Category Archives: Employee Engagement

Employee Engagement, News, Tech

Oak Engage transforms NatWest’s digital employee experience with the launch of Adaptive Intelligence

Growing tech and intranet firm, Oak Engage have been working with leading retail and commercial bank, NatWest Group to increase employee engagement through Adaptive Intelligence, state of the art technology to help businesses communicate with their people more efficiently.

Adaptive Intelligence is unlike other solutions and uses algorithms that manage delivery across all channels, removing the complexity of communicating strategic, tactical and crisis messaging to hybrid teams.  This allows businesses to focus on the message, the audience and the priority and Oak Engage does the rest.

Oak Engage is the first intranet software provider to introduce this technology which allows businesses to define what outcomes they want to achieve and prioritise individual messaging to maximise reach. Smart delivery also reduces noise for employees and shows content in an order prioritised for the individual, giving everyone a personalised news feed, unique to them and based on their preferences.

A common problem throughout the internal comms industry is measurement and proving the value. Oak combats this with in-product analytics that also provide insights on how audiences are reached and collectively measure the success and reach of communications so that a meaningful story can be crafted from the results and feedback.

Alan Harris, Director of Internal Communications at NatWest said: “Oak Engage has transformed the way we communicate, delivering a single news feed which aligns with our ‘one bank’ strategy.  Consolidating our offering has created a clear channel for communications and a single source of truth.  We’re already seeing positive engagement from colleagues.”

“Oak has also given our colleagues more control. They can now personalise their news experience, adapt based on their interactions, follow topics of interest and opt out of communications that are less relevant – this is adding real value.”

Mark Rooks, Chief Technology Officer at Oak Engage said: “We want to empower businesses by giving them the best tools to enable them to communicate intelligently with their people wherever they are, 24/7. We want to support businesses every step of  the way and we think that intranets should be working a whole lot harder for them.”

“The launch of Adaptive Intelligence is an important next step in our journey, signalling our continued growth. The investment in technology and innovation will make our business more efficient and agile, resulting in a markedly better experience for our customers and their end users when using the Oak Engage platform. We want to transform the digital experience for employees, providing curated feeds of content and eventually becoming the first self-organising intranet.”

Oak Engage is the adaptive intranet that connects  people through better communication and engagement and is trusted by some of the biggest brands in the world including Aldi, Boohoo, Five Guys and ITV to name a few. To find out more or to see it in action, visit their website www.oak.com.

Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, News, News for HRDs

Keep employee benefits in place as the UK faces “really difficult” 2023

National intermediary Partners & is today warning employers not to take “knee-jerk” spending decisions in response to the Bank of England’s prediction of a five-quarter recession.

Steve Herbert, Wellbeing and Benefits Director at Partners&, said: “We completely understand – and fully accept – that faced with such grim economic predictions many employers will need to adjust their spending commitments to ride-out the recession ahead.  Yet our very real concern is that some employee benefits offerings might be surrendered as part of any such review.  We genuinely believe that this would be a mistake.”

 Partners& is also keen to remind employers that the economic downturn is far from the only significant business challenge to be faced.

Covid-19 remains a very real risk, with numbers remaining stubbornly high and further mutations possible in the winter months ahead.  Long Covid continues to be a challenge too, with the latest Office for National Statistics figures suggesting that 761,000 people in the UK have experienced such conditions for a year or longer, of which 380,000 had suffered for over two years.

Other employee health concerns include the reality that a short-staffed NHS remains overwhelmed is many areas and may not be able to provide the rapid support and treatments that employees and employers would usually expect.  Another worry is that the mental health of many workers remains fragile, a situation clearly not helped by the acute pressures and stresses of the cost-of-living crisis.

Herbert continued: “As we witnessed during the worst of the Covid-19 crisis, employee benefit insurances and protections are often at their most valuable, important, and useful when times are tough, and when employers have limited financial options available to support their workers.  A good employee benefits offering should offer important protections, useful support features, and of course offer a viable route towards full health and a speedy return to work.”

Partners& also highlight the continuing concerns around recruitment and retention in the United Kingdom. This issue remains a very real headwind for employers, and whilst a recession may well result in an increase in unemployment, the UK could still face candidate shortages and skills gaps next year.

Herbert concluded: “The reality is that 2023 looks set to be a really difficult year on so many levels.  We are working with clients already to ensure that they are equipped to weather the coming economic storm and build resilience into their business so that they can be in a position to bounce-back quickly once things eventually improve. 

 Now, more than ever, employers will need to retain their best employees, whilst also attracting what new talent is available.  Employers will also need to do everything they can to keep their workforce fit, healthy, and productive.” 

 Partners& is encouraging organisations of all sizes to revisit their employee benefits package to ensure that their offering is robust, cover or support is universally available, and that any value-added tools are identified, promoted, and used by employees in the difficult months ahead.

Employee Engagement, HR, News, Transport

Industry in turmoil – insights show over half of transport workers don’t feel their views will be listened to

  • High levels of distrust – 51% of transportation workers don’t feel they will be listened to 
  • Job satisfaction decreasing – percentage of transport workers who would recommend their job to others falls by 25% in the last year
  • Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) transport workers feel unappreciated, compared to 17% of workers in other industries – ‘from hero to zero’
  • Industrial action continues to affect National Rail Services (21, 23 and 25 June) and flight cancellations continue across UK airports 

Alongside industrial action and travel disruptions, engagement data shows that more than half of transport workers (51%) don’t feel they will be listened to by their employers, revealing high levels of distrust.

The data from Inpulse, experts in employee engagement, shows the emotions of employees from more than 20 companies across rail, airline and bus services; it includes over 70,000 responses.

The Inpulse insights also show decreasing levels of workplace satisfaction. The percentage of transport workers who would recommend their jobs to others has fallen by a quarter – from 69% in 2021 to 52% in 2022.

Matt Stephens, Founder and CEO at Inpulse, said:

“The entire travel sector is in turmoil – it’s a difficult industry to be in. Whilst the public are seeing some of the consequences of the issues very clearly with national strikes, transport cancellations and delays – these are being exacerbated by internal issues caused by how employees are feeling within their companies.

“This could be seen as a double blast to employees. It’s well reported that they are not happy with pay, conditions, staff shortages and future job prospects but on top of this, they have to manage feelings that their concerns are not being recognised by their leaders either. We’ve heard it described that many were seen as heroes during the pandemic, yet now they feel zeros.”

On average, engagement levels and positive emotions experienced by transport workers (such as committed, motivated, valued) are lower than other industries too.

Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) transportation workers feel unappreciated, compared to 17% of workers in other industries who feel this way. At the same time, a third (33%) of workers outside of transport sectors experience predominantly negative emotions at work (.e.g stressed, fearful, disappointed), but this rises to more than 4 in ten (42%) employees in transportation companies.

The data also reveals that transportation workers are also more likely to doubt they will receive feedback from management when sharing their views: nearly 4 in ten (38%) don’t feel they will receive feedback, compared to just 28% of workers across other industries.

Stephens added:

“Though there are strong desires to solve issues and minimise disruptions across the transport industry, problems for workers run deeper than just wanting more pay. At its most basic level, it’s about emotional connection and a feeling of losing, not just their pay rise, but trust in their leaders and passion for their role as it begins to change.

“General consensus shows that transport workers often believe their opinions don’t matter, they will not be listened to nor receive feedback from leadership. Until these emotions are dealt with, any gains made over the next few weeks or months may bring some concessions but are unlikely to resolve all of the underlying problems.”

Employee Engagement

Empower Employees With These Unbeatable Management Tips

Did you know that 69% of employees state they would work harder if they felt more appreciated? One of the fundamental flaws of many large corporations and SME businesses alike is the management of employees. The result is up to 85% of employees do not feel engaged at work. At the core are two reasons for disengagement and subsequent lack of empowerment – a reluctance to work because of the role itself or management styles.

You can’t change someone’s opinion on the role if it’s not suitable for their strengths and interests. But you can change the way you manage employees to help create a nurturing working environment that makes employees feel appreciated, empowered, and understood. Let’s explore.

Recognition and Reward

One of the best attributes of a successful management team is recognising and rewarding hard work. Recognition and reward are directly linked to empowerment and engagement, and engaged employees lead to 41% less absenteeism and 21% more profitability. Ways to recognise hard work include, but are not limited to, bonuses, extra days off, a simple conversation, or even team-building events that reward entire workforces.

Studies have found that 37% of employees think company events are a great way of boosting morale, and they’re relatively easy to organise. Check out weareeventpeople.co.uk for an example of a company that can help you organise an event that will truly recognise and reward your employees. Similarly, employee reward programs work effectively. 38% of employees want to receive random rewards for hard work, and structured employee reward programmes do just that.

Creating Opportunities

Creating opportunities is essential. Research shows that only 49% of brands prioritise progression for their employees, yet 91% of millennial employees believe career progression is crucial. Progression also links back to reward and recognition – it’s an opportunity for management to show its employees they recognise they’re excelling in their role and rewarding with a promotion.

Creating opportunities doesn’t necessarily have to involve promotions. It could be providing additional training programmes and qualifications, allowing employees to voice opinions, or expanding roles to allow employees to build on their skillset.

Favoured Management Styles

Some management styles work well, and others are better left in the past – micromanagement being one of them. Still, 79% of employees say they’ve experienced micromanagement, and 85% say it negatively affected their attitude to work.

However, one management style that does work well is the transformational one. The transformational manager has a vision of how to change the company and the people working for it. When used correctly, the transformational management style often changes the working environment for the better. According to HubSpot, employees led by transformational leaders are usually more dedicated and happy.

The coaching management style focuses on similarly coaching employees to sports coaches. Just as a sports coach would, the coaching management style is devoted to employees’ long-term professional development. It’s great for employees – like the 91% of millennials – wishing to progress within the company. The coaching manager should constantly find ways to motivate and empower employees to build on their skills and progress as an individual and as part of the team.

Creating Clarity

Role clarity is essential. Empowered employees understand their role within the company and the general inner workings that keep the cogs turning. A lack of clarity directly links to a lack of empowerment when linked to individual roles. Sadly, 74% of employees stated they feel like they’re missing out on essential company information, even information relating to their job within the company.

Including employees in important company decisions, like creating new trade deals, is a great way to create clarity and empower employees simultaneously. Employees typically have their own unique visions and ideas that they could introduce to the company, but many barely have the opportunity to do so. Giving employees a voice is one of the best ways to empower them to work harder and progress within the company.

Employee empowerment is essential. Employees need to feel respected, appreciated, and valued if they are to be engaged and motivated workers. There has been a shift in the management of working environments. Many companies now focus on company culture and how that transpires into hardworking employees. It’s, however, essential that the focus on company culture includes the management of employees and how to meet their expectations.

 

 

Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Health, Healthcare, Mental Health, News, Wellbeing at Work

Stepping up wellbeing initiatives at hospitals in Kent to support the health and wellbeing of staff

Acupuncture, art therapy, wellbeing lounges and massage chairs are just some of the initiatives offered at one hospital trust in Kent to support the health and wellbeing of staff who have experienced rising stress since the pandemic.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) is leading the way in helping staff cope with stress and the pressures of the job by recruiting a new team and introducing a range of innovative wellbeing initiatives.

These include a specialist in-house staff psychological team offering support for staff who are struggling with work or personal problems and the opening of dedicated wellbeing lounges at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals. These offer staff a relaxing safe space to go to relax and recharge, have a hot drink and snack, chat with the wellbeing team about issues worrying them and get self help advice on topics including stress management and sleep.

Staff can take part in a range of free wellbeing activities including free ear acupuncture sessions, art therapy workshops, chair acupressure massage and Kettle ball classes. Around 20 MTW colleagues have trained as auricular ‘ear’ acupuncture practitioners and are offering treatments in their own time, as they recognise the value of acupuncture on their own wellbeing and want others to enjoy the benefits too.

Wellbeing Partners have also been recruited to provide wellbeing support and a listening ear to teams working on the frontline. The roles were created as part of MTW’s winter wellbeing programme to make sure staff struggling with their mental or physical wellbeing could access the support they need.

Working with managers and the HR team they signpost or refer individuals to appropriate wellbeing services such as the Employee Assistance Programme or the Psychological Occupational Health Team. They also work alongside team leaders to embed wellbeing good practice in their work.

Ainne Dolan, Deputy Chief People Officer at MTW says, “At MTW, staff wellbeing has always been a priority, but in recognition of the impact of the pandemic, we have stepped up our emotional and mental support, with our new dedicated wellbeing team, wellbeing lounges and our wellbeing events programme.

“Stress awareness month is an ideal opportunity for us to help break the stigma around stress, highlight where staff can go to talk about stress and its impact, and encourage people to look after themselves. We recognise the last two years have been incredibly challenging, and we want to let our people know they are supported.”

MTW has just launched a major recruitment campaign to attract talented healthcare professionals from London, Kent, and the surrounding counties to work in the Trust, with a focus on clinical roles.

Staff benefit from progressive flexible working policies including career breaks, flexible retirement, secondments, and family-friendly policies including carers’ leave. The Trust also rewards and recognises staff through its employee and team of the month awards and annual Staff Star awards, where patients and staff nominate colleagues that they feel have shown the commitment, professionalism, and dedication in providing the best possible care.

To find out more about vacancies currently available go to: https://www.mtwcareers.com/

Employee Engagement, News, Wellbeing at Work

Research: 65% of UK employees consider lack of personal development a reason to seek a new employer

  • Nearly two-thirds (65%) of employees feel a lack of personal development is a reason to look for a new employer
  • Seven in 10 (70%) state that they would be happier in their current role if they had further opportunities to develop themselves
  • Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) don’t feel that their personal development opportunities are good enough at work
  • Survey of 1,039 UK employees, 12,576 employees from other European countries and 2,500 European Learning & Development decision makers

A new study shows that personal development is an increasingly important factor in where people work, and a key factor for job satisfaction. Sixty-five percent of UK employees consider lack of proper personal development opportunities a reason to look for a new employer according to GoodHabitz, Europe’s fastest growing learning platform.

The research was conducted in cooperation with Markteffect among 13,615 employees in 13 European countries. It included 1,039 employees from the working population in the UK, and 12,576 employees from other European countries. Additionally, 2,500 European Learning & Development decision makers were asked about their experiences.

Tim Seger, UK Director of GoodHabitz, explains: “The survey shows that unfortunately not all UK companies offer enough opportunities for employees to develop themselves.”

“Almost 1 in 5 employees (17%) in the UK completely disagree that current personal development opportunities are good enough. The UK results differ little to the European average of 16%, so it shows a clear signal to employers that lack of personal development programmes can only increase the risk of losing their people. Another way of looking at this is if 65% of British employees feel that the lack of personal development is a reason to switch jobs, almost 1 in 5 employers could be at risk.”

Across Europe, personal development is a key reason for people to hunt for a new employer. Denmark tops the list with 73% agreeing that it is cause to look externally for a role, followed by Portugal (68%), Switzerland (66%), the UK (65%) and Sweden (62%).

 

The lack of personal development opportunities is a reason to seek a new employer (per country) – I agree: 

Belgium    Denmark    Germany    France    Italy    The Netherlands    Austria    Poland    Portugal    Spain    United Kingdom    Sweden    Switzerland   
60% 73% 55% 46% 58% 44% 45% 46% 68% 56% 65% 62% 66%

 

Personal development has exceedingly high impacts on job satisfaction  

The GoodHabitz study also shows personal development is important to continue in a job. No less than 67% of UK employees state that to experience adequate job satisfaction, personal development is important, showing their preference to personally and professionally grow.

 

Personal development is very important for employees within my organisation to (continue to) experience adequate job satisfaction – I agree: 

Belgium    Denmark    Germany    France    Italy    The Netherlands    Austria    Poland    Portugal    Spain    United Kingdom    Sweden    Switzerland   
69% 77% 61% 52% 62% 67% 53% 56% 74% 60% 67% 68% 68%

 

On top of this, 7 out of 10 (70%) employees state that they would be happier in their current role if they had further opportunities to develop themselves. Across Europe, this figure rises to 78%.

Employees may not know they have access to education 

Seger continued: “Another insight shows a contradiction between employer and employees. We asked UK employers about the personal development opportunities employees have access to, they said that 9% grant their employees access to offline courses, 29% offer online courses and 55% opted for a blended learning.

“Only 7% of UK employers mentioned they don’t offer any personal development opportunities at all. Yet, 24% of employees indicated this is the case – 17% lower. It shows a bigger problem: employees don’t know how to find or access online and offline learning programmes offered. This missed opportunity could easily be tackled by learner marketing. This ensures all employees understand the development opportunities available no matter their current role, as well as helps them change their learning behaviours so they feel positive and confident about their progress.”

Research details:

The research was conducted by research agency Markteffect among 13,615 employees in 13 European countries. One thousand and thirty-nine employees from the working population in the UK and 12,576 European employees answered an online survey about their experiences with personal development opportunities and the effect it has on their job satisfaction. The employees who completed the survey were between the ages of 25 and 55 and active in different roles, different industries and different company sizes.

Additionally, 2,500 European L&D decision makers were questioned on their experiences. Results were weighted based on a representative distribution of the UK. Based on the sample size, results are generalisable to the population with 95% confidence.

About GoodHabitz

GoodHabitz, founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, is a leading European provider for E-Learning solutions for corporate companies. By offering engaging and fun online courses, from soft skills to digital skills and languages, GoodHabitz contributes to the personal development of every employee. Various engaging learning formats make sure that the content is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Coaches help to establish learning cultures in the organisation and all that for one fixed price. Currently, more than 2,000 companies, like Puma, ADAC or DEKRA upgrade their workforce with GoodHabitz. More than 200 employees are working for GoodHabitz in offices all over Europe. Please visit the website www.goodhabitz.com for more information.

 

Employee Engagement, News

Over half of employees don’t believe their employer’s engagement surveys will lead to change

  • Leaders’ willingness to create meaningful change is doubted
  • Employees with positive perceptions of leaders more likely to believe action will be taken after a survey
  • Employees who don’t believe action will be taken are less engaged at work

More than half of employees (54%) don’t believe their organisation will take action as a result of employee engagement surveys, according to new analysis from Inpulse, employee engagement experts.

The analysis also highlights a correlation between employees’ faith in leadership and whether they believe they will see actions from an engagement survey. Sixty-seven percent of employees with positive views of their leaders feel a survey will lead to action. Just 12% with negative perceptions of their leaders feel the same.

The data* also reveals that employees who don’t believe action will be taken are less engaged at work; on average, their engagement rate stands at 47%. In comparison, the 46% that do believe change will occur have an average engagement rate of 86%.

Matt Stephens, Founder and CEO at Inpulse, explains:

“Importantly, the data suggests that employees don’t lack faith in engagement surveys themselves. Instead, many question the ability and willingness of their organisations to act on the data they’re presented with. If they don’t trust their leaders to listen to them, they are less likely to believe positive change will come from an engagement survey.

“This has a huge impact on how employees feel and how engaged they are with their organisation. Ultimately, feeling valued and that their employer is interested in their inclusion, belonging and pride at work is essential for engagement. Evidently, organising engagement surveys is only half the job. Leadership must also demonstrate their capability and desire to interpret the data and enact meaningful change as a result”.

Indeed, leadership’s impact on employee engagement should not be understated. Inpulse’s analysis of data from over 30,000 employees across half a dozen organisations reveals that employee engagement levels fluctuate based on that of their leaders. On average, employee engagement is 23 percentage points lower compared to leadership team engagement.

For example, in one organisation, while the executive’s engagement stands at 97%, employee engagement drops to 78%. In comparison, engagement for executives in another organisation sits at 75% while employee levels fall to 53%.

Matt Stephens continues: “If organisations have limited time, resources or capabilities to respond to the results from engagement surveys, focusing energy into the engagement of leadership will have a knock-on effect into that of the wider workforce. When leader’s understand what it means to be engaged and visibly demonstrate their vision for the organisation’s culture through their own actions, this is more likely to be mirrored by other employees.

“Beyond this, organisations that want to support meaningful change should ensure the results of engagement surveys are brought into the regular rhythm and practices of teams. Instead of having meeting agendas with results discussed at the end, weave them throughout daily conversations – whether that’s in a five minute team meeting or discussions on the factory floor.

“This creates accountability as well as a shared agenda between leaders and employees, supporting the idea that everyone is working together and staff feel consistently heard.”

 

*Data taken from 40,000 responses across multiple organisations.

 

About Inpulse

Inpulse provides real-time emotion-driven employee insights that improve engagement to help increase the performance of a company. The Inpulse team provides support including analysis of data to bring unbiased perspectives to decision-makers.

Employee Engagement, HR

5 Ways To Boost Employee Experience In Your Company

Employees are the backbone of any company. Their experience at work has a significant impact on how they will be performing. If they are satisfied, then their performance will be better.

Alternatively, if they aren’t happy, this will also negatively impact their work and the company as a whole. But how can you go about doing this? By making sure you’re giving your employees what they need to be happy and productive. Here are five ways to boost employee experience in your company.

 

How To Boost Employee Experience

There are many ways to boost the employee experience, and a good way to start is by speaking to your employees to see what they like and don’t like about working for you. Typically when asking for feedback, this is best done anonymously as many employees may not be comfortable speaking up if they are unhappy.

HR experts Randstad RiseSmart know all about employee experience and have a range of resources that could be helpful for you. Contacting experts like this can help you to find out new ways to engage with your employees, and make their day more interactive and productive.

 

Create A Good Company Culture

A good company culture is key to any business. It will make your company more satisfied, productive, and enjoyable. When people are happy at work, this is when they are most creative and productive. They are motivated to go the extra mile when they are enjoying themselves in their workplace.

 

Improve The Work-Life Balance

One of the most important things is to ensure that your employees have a healthy work-life balance. This means that they are spending time outside of work in addition to what they spend inside of work. This will help them recharge and allows them to come back with more energy.

Employees need time for their own personal lives. They need mental breaks where they can process what has happened during the week, relax, and enjoy personal hobbies. Some people may find it challenging to find time outside of work for this, which is where the company needs to step in.

 

Be Transparent With Employees

One of the most important things you can do to improve employee experience is to be transparent with them. This means that employees know the company’s goals, their performance expectations, and what they need to do in order to achieve those goals. Being transparent with employees will make them feel like they are valued and important members of the company. It also helps them see where they stand in relation to the company’s success.

 

Provide Mental Health Benefits

One way to make sure your employees are happy and satisfied is to provide them with mental health benefits. Mental anxiety is a growing issue in today’s society, and it can lead to higher absenteeism rates and lower productivity. Providing mental health benefits, such as quiet rooms to recharge during breaks or apps to help them cope with the stress in both their personal and professional lives, would help reduce this anxiety and keep your employees happy and healthy.

Employee Engagement

How To Reward Your Employees

Given that it’s considerably cheaper to retain employees and top talent than acquire new employees, it makes sense that you should proactively look to reward your staff members and keep them as engaged as possible.

This is borne out by the numbers, with 55% of workers agreeing that recognition for good work is positive and drives positive employee engagement levels.

But how exactly can you look to successfully reward your employees? Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

 

Why is Rewarding Your Employees So Important?

There are multiple reasons to reward your employees for good work, aside from the positive impact that this can have on customer retention and commercial savings.

Additionally, this also increases engagement and motivation levels over time, boosting employee productivity and their self-esteem in the process.

From an employee perspective, this also delivers optimal levels of job satisfaction, while reducing staff turnover and creating far greater continuity within a particular venture.

 

When To Reward Your Employees

Of course, timing your rewards is of the utmost importance, especially if you’re to strike the balance between engaging employees and continuing to operate within your budget.

For example, we’d recommend offering a tangible reward after an excellent sales performance, or a particularly productive contribution to a marketing campaign.

From a customer service perspective, employees should be directly rewarded when they receive positive feedback from one or more consumers, especially in instances where they’ve handled difficult tasks and achieved a positive solution.

You may also want to offer rewards for employees who go above and beyond their job description in the pursuit of excellence, whether they’ve helped out an understaffed department or worked overtime to help overcome a particular challenge.

 

How to Reward Your Employees

The most obvious first step is to engage employees about their preferred rewards, as this can help to create the most effective incentives within your means or budget.

In general terms, however, gift cards or similar open banking solutions may be highly coveted, along with the provision of additional leave or more flexible working arrangements.

Similarly, you could look to create alternative rewards that strive to optimise your employees’ work-life balance, such as discounted gym memberships with local partners to vouchers with regional shops.

If you really want to adopt a bespoke approach to rewarding individual employees, you’ll also need to determine how you intend to announce your offerings.

After all, some people may want to be recognised in front of their co-workers (whereas others won’t), so you’ll need to tailor the whole rewards experience to suit your employees.

Diversity, Employee Engagement, News, News for HRDs

Newton becomes first UK company to work towards GEN certification for workplace equity

Newton, the management consultancy, announced today that it is the first UK company to work toward earning the GEN Certification, a data-driven accreditation that recognises organisations for excellence in workplace equity.

Launched first in the US by Executive Director Sara Sanford and her team, the certification initially focused on intersectional gender parity. In partnership with a consortium of award-winning data analysts and a research team at the University of Washington, the certification model has expanded to recognise cultural levers that can be adjusted to counter the biases that impact underrepresented groups of all backgrounds. GEN will assess Newton across over 200 indicators of employee experience and equity-centred best practices.

The announcement coincides with the recent appointment of Sandra Masiliso as Newton’s new permanent EDI Manager, marking another facet of Newton’s commitment to true workplace equity. The EDI manager will report directly to the People Director, who – along with the rest of Newton’s Supervisory Board – is the key sponsor for developing the company’s approach to EDI to deliver tangible, measurable outcomes.

Newton began working toward the GEN certification in August 2021, with GEN conducting an employee survey and an internal processes audit. While only 75% employee participation is required in GEN’s survey, over 80% of Newton’s employees took part. Newton’s leadership team has also been highly involved in the process, with all members of the supervisory board participating in one-on-one interviews with GEN’s assessment team.

As part of the certification process, the GEN team will also be identifying specific gaps in employee experiences and opportunities to optimise practices and policies to ensure equitable career flows for all employees. In partnership with Newton’s leadership team, GEN will tailor an action plan and change management program for closing these gaps and adopting best practices.

 

Sara Sanford, Founder and Executive Director of GEN, comments:

“We created the GEN Certification as a new gold standard for equity in the workplace, rewarding leading companies like Newton, who raise the bar for workplace equality everywhere.

“We’re so impressed with the time, effort, and candour behind Newton’s work toward earning this certification. In conducting interviews with the leadership team, one of their directors said, ‘We’re less interested in how to maintain our culture as we grow, and more interested in how to evolveour culture as we grow,’ and to me, that encapsulates Newton’s approach to this process. They exemplify the kind of commitment, transparency, and accountability that are crucial to centring equity and inclusion. They clearly know that prioritizing this is both the right thing to do, and the smart thing to do.

“While the certification assessment process is still ongoing, GEN’s team has noted several successes already: ‘We’re pleased to see that employees of all backgrounds have reported equal access to opportunities for training and development, and we’re excited about the ambitious targets Newton has set for diverse representation across leadership roles.

“The reaction from within Newton towards the first part of the certification process has been outstanding and we look forward to working with them on implementing a targeted action plan. Newton is the first UK company GEN has worked with, and we are enjoying learning together as we embark on this unique process.”

 

Kate Mills, People Director at Newton, comments:

“After first being introduced to Sara Sanford’s work as a guest on the Newton Talks podcast, her approach felt refreshing. Lead by insight and data, GEN helps organisations go beyond intent to take action.

“Last year we announced our commitment of 30% of our leadership positions being occupied by women by 2023. This is one of four EDI targets set to ensure that we reflect society more broadly and acknowledge our intention to ensure colleagues are fairly represented at all levels, and across all areas of Newton.

“Today’s partnership represents dedicated action towards achieving our commitment and more importantly, action towards creating a fairer workplace.”

 

Sandra Masiliso, recently hired Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Newton, comments:

“When the opportunity arose to join Newton on their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion journey I jumped at the chance. From the outside looking in, I was impressed by the various internal efforts, from diversity awareness months to the Newton Talks podcast which has been unafraid in exploring a range of D&I topics with a range of guest speakers, encouraging diversity of thought.

I’m thrilled to be joining at a time when I can help Newton work towards the GEN certification and I look forward to supporting Newton, empowering colleagues to become champions for change and continuing to drive commitment to real, lasting, and systemic change in the company culture.”