How to Build a Culture Where Values Actually Drive Results, with Matthew Wragg

What does it take to transform a 500-person staffing company and restore profitability while maintaining high engagement and renewed purpose? In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, you'll hear how one leader rebuilt culture and strengthened organizational performance through people-first leadership, without sacrificing values or authenticity.

After joining the company as a trainee in 2001, Matthew Wragg eventually became CEO in 2022. In this conversation, he shares the inside story of the business transformation at Gattaca PLC: removing executive offices, tying leadership bonuses to employee engagement, and launching a new cultural framework that turns values into specific, observable behaviors. We also dive into his personal lessons from two decades in recruitment, including the wins and mistakes that shaped his approach to growth, leadership, and resilience.

Episode Highlights
[05:46] How Matthew got into recruitment and why he stayed with one company
[14:23] From trainee to CEO: lessons in ambition and internal branding
[22:00] The £30M deal they lost—and how they won it back
[30:55] Using culture and values to improve employee engagement
[46:01] Removing executive offices and linking pay to engagement scores
[49:48] How “Changing Up the Game” became a strategic reset during COVID
[52:18] Aligning the team around clear, behavioral definitions of company values
[59:29] How Gattaca is thinking about AI adoption

Losing a £30M Dealand Using It to Win Future Business
Matthew shares how Gattaca lost a £30M contract despite having the experience, pricing, and capability. The reason? They didn’t take the time to understand the client. He took responsibility, re-engaged with the customer over 12 months, and eventually won the deal back—this time at a 70% higher price.

This loss prompted a shift in sales culture: more discovery, less assumption; more trust, less volume. It was a turning point in how Gattaca approached strategic selling.

How Culture and Values Fueled Gattaca’s Turnaround
When Matthew stepped in as CEO, the company was struggling with flat growth and low engagement. His first move was to prioritize people. He eliminated glass offices to flatten hierarchy and increase visibility. He began weekly internal video updates and tied 10% of leadership compensation to employee engagement.

He personally reviews hundreds of anonymous employee comments each month—starting with the negatives. Over two years, this helped shift Gattaca from 58% detractors to 58% promoters, even in a tough market.

How Gattaca’s “DNA Deck” Turned Culture into Performance
To make values actionable, Gattaca launched a “DNA deck” that defines specific behaviors tied to each value. These are reviewed quarterly and fully integrated into performance management—alongside sales and effort metrics.

One example: “Be brave enough to tell the truth, but kind enough to say it the right way.” Each principle includes examples of “what good looks like” so there’s no ambiguity. No one can top-score on performance if their behavior doesn’t align with the culture.

Matthew Wragg – Bio & Contact
Matthew Wragg is CEO of Gattaca PLC with 23+ years in recruitment. Starting as a trainee in 2001, he progressed through senior leadership roles before becoming CEO in 2022. He has led Gattaca through an organizational reset focused on purpose, vision, and values—prioritizing sustainable growth, employee engagement, and cultural clarity.

Matthew on LinkedIn

Gattaca PLC Website

Gattaca on Instagram

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