When it comes to recruiting, the value of workplace culture is inescapable. It’s easier to recruit exceptional talent when you can tout an exceptional experience.
Having a remarkable workplace culture is one thing – being able to prove it is another. That's where Great Place To Work Certification™ comes in.
For Yamaha, Certification was the missing piece of the puzzle. Their employees already praised their excellent culture, but becoming accredited as an official 'great' workplace has allowed them to demonstrate it to the outside world, too – and boost recruitment in the process.
Established in 1955, Yamaha are a world renowned manufacturer of motorised vehicles, including motorcycles, motor boats and more. Locally, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., Branch UK has 44 employees and is headquartered in Woking, Surrey.
In 2024, they achieved Great Place To Work Certification for the third consecutive year (with an impressive 91% of employees agreeing that Yamaha "is a great place to work") as well as being recognised as a UK's Best Workplace in Manufacturing & Production™.
One of the key pillars of success for Yamaha is the sense of purpose and pride employees have in their work and the organisation.
42% of the UK working population feel that their jobs are just jobs. But at Yamaha, 95% of employees agree that their work holds "special meaning" and is "more than just a job". This sense of purpose is a crucial factor in making the company a great workplace: when employees’ purpose is in alignment with the company’s purpose, people are more productive, more engaged and more motivated.
Purpose also fuels pride in one’s work – another vital component of building a thriving, engaged workforce. Yamaha employees mentioned their pride frequently in the Trust Index Survey as a key factor of what makes their workplace great. In fact, 98% of Yamaha employees agree they "feel a sense of pride" in what they accomplish, compared to the UK average of 70%.
Beyond this, employees also frequently commented on the feeling of camaraderie the organisation fosters. "Working for Yamaha is like being a part of a family you never knew you needed," said one employee.
"It consists of warm welcomes, good mornings and afternoons, followed by "have a nice evening everyone" as you pack up for the day. Working for Yamaha is waking up in the morning excited to go to work."
Laura Foad, Divisional Manager HR & Administration Division, elaborates: “when recruiting for all areas of our company, a common question from candidates to us is - What do you like about working for Yamaha? The response, no matter who I am interviewing with is always the same and it is always the people. Our priority in the company is to ensure we have a happy team that’s aligned with and understands our company values, because no strategy or initiative will be successful without the input and belief of our employees driving our direction forwards.”
Throughout their journey with Great Place To Work, Yamaha have also proven their commitment to improving their culture. Since 2018, their survey score for the statement "everyone has an opportunity to get special recognition” has improved by almost 50 percentage points – now beating the benchmark for Certified companies by 7pp.
This is no accident – it's a reflection of Yamaha's concerted effort to ensure every employee feels they are recognised and values for their work. Some of the initiatives the company has put in place include:
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So, Yamaha already boasted a culture that current employees loved. But how to showcase that culture to the outside world – and, most importantly, to potential future employees?
Partnering with Great Place To Work allowed the company to gain a globally-recognised third party accreditation that demonstrated their commitment to fostering an outstanding workplace culture. After administering the Trust Index employee survey and completing the Culture Brief™, the only two steps necessary for Certification, Yamaha first became Certified in the UK in 2021.
Having the badge to prove their great culture made a significant difference to Yamaha when it came to recruitment.
"We started displaying our Great Place To Work badge on our email signatures, but also in our recruitment advertising," says Laura. "When we interview candidates, we always ask the question "What do you value the most from an employer?" and the most common response we receive is a culture of feeling valued themselves. Most of the time the candidate goes on to organically reference our Great Place To Work status and how that appealed to them when making an application."
But as all great workplaces know, improving your culture is a constant journey, and Yamaha are not resting on their laurels. Using data from their Trust Index Survey has helped identify the areas that will have the most impact and given a focus to their People Strategy, as Laura explains:
"For 2025 we will be focusing on the transparency of our process and policies around development and promotions. Our most recent Great Place To Work survey data highlighted a gap in this area and we want employees to be and feel as ready as possible for opportunities that may come their way in our company's ongoing journey."
Think you've got what it takes to become Certified? Discover more about the benefits and process of Certification in our 7-minute webinar.