For an airline that includes marriage proposals in its measures of success, corporate culture clearly makes a difference at WestJet.
“(Flying) is a commodity,” Richard Bartrem, vice-president of Communications and Community Relations, told HBA1 students in the BMO Financial Group Auditorium. The students engaged in the WestJet: Building a High-Engagement Culture case before joining Bartrem in the Auditorium for background and Q&A. “It’s an aluminium cylinder with wings, and people and fuel. And we fly to the same Toronto that everyone else flies to, there’s nothing magical about our Toronto.”
The question the Western University alumnus asked students: Does an organization’s culture matter if what you do is a commodity?
WestJet’s results say that it does. Among the figures that Bartrem provided: WestJet’s annual revenue in 1996 was $36 million. Now the airline does that amount in three days. Significant recognition also comes from Waterstone Human Capital, which recognized WestJet as Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture from 2005-08 and again in ’10 and ’11.
Onboard marriage proposals? 432.
“Something has to be different if we’re doing the same thing everyone else is doing and we’re seeing results like this,” said Bartrem, who came as part of a special Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership event.
Here are the five secrets to WestJet’s cultural success:
Plan for cultural success:
- Creating a remarkable cultural experience takes careful planning, including the execution of more than 250 employee programs (read “parties”) across the country.
Share the wealth:
- Like the commercials say, WestJet employees are owners. In fact, employees have earned more than $300 million since the inception of profit sharing.
Listen, listen, listen:
- WestJet listens to employees and guests on a regular basis, which helps improve their guests’ experiences.
Include everyone:
- All new programs must deliver an improved guest experience and be something employees can be proud of.
Celebrate success:
- As Bartrem said, “When we get it right, we celebrate!” Fun is an intrinsic part of the WestJet culture.
For more on WestJet’s corporate culture, watch a two-minute video interview with Richard Bartrem, vice-president of Communications and Community Relations at WestJet.
