Branson: "Virgin Will Go On Beyond Me"

Virgin "will go on way beyond me" by hiring inherently 'Virgin people', says Sir Richard Branson in this interview in HR magazine.

As he (possibly) approaches retirement, he indicates that he's more actively identifying and promoting the group's leaders, who will be in charge of keeping his £10bn empire going once he's left.

He says: "...it can't just be me that sets the culture when we recruit people," yet it's hard to extricate the Virgin brand from its founder and even his description of the ideal 'Virgin person' is bound to reflect his own values. (He claims he can spot a "Virgin type" of person anywhere in the world -- "in bars, cafes... post offices, at the jetty in the Caribbean.") Like other personality-driven companies, it's difficult to imagine Virgin's disparate companies holding together without the founder.

Even so, given the strength of the brands he's built, it's worth taking note of Branson's views on how to build a corporate culture:

1. Encourage independent thinkers -- "You shouldn't blindly accept a leader's advice; you've got to question and challenge leaders on occasion".
2. Make everyone a people manager -- the key is to ensure "everyone has a little people management in them."
3. Rewards innovation -- "Many of our businesses run innovation schemes" for employees to submit ideas for consideration.
4. Keep it simple -- The company has clear brand values and no set leadership style. "I haven't academicalised (sic) my own way of working..." and he's proud of having never read an HR or people management book. The company has four values: innovation, customer service, community, environment.
5. Let people drive each other -- encourage collective responsibility. Working towards a shared goal bonds individuals into a team, while people tend to be as motivated by peer approval as by external rewards. Virgin actively facilitates peer-to-peer nominations for top performers, one of whom wins a stay on Branson's private Caribbean island.
6. Open the CEO's door -- Stephen Murphy, the Virgin CEO, hosts lunches for employees to speak directly to him.
7. Hire for attitude -- academic qualifications are fine, but "having savvy is much more important than having a formal education. The things you learn only complement who you are," he says
8. Make community work integral -- "CSR is defunct" because it compartmentalises social responsibility. Instead, use it to engage people at work. Instead, Virgin uses its non-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, to get staff together to raise money and awareness for charities. "I think the model for starting employment engagement activities has to be embedded in everything you do," says Branson, whose next plan is to spread this message among other, non-Virgin businesses.