​Are you ready to attract top talent?

Insights from The Balance Sheet, Season 2 - Episode 1 - Darren Cooper, Managing Director of Peter Cooper Motor Group

As the economy and recruitment market are changing at an accelerated pace, businesses are evolving—not just to boost profits, but also to attract and retain top talent.

However, candidates aren't just looking for a good salary and benefits package; they’re looking for a positive workplace culture and strong company values.

In the first episode of our podcast's second season, Andrew Murkitt interviewed Darren Cooper, Managing Director of Peter Cooper Motor Group, who shared why company culture impacts employee wellbeing—and ultimately, business success.

Here, we explore how to improve talent acquisition and employee engagement through the development of a strong culture and values.

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Start Viewing Culture as a Strategy

How can improving your workplace culture contribute to the success of the business and team?

Darren Cooper believes that workplace culture isn’t just "nice to have"—it’s a core part of the business strategy. Companies that invest in a positive culture see better talent attraction, improved retention rates, increased job satisfaction, and better performance.

“Culture creates loyalty, which feeds directly into how we serve customers,” Darren explains. “It’s a loop of value.”

This means culture isn’t something you put on a job advert—it’s a strategy that can improve the success of your business.

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Leadership Sets the Tone

In the episode, Darren discussed how culture starts with the leadership team.

If leaders don’t live by the values they want their teams to adopt, neither will the rest of the business. To achieve cultural alignment and improve employee engagement, you must lead by example. Authenticity is key.

Employees are aware of what business leaders say and do. Creating a positive work environment begins when leadership takes the first step.

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Focus on Employee Engagement

From a well-structured onboarding process to regular 121s, Peter Cooper Motor Group puts its people at the centre of the business. Darren outlines how ongoing development opportunities and strong internal communication keep all teams across every site engaged and on the same page.

So, it's worth noting that when candidates know they’ll be listened to and supported through development opportunities, they're much more likely to be interested in your opportunity.

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Encourage Transparent Communication and Feedback

Culture is built on trust and transparent communication. At Peter Cooper Motor Group, feedback isn’t a tick box exercise—it’s actively encouraged.

“You have to be ready to listen. Feedback from employees is how we improve,” Darren says.

Sometimes it can be difficult to receive and even give feedback, but by building a culture of trust and collaboration, it becomes a lot easier.

Promoting a culture that is happy for feedback to be given and received at all levels helps promote psychological safety—a huge differentiator in a saturated job market. 

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Workplace Culture Needs to Adapt

The work isn't done once you've implemented a positive and inclusive workplace culture. Darren also stresses that culture should evolve to reflect changing markets, new challenges, and a shifting workforce.

Your team will also change over time. Their priorities, interests and goals will alter just as much as the market.

Therefore, flexibility, collaboration, and being open to hearing and implementing new ideas are crucial to maintaining a positive company culture.

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Workplace Culture Impacts Customer Experience

As we've explored, workplace culture is closely linked to productivity and performance. When employees feel empowered and appreciated, it shows internally, but also when it comes to external customer interactions.

Darren says that "the better your overall customer experience is" then "the more successful your business ends up being."

For Darren and his team, the link between employee experience and customer experience is crystal clear. Happy, engaged employees deliver better customer service, improving customer satisfaction and retention.

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Culture Is the New Competitive Edge

With a constantly shifting economy and job market, talent pools are far more diverse than ever before, with candidate priorities also shifting. For some, salary might be more important, while others may seek a strong company culture.

For recruiters, hiring managers and HR professionals, Peter Cooper Motor Group's approach to company culture is useful when it comes to improving your talent acquisition strategies.

Companies that recognise the diverse needs of their team and take culture seriously attract better talent, keep them longer, and benefit from a more motivated, aligned workforce. 

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Ready to attract talent to your opportunity?

At Venture Recruitment Partners, we approach recruitment with a personal and relationship-building strategy. Getting to know your company, your team and the role is what helps us produce results.

Click here for help with your finance and accounting recruitment needs today.

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You can also watch or listen to Andrew and Darren talk about company culture and values on YouTube or Spotify now.