge of honour. Who wouldn’t want to be one?” – Andrew Ducker, Energy Contract Enthusiast.
“I love being referred to as a Swan. It takes something special to be a swan, so I feel very honoured.” – Hayley Leech, Head of Finance
“Yes, I love it and I am proud to call myself a Swan. It unites us all as a team, we are divided by departments, but we are all Swans together.” – Leanne Jarvis, Client Services Enthusiast
Is it as good as it seems?
“Yes! Everyone works so hard to make sure the business and our customers are well looked after, and everything runs smoothly. We all have a sense of pride in making everything work for the customer and embodying that ‘Swan-ness’ – Louise Arnold, Energy Contract Enthusiast.
“It really is! We have challenges of course we do but facing them as a team in our supportive environment, makes even the bad days good.” – Hayley Leech
“It really is as good as it seems it’s been the best two and half years of work. We are all on a journey together.” – Alex Wiseman
Do you all get along?
“We’re such a different group of people that there are times of disagreement. What I think is great though is the level of respect across the teams, and the understanding that we don’t all have to be best buds to achieve a great outcome. Everyone across the business shares the belief that everything we do is in the customer’s best interests, which means any disagreements are worked through quickly.” – Aimee Konieczny
“I used to hate the cheesy ‘we’re all one big family’ phrase that businesses used. But then I joined Indigo Swan and realised what that meant. We are all so different in our personalities and our interests, but we just work so well together in our small teams, and as a team overall. We each have our place within the business and can make a difference in our own way.” – Louise Arnold
“Yes, we all get along, we are all different, but that seems to work. We respect each other and that is the most important thing.” – Leanne Jarvis
“We genuinely bond over shared interests, activities and other social adventures. My colleagues have become friends and I am happy to call them that too!” – Andrew Ducker
Hopefully you have found this insightful and it’s helped get a better understanding of what the culture is really like at Indigo Swan. If you have a question you would like to ask us about our culture, please feel free to drop us an email and we would be happy to answer it for you!
