Case Study: VF Corp and a great work place culture

Working with VF Corp, UK, a case study.

 

November 2023 I made a connection on LinkedIn.

 

A year later in Nov 2024, I wished a happy birthday, again on LinkedIn and got a response asking for a conversation. Based on the DE&I themes on the content I post on LinkedIn, along with workplace culture as my specialisms.

 

I, of course started to research VF Corp, not so much for their products, but for their culture, their approach to people because I need to know.

 

I found their web site which is full of words and imagery detailing their people first workplace culture.

 

I then went to their socials to see what was being posted there and the story was the same, everything was pointing to a company who truly values their people.

 

A zoom meeting led to a site tour, during which I was asking the sort of questions I always ask about diversity of associates, approaches to different abilities and cultures and the answers were all ticking my boxes, it was looking very positive.

 

We passed proposal stage and being set up as a supplier, the help from the team at VF again showed the culture is apparent and working, this is even before I had started work.

 

I was assigned a contact to help with the organisation of shooting every team on site, over an agreed number of days and the help and support was just spot on.

 

When you are helped and supported, the shooting is easier because people know why you are there, they understand just to be themselves.

 

 

For me, the real and only proper test of company culture is to speak to the people doing the work, this is an immense privilege for me as people open up to a person who they don’t know often more than associates they do know, this for me is the real story, this is reflected in my photographs, because I can only photograph what is there.

 

It is impossible to fake how company culture affects the associates.

Every company has its challenges, if people feel valued and heard, it helps the business overcome the huge challenge of keeping people engaged.

 

This comes down to communication, there is always room for improvement, VF Corp have a team dedicated to continuous improvement and they are always looking at the communication. I know because I photographed them during a meeting where they were discussing exactly that.

 

I think the thing that resonated so much with me, that stuck with me and still is, many of the associates never knew they were being photographed, yet their energy was good, their attitude was good, their interactions with each other were full of humour and a desire to help each other.

 

When they did see me and could see they were being photographed, those levels went up several degrees.

 

Almost without exception, the associates told me they were so pleased I had been hired to photograph them because, even though they enjoy working there and they do feel valued, having me visit every department to photograph every person working, this made them feel very special, they felt seen because their photographs were going to be seen.

 

So many asked me where the photos were going, when and where they could see them, because apart from a few who asked to see on the back of the camera, they have no idea what I shot or how they look.

 

Employee recognition is one thing, employee reward is great, nothing says to your people we are proud of you and we want you to be seen than seeing a professional photographer pointing a camera at you.

 

We want the world to see who the people are who make this company successful, every one of them.

 

There is no finer way to show that. My self, my company CorValu Photography were honoured to work with VF Corp, the whole team at Bardon DC and you are up there as one of the finest exponents of workplace culture I have encountered.