How your office environment and staff behaviour impacts your corporate identity

My preparation for a video interview this week included more than researching Toyota’s battered reputation. I spent just as much thinking about visual impact. This included tidying away desk clutter, displaying recent copies of marketing and PR trade magazines as well as the daily papers and filling the flower vase. It reminded me that a company’s image is not only communicated by its collateral, press coverage, website and product packaging. Corporate identity is presented in every single interaction a company has with its suppliers, partners and customers. The way the receptionist answers the phone or greets visitors; whether the office is tidy or messy, modern or old-fashioned, small or large; how welcoming the reception area is; and how staff dress and behave, will all communicate something about your company.

Ask yourself what your own office and staff says about your company and is it consistent with how you describe the company and your core values.

As an example, think about how you might feel if you saw a Waitrose van driver throwing rubbish out of the window while driving along. Probably not the behaviour you’d expect from the nation’s favourite ‘green’ retailer. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has been unimpressed by a sullen or rude receptionist. How do you feel when you walk into a shop and hear sales staff gossiping about the person they just served in front of you? This happened to a colleague recently who subsequently decided to boycott that shop in future.

When we work so hard to gain customers, losing them as a direct result of staff behaviour should not be tolerated. But it really is equally important to consider the entire journey that a potential or existing customer takes with your company. If you don’t already undertake regular and comprehensive corporate identity audit then there’s no better time to start than right now.