A Company’s ethos

A company’s ethos is created to ground values, attitudes and aspirations of that company and create a culture. Strong company culture brings a sense of direction, motivation and encouragement for the employees as well as builds an image that exemplifies what it stands for, for those people looking in. Essentially, an ethos is your company’s soul. If you can build a company ethos that customers, clients or users as well as workers care about, they will get behind it and remain loyal for the long-term.

How to live by your company ethos

Many companies around the globe define their ethos by creating a mission statement or core value statement. From this, they go about implementing strategies to ensure they stay true to their values and continue to move forward on a clear path that employees and on-lookers can follow. Strategies come in many different shapes and sizes but all go towards highlighting similar values. Whether it be providing health programs for staff, co-creating with like-minded companies or investing in the future, strategies are the way in which a company encompasses its ethos and ensures it remains true.

How a hospitality strategy can support your ethos

Food within institutions and companies has gained little airtime in the past when it was provided as an afterthought or company cafes were placed as a space filler, gaining business by default due to workers passing through. Nowadays we are seeing a growing body of institutions and companies who are incorporating food into their business strategy as a way of living up to their ethos. This is because food has and will continue to become an integral part of our lives as it is not only a necessity to us to have but the hospitality of food is a powerful way to stand by values if you provide it based on building relationships, supporting wellbeing and choosing brands/offers which align with your core values. Here are three major ways in which a hospitality strategy can be a part of your core values:

Facebook`s breakout space featuring a fully equipped food counter

1. It supports employee health and well being and promotes a happy workplace

Staff should be one of the things at the centre of your ethos. Providing a space which prioritises employee well being and happiness means employees will feel considered and supported and also show on-lookers where the company stands on their appreciation of their employees. A hospitality strategy can do this by providing offers which are healthy, diverse and innovative so that staff have access to a variety of options, all of which support their well being and are exciting to try.

2. It provides a space of hospitality for clients/users which reflects the company’s stance on the people they work with

A major benefit of including a hospitality strategy in a company model is that it provides an opportunity for that company to offer hospitality to all it’s clients or customers. Relationships are a major part of business and being hospitable is an important part of building those relationships to lay down a solid foundation. A number of companies around the globe now have spaces dedicated to this where meeting areas are met with high quality cafes or food spaces to be able to offer this type of hospitality as part of the company-client relationship. This creates the understanding for on-lookers that a company prioritises their relationships and has invested in ensuring they can provide the space and amenities clients need to continue doing business together.

3. Show that your company understands the need to transform for the future by choosing progressive and high quality food and beverage options which align with company values

A hospitality strategy that stands by offering high quality, wholesome and innovative food and beverage options supports a company’s dedication to being progressive and adaptable to change. It is very clear that people are more discerning about their food choices these days and the meaning of food has changed as well as become increasingly important to us. To provide offers that are below the standard of what people know and want does not reflect positively on where a company or institution stands on understanding the people and change occurring around them. If a company wants to show their role as a leader in their industry, supporting people to make good choices and highlighting their understanding of what is going on around them - a hospitality strategy encompasses all of these things and is a worthwhile investment in the future of a business.

Ogilvy London`s office provides a serviced bar and food counter to host meetings with clients and for staff to enjoy

These points are just three of the ways in which a hospitality strategy can support your company ethos and help to display the message that the company wants to put out there. Whether it’s the importance of your staff, the honouring of good relationships or showing that you are a leader in your industry – hospitality is becoming more and more useful to proving your point to not only the people who work for you but those you want to have work with you.

Credits - cover image of Campos Coffee at Tower Three, Barangaroo via concept architect, Woods Bagot

How Hospitality Can Support Your Corporate Company Ethos