Can you outsource company culture?

Key takeaways

You cannot outsource company culture. Culture is what people in the business actually do and tolerate, and it is set by what leaders reward, ignore and model every day. HR providers and consultants can run surveys, write policies and train managers, which helps. But only leaders' behaviour changes culture, so ownership never leaves them.

• Culture is set by what leaders reward and tolerate.
• Outsource surveys, policy drafting and training delivery.
• Keep hiring, recognition and how problems are handled.
• Measure culture through staff turnover and survey results.

Why can't culture be outsourced?

Because no document or workshop outweighs what people see happen. If a high performer behaves badly and nothing changes, that is the culture, whatever the values poster says. A provider can describe the culture you want; only leaders can make it real through decisions about people.

• Which business processes should you never outsource?
• Can line management be outsourced?

What can HR providers and consultants do?

They can give leaders information and tools.

• Run anonymous staff surveys and summarise results.
• Draft policies on conduct, flexibility and wellbeing.
• Train managers in feedback and difficult conversations.
• Run independent exit interviews.

• Staff surveys: outsource the survey, keep the response
• Exit interviews: outsource them for honest answers?

Does outsourcing work damage culture?

It can, if staff feel replaced or the outsourced team is treated as outsiders. It can also help, by removing work people dislike and giving them time for work they value. Explain why you are outsourcing, involve staff in the handover and include the outsourced team in relevant meetings.

• Keeping company culture when part of the team is outsourced
• Staff communications: outsource the format, not the message

How do you know what your culture is?

Look at evidence rather than intentions: staff turnover, sickness absence, survey results, what gets escalated and what gets hidden. The Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards are a useful frame for the work conditions that drive stress, and a provider can run the survey for you.

• People reports: headcount, absence and turnover monthly

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a business commissions a values workshop while a known problem manager stays in post. Staff judge the culture by the second fact, not the first. Leaders who act on the survey findings get better results from the next survey.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Culture ownership checklist

• Write the three behaviours you most want to see.
• Check what you currently reward and tolerate.
• Run an anonymous staff survey yearly.
• Act visibly on at least one finding.
• Track turnover and absence monthly.

• Strategic partnerships: who should negotiate them?
• Should you outsource innovation?

Next step

Think of the last time someone broke one of your stated values. What happened next is your real culture, and the place to start.