Monthly Archives: February 2021

Employee Engagement, News, Wellbeing at Work

Air France KLM European Sales and Service Centre continues strong employee engagement partnership with Thrive

Air France KLM ESSC has continued its partnership with Thrive, which has involved the development of an employee engagement and communications app, ‘My Wem’.

Air France KLM is one of the world’s leading airlines, employing over 80,000 staff.  The company’s London based European Sales & Service Centre (ESSC) plays a crucial role in the success of Air France KLM; with now 200 of their employees working remotely, handling thousands of enquires each day from travellers around the world.

The ESSC needed to streamline communication, reduce the use of email and create a community to keep colleagues connected and the ‘My Wem’ app was launched to achieve this.

Internal Communications Officer at Air France KLM ESSC, Georgina Gray says; “We needed a cost-effective platform to keep our people engaged and connected. We could see that remote working could potentially leave our colleagues disconnected, especially now with the current Covid conditions and we wanted to break down department silos. We also wanted to future-proof our communication channel and thought an app-based solution would be the best choice.

The ‘My Wem’ app which is available on our team’s desktop and mobile phones has created a ‘virtual campfire’ for all of our employees. It has shaped our company culture, increased morale, and employee recognition. The app has aligned to our company values, it has simplified communication and increased the voice of the employee which is key to successful communication strategy. “

Since its launch, the ESSC has seen 120% increase in its employee’s engagement in the app. They have also seen an increase in productivity, reducing time spent with a more streamlined approach to HR procedures and information sharing.

James Revell, ESSC General Manager mentions “It has been so satisfying to see colleagues’ opinions on and interactions with internal communication improve so much since the roll out of My Wem”.

Georgina Gray adds – “Previously colleagues had to go through several steps to locate HR information that is now readily available for them on their app which immediately saves us time for colleagues to dedicate and focus on their role. Successful communication should be two-way and not just top down. We have the possibility for each colleague to participate in communication with the UGC (user generated content) feature as well as being able to like and comment on content”

James Scott, CEO, Co-Founder of Thrive adds;  “We sincerely value our partnership with Air France KLM European Sales and Service Centre and hope to continue to support them through these challenging times and beyond. Their employee app has been embedded across their organisation and its success is attributed to the Air France KLM ESSC team. Our goal is to help as many organisations as we can in shifting from traditional methods of employee communications and engagement such as team briefings, printed newsletters, notice boards, printed payslips and forms to instant, modern, secure, engaging mobile apps that their employees love.”

 

About Thrive

Thrive provides the technology and support to assist organisations in igniting their internal communications through the successful launch of employee apps. With the Thrive app, every employee can easily access real-time information they need to support their role, organisational updates across all areas of the business and feel supported and recognised as they carry out their duties.

The Thrive App brings everyone together, including desk-less workforces with limited or no access to corporate emails or intranets. Its client-base includes councils, healthcare companies, manufacturing businesses, food firms, retailers and other organisations across the UK, Ireland and internationally.

This software as a service solution enables HR, Marketing, Internal Comms, Corporate Comms, IT, Operations and other professionals to create and promote important, relevant, timely and customised information. Reaching everyone, everywhere, every time with an engaging, secure mobile app that is ridiculously easy to use. https://www.thrive.app/

About Air France KLM  

Air France KLM is a major global air transport player. Its main businesses are passenger transportation, cargo transportation and aeronautical maintenance. Together, Air France and KLM carry more than 77 million passengers per year*pre COVID. They operate 548 aircraft, enabling them to fly to 318 destinations in 118 countries. Members of the joint Air France KLM frequent flyer programme Flying Blue earn Miles and claim rewards on SkyTeam routes. Air France KLM makes every effort to answer questions and accommodate customer requests, all of which is assisted by the European Sales & Service Centre.

Awards, News

Finalists announced in the 2021 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards

The finalists for the annual FDM everywoman in Technology Awards have been announced. Now in their 11th year, the awards celebrate the tech industry’s most exceptional talent, from the UK and beyond, creating role models to inspire the next generation of tech stars.

From women developing technology to support the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out and the NHS’s fight against the virus, to those running businesses that assist developing economies, to the young rising stars that place diversity and inclusion at the forefront of their organisations, the 88 finalists are all united by one common goal – to create a legacy founded on people, planet and purpose, a legacy that leaves the world in a better place than they found it.

The tumultuous events of 2020 led to transformative changes in the technology industry and accelerated the UK’s digital future by over five years . As the pandemic continues to shape the needs of society, the sector is expected to adapt ever more rapidly in 2021. Developing drugs and vaccinations, expanding home working and education tech, addressing sustainability and environmental impact, and developing AI solutions are just some of the challenges the industry faces as it looks to improve lives. Research shows that diverse teams are better positioned to unlock innovation and drive growth so at this critical juncture it is crucial that tech continues to attract a talented and diverse workforce.

In a major step forward, for the first time over one million women are now working in STEM . However, the impact of the pandemic means that one in four women are currently considering “downshifting” their careers or leaving the workforce, which risks both a skills gap and a setback for gender parity . This is why the role played by the awards in promoting careers and showcasing the achievements and networks of women working in the sector is so important.

This year’s finalists will join everywoman’s alumnus of hundreds of incredible women in technology, from talented students through to high-performing entrepreneurs and CEOs.

The 2021 FDM everywoman in Technology finalists can be found here.

Winners will be announced at an experiential virtual ceremony on 4th March 2021. The ceremony will broadcast a number of documentary-style films driven by the insights, experiences and hopes of finalists and stakeholders. Young people starting their journeys into tech will pose questions and challenges to women on the cutting edge, whilst interviewees share stories of inspirational women in tech – past and present – celebrating the legacy of women in the industry.

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman comments: “We are thrilled to announce the 2021 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards finalists. From supporting front-line efforts against Covid-19, to managing systems and software that have kept the country moving, these individuals showcase the critical role that technology has played over the past year. The vital advancements technology is making towards saving, transforming and improving lives is more evident now than ever before, making our mission to supply a strong future pipeline of technological talent of the utmost importance.”

Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer of FDM Group comments:
“These awards are a celebration of the talent, hard work and commitment shown by so many women in the technology industry. At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has tested frontline services – including our NHS – to the limit, the role of technology in keeping critical services running, connecting loved ones, and saving lives has never been more important. Technology has played a crucial role in fighting against this crisis and it will also play a profound role in the recovery. I’m so proud to congratulate the finalists in everything they’ve achieved so far and wish them all good luck! It’s no exaggeration to say that their skills, enthusiasm and energy are needed now more than ever.”

@everywomanUK #ewTechAwards #womendotech

News, Sustainability

On the road to reversing climate change – new independent study confirms direct air capture’s potential as an efficient solution to combat climate change

In the quest to achieve global climate targets, the world is looking into climate solutions that can help to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and into solutions that permanently remove historic and unavoidable emissions from the air (carbon dioxide removal or negative emissions). One such solution is direct air capture in combination with underground storage – a permanent and safe process to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

A recently published independent life cycle assessment now provides new insights on the technology’s net environmental benefit. The assessment was carried out by the RWTH Aachen University – using data from Climeworks.

The study shows that direct air capture has a low carbon footprint when powered by low-carbon energy, such as waste heat or renewable energy. Specifically, it found that Climeworks’ plants can reach a net carbon dioxide removal efficiency of more than 90%. In other words, over its whole lifespan (including construction, operations and recycling), a typical Climeworks plant re-emits less than 10% of the carbon dioxide it captures. Future scenarios show that this can be further reduced to 4%.

Moreover, the study indicates that scaling up direct air capture to remove up to billions of tons of carbon dioxide can be viable and not limited by material or energy requirements, which in turn means the technology can significantly contribute to achieving the climate targets of the Paris Agreement.

As a result, the study offers important insights for the further development of the Climeworks technology. Since its founding in 2009, LCAs and scientific findings have always been a guiding principle in Climeworks’ technology development.

Climeworks therefore would like to express its gratitude to RWTH Aachen for conducting this study and making it publicly available. Link to the full study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-020-00771-9.

 

Customer Service, News

Taking Your Customer Experience to the Next Level

Nicola Buckley, Executive Vice President, Global Service Delivery, Park Place Technologies, discusses the customer experience strategies that will deliver for your customers

During the past year, businesses around the world have had to reimagine their business models and operations multiple times. Nearly overnight, the pandemic forced most companies to pivot to remote working, creating an instant demand for new technologies and services that had previously been thought about in conference rooms, but never fully implemented.

As businesses continue to look for ways to navigate this new world order, they are looking for partners who can help them along in that journey.

For service providers, the differentiation they can offer in a partnership comes not in any single product, but in the ability to understand a customer’s need and to react and help customers solve a problem at a moment’s notice.

Customers will always choose a vendor or solution based on how the vendor interacts with them on a personal level. That’s a fundamental fact of how business is done, regardless of the industry. A product can have lots of fancy bells and whistles, but if the customer doesn’t feel like they’re being embraced by the vendor, they won’t buy it.

The key for all companies to succeed is to fit their products into the services they offer, rather than the other way around, which is what most companies do. Indeed, recent research by Ipsos found that 91% of CEOs believe they deliver a superior experience, yet only 30% of their customers agree.

How can companies close that gap? Let’s explore a few ways to build a better experience – and relationship with your customer.

Listen to the Voice of Your Customer

A strong customer journey – and experience — always starts with the human element. Building a strong and effective experience platform is more than just a process — it’s an opportunity to build an emotional relationship with your customer across all touchpoints.

To truly connect with customers, and understand their experience, business leaders must spend time with them, face to face. And that means really getting to know them, not just dealing with events when they need services. It’s imperative to spend time with the customers during and after an event, to show them the plan and ask for their input.

While understanding their needs is key, it’s critical to always focus on allowing your customers space to make the right decisions and choices for themselves. As a service provider, you should, in some respects, offer staff augmentation. Focus on enabling choice while offering a very simple entry point into how clients gain access to services. Provide them with the simple tools they need to remove the stress and worry out of managing their complicated business environments.

Align Your Sales and Service Teams

Many companies overlook the need to engage the whole organization, including its support functions, in their quest to build a memorable customer journey. Guaranteeing high levels of service requires companies to have large, effective engineering and logistics capabilities, and to be innovative to ensure they have the tools and processes customers can rely on, 24×7.
To accomplish this, it’s critical to avoid “silos” in your organization. Silos never drive good results. Collaboration across functions is key. The service team should be a tool for the sales team and the sales team can serve as support for the service team.

To drive this collaboration, be hyper aware of your strengths and how you build a team that complements everyone’s strengths and opportunity areas across the organization. This will help the team feel empowered in their various roles.

A collaborative approach has been proven to work. The Ipsos study noted that empowering an insurer’s agents to resolve customer queries on that first call has increased customer advocacy by more than 50%.

Growing at Scale

All companies are at different stages of their customer experience journey but no matter what part of the journey you’re in, a well-aligned, embedded service team can provide an experience that will help drive revenue without ever moving a product. According to Ipsos, 86% of people will pay more for a better experience. That means a better customer experience can lead directly to increased revenue.

There are two ways to drive this growth: organically and through acquisition. Organic growth is driven by good service and performance by the team in the field. This leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty, which in turn can lead to greater revenue.

On the acquisitions front, expanding your business’ capabilities and offerings through acquisition is a fast way to accelerate your growth. However, taking this approach, which Park Place has done numerous times during the past few years, requires a fast integration. It’s vital to quickly bring the service team you’re acquiring into the culture of your organization so the same level of service can be maintained. The new team must be trained to understand the expectations at the outset of the relationship and given the necessary tools to succeed.

Looking Ahead

The new normal is unknown. Budgets are getting squeezed and new decisions are having to be made. It’s critical to make sure your customers don’t have to worry about risk or issues in their businesses.

As services providers assess their customer journey, it’s imperative to identify the moments that matter most and what customers need, expect, and what the ideal experiences are for them. As we move forward though the pandemic and beyond, the companies with the closest personal touch on this front will be the ones that succeed in delivering a top customer experience.

Education, News, Sustainability

MIP Politecnico di Milano launches five new pioneering master’s programs in sustainability

MIP Politecnico di Milano Business School have created five new international masters entirely focused on the theme of sustainability.

Students will learn how sustainability changes business processes, supply chains, operations and technologies in different sectors.

“It is vital that concepts such as responsible business, social innovation, and sustainable business models have an increasing weight in the school’s programs, in our research, and in our teaching” says Federico Frattini, Dean of MIP Politecnico di Milano.

Geared towards the sustainable leaders of tomorrow, these 12-month programs delivered in English will focus on; Environmental Sustainability and Circular Economy, Sustainable Industrial Management, Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Sustainability Management and Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sustainable Finance.

Starting in September 2021, these programs will include project work, company visits, and opportunities to network with professionals within the sustainability sector. The aim is to develop the hard and soft skills of candidates, whilst also taking into account the changing needs of companies.

These masters have been developed and will be delivered with the collaboration of companies that are looking for professional profiles in these fields. These include some of Europe’s most renowned energy and sustainability companies including Edison, Alperia Bartucci, BSH Elettrodomestici, Ecolamp, and Veolia e Nativa.

“At MIP, we are aware that profound interlinkages exist between business enterprises, society and the environment. A lasting improvement in the economic performances of firms and countries can only be achieved if social welfare is enhanced, natural resources are managed efficiently, the global environment is defended, and business ethics are promoted.” says Antonella Moretto, Associate Dean for Open Programs at MIP Politecnico di Milano

These master’s programs are an essential platform not only for those who are determined to understand the profound climate crisis we face, but the courses also give future business leaders the opportunity to learn how they can make real environmental change.

News, Retail

UK shoppers sitting on £2.4bn of unreturned goods bought online

UK shoppers are sitting on a potential £2.4 billion of unreturned goods they have purchased online, as lockdowns restrictions have made returning unwanted items significantly harder for them.

This is according to new research released today from InPost, the UK’s leading locker network, which finds that well over half (57%) of online shoppers say returning items bought online is time-consuming and a hassle given lockdown restrictions, and (45%) say retailers need to make returning goods easier in the current circumstances.

As a result, over half of those with items to return (51%) say they have accumulated more items to return over the course of the January lockdown than they would typically have.

The new data – based on a survey of over 2,000 UK adults conducted at the end of January by Opinium – finds that those who have unwanted purchases have an average of three items waiting to be returned, with a total approximate value of £165 per person.

Online shoppers also indicate that social distancing when undertaking returns remains a concern. Over half (54%) say they are concerned about coming into contact with other people at a Post Office, parcel drop-off shop or when in a store to return goods, and nearly two-thirds (62%) say retailers need to have a contact-free returns option.

In addition, almost two-thirds (65%) say they don’t want to spend time queuing at Post Offices or parcel drop-off shops to return items; in contrast 42% say that having a parcel drop-off point near their home would encourage them to make a return sooner than they would normally.

With just under half (46%) of people saying they are more cautious about spending whilst they are waiting for a refund on goods they’ve returned to a retailer, it’s clear that the quicker and easier retailers can make the returns process, the better for people’s pockets and for the economy.

Jason Tavaria, UK CEO at InPost, commented: “The current restrictions on daily life are vital as part of the effort to tackle Covid. But it’s clear that one of the side effects of these is making it harder for people returning items bought online. With budgets stretched for many, it’s crucial that retailers go the extra mile for their customers and make it easier and faster for them to return goods. Giving people access to more ways of returning online shopping, including self-service drop-off points such as lockers, will help them to avoid queues and get items and their money back more quickly.”

He continued: “The issue of difficult returns appears to be even more acute for the nation’s key workers, including healthcare and emergency service staff. This group told us that they have more items waiting to be returned, find it harder to return them given the current restrictions, and are more likely to end up keeping purchases bought online because returning them was too difficult. With most returns options remaining impractical for them, we’re continuing to roll out lockers in locations such as hospitals and supermarkets that offer key workers easy access to a safe and secure way to make parcel deliveries and returns, outside of traditional working hours.”

In light of the problems returning goods, shoppers in the survey call for retailers to be clearer about their returns policies and offer longer returns windows after the point of purchase. Over a quarter (29%) said retailers should issue refunds for returned goods more quickly during the current restrictions.

Respondents also say they are now more likely to check how long they have to return items and how many options retailers offer for returning items when making purchases. All of which underlines that returns can be a valuable, if often overlooked, opportunity for retailers to build goodwill with customers, if they can make these easier while restrictions remain.

When it comes to their finances, just over half of people (53%) say they are spending the same as usual during the lockdown – excluding online food, take-away or grocery orders – while 41% have reined things in and indicate that they are being more cautious. Around a fifth (19%) of people plan to increase their spending once lockdown restrictions lift, suggesting that retailers could see a potential uplift in sales again as lockdown comes to an end.

Awards, Education, News

2021 Bett Awards: Discovery Education recognised in 3 categories

Active Kids Do Better Nike programme and partnerships in Chile and Egypt shortlisted for prestigious prize

A no-cost digital programme which has helped thousands of UK primary school children to stay active during the pandemic has been shortlisted for a 2021 Bett Award.

Discovery Education and Nike’s Active Kids Do Better helps teachers and parents keep kids moving throughout the day – whether in the classroom or at home. Easily accessible online, it provides fun videos, activities and printable resources which are available on-demand.

Launched in 2018 by Olympic sprinter Daryll Neita, Active Kids Do Better has been used by thousands of pupils across the United Kingdom. As opportunities to exercise and take part in regular sports and activities decrease Active Kids Do Better is fast becoming a go-to resource for teachers and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Active Kids Do Better means kids can benefit from easy access to games and exercise wherever their school day takes place. The programme’s engaging digital resources are perfect for use in the classroom, at home or even on the move, ensuring that parents can keep children active during home schooling or blended learning.

Howard Lewis, UK Managing Director of Discovery Education said:

“We’re delighted to be shortlisted for a BETT award, one of the most prestigious accolades in the education industry. As the pandemic restricts children’s usual activities, our Active Kids Do Better partnership with Nike is helping parents and teachers to build movement and play into the school day, keeping kids active and healthy at this challenging time.”

Dan Burrows, Nike’s Senior Director of Social and Community Impact, EMEA said:

“Our partnership with Discovery Education is part of Made to Play, Nike’s ongoing global commitment to get kids moving through play and sport. With these opportunities limited by the pandemic, regular physical activity has never been more important for kid’ wellbeing. It’s rewarding to see Active Kids Do Better receive this recognition for providing teachers and parents the tools they need to keep kids moving”

Active Kids Do Better is nominated in the Free Digital Content or Open Educational Resources category of the 2021 Bett Awards.

Discovery Education is delighted that two of the company’s key international partners have also been shortlisted for The Global Showcase Award for International EdTech Programme of the Year.

• Chile Ministry of Education: Discovery Education has worked in partnership with the Ministry since 2018, supporting the Presidential EdTech initiative Me Conecto Para Aprender (I Connect To Learn) which aims to provide every Chilean student with equal access to technology and resources. Discovery Education has supported the Ministry by providing dynamic digital content and professional development to thousands of students and teachers across Chile, preparing young people for success in the global economy.

• Egypt Ministry of Education: Discovery Education has worked in partnership with the Ministry since 2015, providing high-quality digital content to the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) – the world’s largest collection of online resources which is available free of charge to the entire Egyptian population. The Discovery Education-EKB partnership now delivers digital learning resources and professional development to over 23 million teachers and students across Egypt and supports the country’s thriving education system.
Robin Headlee, Managing Director of Discovery Education International said:

“We are delighted that our highly valued partners – the Ministries of Education in both Egypt and Chile – have been recognised for the outstanding efforts to support the success of all students in their respective countries. The vision, the rigour and the wholistic approach to improving the lives and the life chances of the young people of Egypt and Chile is to be applauded. These are both ‘once in a generation projects’ and the whole Discovery Education team is honoured to be part of them.”

The 23rd annual BETT Awards will take place on 21st June 2021 in London. Recognised by many as the most important awards in the industry, BETT finalists are seen to be at the cutting edge of EdTech provision in schools.

Employee Engagement, News, News for HRDs

Why your employee engagement strategy should be inclusive and a collaborative effort in 2021

Julie Cameron, MD and founder of DRIVE Engagement, talks about engagement strategies and how to re-engage your team

For years, businesses of all sizes have pumped time and thought into their employee engagement strategies – and rightly so. After all, data proves just how costly it can be to run a ship with a disconnected and unengaged crew. According to Gallup, disengaged employees can result in 37% higher absenteeism, 18% lower productivity and 15% lower profitability within the workplace.

Despite these statistics providing a very clear narrative on why employee engagement is so integral to business success, the reality is that businesses often misjudge how to address it properly. More often than not companies address engagement from a top-down perspective. Doing so means that these strategies fail to address the real issues at hand and do not reflect the wants and needs of the most critical part of the business; the employees themselves.

In this article we will talk about the difference between a hierarchical and an employee led engagement strategy and explain how a firm can reap all the by-products when they really get their teams motivated and engaged in what they do. With companies tightening their purse strings as a result of the pandemic, hopefully we can demonstrate that employee engagement no longer needs to be pushed down the ‘to do’ list in 2021.

2020 and the fractured workforce

And if employee engagement wasn’t seen as important enough, in March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic gave many businesses even more of a reason to focus on it. As so many businesses closed their doors and moved to a remote (and somewhat fractured way of working), they witnessed employees feeling cut off from their peers and line managers. Not only this, but employees also needed to adapt to new ways of working and deal with differing motivations in their personal lives; leaving employees feeling anxious and uncertain. This sudden shift forced HR and leadership teams alike to question how to keep their employees engaged through such an unusual and challenging time, and specifically, how to do this at a time when the purse strings were very tight.

Businesses across the UK took to the internet in a bid to find answers to their questions. In fact, in December 2020, search volume for the term “employee wellbeing” reached its highest ever level; 300% higher than the same month in the previous year. Plus, in May, the question “How to engage employees” was searched more than it had been since 2008.

Whilst the internet does, of course, provide a wealth of information, what many businesses often fail to recognise is that the answer to creating a fruitful employee engagement strategy can often be found much closer to home and within their teams themselves.

Management led vs direct employee feedback

In order to determine the most effective employee engagement strategy, the one that will dramatically increase engagement in an organisation, the first step is to acknowledge that a problem exists in the first place. To do this, it is important to recognise the characteristics of an ineffective strategy.
Many firms often make the mistake of treating employee engagement as a human resource (HR) issue. Often, someone from HR convinces the CEO to commit some budget to an employee survey. Once the survey is complete, the data is then kept locked-away, senior leaders brainstorm ideas and then implement changes that they believe will engage employees. This is where we see those extrinsic initiatives such as free fruit, early finish Fridays, lunch and learns and perhaps a monthly Zoom quiz. Sound familiar?

There are two important issues which arise from this example. Firstly, a misunderstanding of what “employee engagement” is and the weight of influence it has on how successful a company is.

I should stress that employee engagement is not about the satisfaction often felt from receiving material benefits, rather it refers to the emotional commitment an employee has to their organisation, specifically its vision, its purpose and its goals. What we’re talking about here is the difference between extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.

A top-down approach to the implementation of an employee engagement strategy means front-line leaders are acting as the regulators of employee engagement. A strategy that has been developed through the lens of one or a few senior individuals has the potential to result in something which is dangerously disconnected and unrepresentative of the employees themselves. After all, leaders should never assume they have all the answers.

Sense of belonging

Instead, I would contend that it’s important to consider the drastic evolution of the demands and desires of the employees themselves. The emphasis on what is important (and what motivates us) has shifted somewhat over this past year, and although financial security is still a key focus, there is a deeper sense of personal drivers and motivators when it comes to measuring employee engagement.

There is so much to be said about belonging and feeling part of the greater whole. Nurturing the emotional connections between employees and their workplace will motivate them to remain committed to the company in the long term and bring tangible benefits for everyone.

The key to creating this feeling of belonging is to focus on techniques that give all employees a real voice. For instance, where solutions to problems that the company faces are found by the team themselves collaboratively and are not dictated by those at the top. It all starts with collaborative problem solving and giving each team member greater autonomy to be part of the solution. It’s important to gain employee buy-in to corporate efforts to re-engage by empowering and enabling. Without doing this, you may face a sea of shrugged shoulders and find your engagement programme fails to make significant progress.

Facilitating structured opportunities and giving a voice to people at all levels in the workplace will help ensure employees feel like they are a driving force in a company, wholly connected to its vision and goals, rather than feeling like the company is pulling them along with instructions from the top.
And, in these difficult times where people are more displaced than ever, it is essential to focus on longer term rational strategies. Not only does it make good business sense, but it makes good employee sense as well. Ultimately, it’s this kind of tangible engagement that is win-win, because it continues to pay back year after year, therefore making it entirely free and extremely cost effective to implement.

Bolstering employee engagement and helping employees to feel connected during the pandemic has been and will continue to be one of businesses’ biggest challenges. But now is the time for businesses to intensify their commitment to health, wellbeing, diversity, employee experience and engagement, because those firms who focus on techniques that give their employees a real voice, enabling them to maintain connections and to continue to build relationships with one another, will reap the benefits longer term.

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Waste appoints We Are Social’s Brett Phipps to build newsroom function

Independent creative agency Waste has announced the appointment of Brett Phipps to the newly created role of Senior Editor, as it seeks to build a newsroom function for entertainment clients as part of its fan-first offering.

Phipps joins from We Are Social, where he spent nearly three years as Senior Editor, leading the social media editorial vision for two of Activision’s biggest gaming franchises, Call of Duty and Destiny, across 12 international markets.

In his new role at Waste, Phipps will build a newsroom function in order to help clients better understand and react to conversations about their brands online, with an initial focus on the Supercell account. The new function will enable brands to spot and act on real-time opportunities to join the conversations that matter to their target audiences.

Phipps will report to Alistair Campbell, who joined Waste as Executive Creative Director in May 2020.

With in-depth expertise of the gaming sector and experience across content and community management, social media and SEO, Phipps was previously the Games and SEO Editor at the Time Inc-owned Trusted Reviews. He has also held positions at The Independent and Pro-G Media.

Brett Phipps, new Senior Editor, Waste, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Waste, a company with a fantastic client list with a huge passion for gaming. The work the team has delivered over the past year has been nothing short of inspiring, and something I knew I had to be involved with.
“I hope that my experience within the games industry, coupled with my passion for community building and social listening, will be an asset to the team. I cannot wait to get started!”

Alistair Campbell, Executive Creative Director, Waste, added: “We’re always looking to introduce new skillsets in order to expand and supercharge our offering for clients. Our newsroom function will enable us to help brands tap into relevant conversations online, creating high quality content at breakneck speed.

“Brett not only brings incredible knowledge of gaming, but also invaluable experience and a proven track record in leading social media and community management for major brands. We’re really excited to see the results he can drive for our clients.”

Creative News, Finance News, News, Wales News

Additional financial support released for cultural freelancers in Wales

Freelancers who have already received funding from Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund will receive an additional £2,500 to support them through this extended period of coronavirus restrictions.

A further round of support worth £8.9m has been announced by the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Lord Elis-Thomas.

In total, the Cultural Recovery Fund has provided £63m to help sustain the arts and creative sector, with the hope organisations and individuals will thrive again in the future.

The Deputy Minister said: “The freelance sector plays a pivotal part in the Welsh economy and I am delighted we are able to provide additional support, which acknowledges the important contribution freelancers make to Welsh cultural life.

“The pandemic continues to present challenges for cultural and creative freelancers throughout Wales. We applaud their resilience and creativity during this period.

“We know we will need their professionalism, experience, enthusiasm and vision to help us come together and rebuild after the public health crisis has abated.”

Some freelancers who have been supported by the fund have been able to continue their creative work during the pandemic.

Lewis Carter, an award-winning indie filmmaker based in Bridgend, released a documentary, Best Foot Forward, on New Year’s Eve to celebrate and keep the tradition of the Nos Galan Road Races alive despite the event being cancelled due to the alert level four restrictions.

He used the funding for the online release of the multi-award-winning short film Showdown, which features autistic actors and is released this week.

Lewis said: “The cultural freelancer grant meant I was able to pay fellow freelance creatives that worked on my documentary Best Foot Forward, and boost the online release of my short film Showdown.

“Showdown returns home from its international festival run having received awards from two of Wales’ most prestigious film festivals, Cardiff International Film Festival, and the Bafta-qualifying Carmarthen Bay International Film Festival.”

Bridgend County Borough Council Leader Huw David said: “It’s wonderful to hear that this vital Welsh Government funding for our creative sector is helping to support local freelancers like Lewis to continue their work during the coronavirus restrictions.

“Freelancers who have previously received support will receive a self-declaration letter, which they will need to respond to for the funding to be released.

“The fund is not be open to new applications but anyone who missed out on the funding originally can apply for the Local Discretionary Grant. More details are available on the Business Wales website.”