being a B Corp: Workers
The assessment we undertook to become a certified B Corp judged our people policies as the best performing of the five areas that were scrutinised as part of the process. Chief of Staff, Natalie Gordon, explains the work that goes on behind the scenes.
Workers was the ‘best performing impact area’ in the B Corp assessment – why was that?
I think Egremont has always been people-focused both in the work we do with clients and with our own employees. We know people are our biggest asset and believe in looking after them and helping them to be the best they can be. We have worked hard to build a people strategy that goes beyond the normal compliance elements and becomes part of everything we do; looking after our people is not a hygiene factor, it is a central commitment in our business strategy.
How has the people strategy evolved since you joined Egremont?
We have grown rapidly over the last couple of years and the biggest change has been to bring process to the company while making sure this is done in a way that serves people and benefits the business rather than becoming just another task. These new processes incorporated a wide range of activities which impacted every area of the business. We revised our new starter process and created a structured intern programme, implemented robust mentoring and objective setting, created targeted training and quarterly team meetings as well as revising HR policies with an easy to use HR system. We’ve also completely reinvigorated our performance review model. This meant including 360 degree feedback, and a ‘what’ and a ‘how’ category when assessing objectives met. A person can meet all their objectives but if they focused on their end goals without considering the impact they had on those around them, that will now be reflected in their review. As part of this process we changed the scoring from out of five to out of four. Sounds simple, but it is too easy for an uneven number to leave everyone with a ‘middle of the road’ score.
What does a successful people strategy look like to you?
We’re doing a good job when our people are happy, developing and doing good work. If people are failing to develop, that’s on us as well as them. We want to be supporting them to do their best work and progress within the company. This year 35% of our consultants received a promotion to the next grade which makes me incredibly proud.
We also use a tool to check the pulse of the company by sending out questions regularly for anonymous feedback. It allows us to track the general level of satisfaction but also to receive tangible suggestions on how we can do better for our people. From this we have implemented a number of major initiatives including a compassionate leave and an enhanced parental leave policy, but we also started a business book club where staff come together to discuss and learn new skills and insights. Good HR practice should feel natural and intuitive, it is about giving people a voice and then ensuring they are heard.
What makes Egremont’s people strategy stand out from other companies you have worked at?
The most tangible difference is that co-workers genuinely care about other people’s development and want to help their colleagues do well. While this could be a reflection of our role as consultants, it seems to run deeper than that. We have brought the skills we use with our clients inhouse and want to see our team-mates shine. Mentors and others in the company go out of the way to make a point of giving encouraging feedback to boost confidence.
Perspectives from our people
Claudia Lawrence reflects on her 5 years with the company:
“Over the last 5 years Egremont has given me the opportunity to grow and develop with the company. I first joined the team as an office assistant but I am now responsible for creative resource management, providing on and off-site creative project support to our clients and teams while also working with our Chief of Staff, Natalie Gordon, to manage our website and social media platforms. The support and encouragement around you every day is what makes Egremont so special.”
Alex Devine, Analyst:
“I think development is critical to everything at Egremont. Our aim is always to make our clients the best they can be, and that approach definitely extends to the team as well. Joining as an analyst, that certainly includes structured, course-based learning, but it goes far deeper than that. There’s a genuine interest in your development at every level of the company. No matter how busy, people will find time to patiently explain a concept or to help you think a problem through.
At Egremont, you’re not just greeted by an open door, but an open mind too. One of the most exciting things about working here is that your ideas are listened to and judged on their own merit from day one. Even on my first project, I was able to pitch in and have a genuine impact on how the project was shaped. It’s so exciting and encouraging to be in that environment. It really drives you to keep developing your skills, expanding your knowledge and to focus in on finding the best solution.”
This is the final in our series of articles which focus on the different areas of assessment we undertook to become an accredited B Corp.
You can read the first piece about community here.
You can read the second piece about environment here.
You can read the announcement of our accreditation here.
To find out more please get in touch / +44 (0) 20 7298 7878
