How to put people and culture at the centre of your college

Coleg Cambria is synonymous with high aspiration and high quality. A large, multi-site college in North Wales, it has a positive impact on over 14,000 students each year, as well as on widespread urban and rural communities.

It was already delivering strong outcomes when the current CEO, Yana Williams, was appointed five years ago. Yet the current senior leadership team has taken it even further forwards by embedding a focus on people and culture at the front and centre of all college activity.

This ambition very quickly came to fruition; within six weeks of Yana starting in post, a new Directorate (People and Culture) was created as part of a realignment of the organisation’s structure, together with the establishment of the role of Deputy CEO People Experiences and Culture. This was designed to enhance a leadership structure with three key drivers: curriculum, finance and people, a “three-legged stool which is perfectly balanced” with all three remits having equal strategic input. An experienced HR leader was appointed, Cath Sullivan, who exemplifies the culture and ambitions of Coleg Cambria.

When the pandemic entered its second wave, Cath and Yana, with the support of colleagues, set about putting in place a strategy which elevated the focus of people and culture in all aspects of the college’s workings and decision making.

Working together, the senior management team has created a college of the utmost inclusivity, removing barriers and unnecessary hierarchies. None of the senior team has an office, for example, instead they travel across the five campuses and base themselves in areas that are visible to colleagues and students. It’s not just an “open door” policy, but no doors at all. Not only does this engender a positive community feeling and break down barriers, it also allows a high degree of emotional intelligence to flourish, as colleagues are tuned into each other’s behaviours and are readily willing and able to “check in” with each other. There is no dress code, and instead, colleagues are encouraged to come as their best self, attired according to their mood, believing that they perform best when they are comfortable.

Establishing a Social Partnership, a proactive collaboration between college stakeholders to achieve a common goal, has provided a firm foundation to achieving the college’s ambitions. This ensures decision making is framed around college values and has meaningful input from colleagues, with trade unions involved at all stages. Early social dialogue is a game changer and they prioritise this for everything, resulting in smooth change processes, as they can have information readily available which helps reduce any potential stress or worry.

There is a focus on embedding equity throughout; for example, the business support holiday allowance has been aligned with that of curriculum colleagues. A huge amount of effort has gone into creating an environment of kindness and fairness, and making these a key basis for decision making. Colleagues are encouraged to self-reflect and to be creative without fear of failure. As Yana said, “to be successful you don’t only need to know your strengths, but your weaknesses too”.

So, what’s the impact of all of this? Naturally, there are benefits such as low turnover, low sickness records, and an increase in long service, and there is a warm, inclusive environment with engaged colleagues. But beyond this are other deep-rooted, significant benefits, such as better relations with trade union representatives and smoother consultations which expedite decision making. And, of course, the visibly strong culture has had a positive impact on recruitment, as they have been attracting individuals from far and wide, drawn by the opportunity to “be their authentic selves at work”.

Some of the initiatives that they have implemented have not been unique in a college context, however, what is remarkable is the unwavering commitment and focus they have placed on people and culture. This has had significant positive impacts on all in the college community, not just their own colleagues but also the students who benefit from a harmonious environment and the external partners who have their needs met by a responsive, forward-looking skills provider.

Bernie Cullen is a Recruitment Manager at AoC.

Yana Williams and Cath Sullivan were appointed in their roles by AoC Executive Recruitment, and we were delighted to source such impactful individuals for Coleg Cambria.