5 questions with Nita Clarke OBE
1. Tell me a bit about yourself. I’m a former senior official with UNISON, worked for Tony Blair at No 10 2001-2007, Director of the Involvement and PArticipation Association, co-author of the Engaging for Success report 2009, and co-chair with the wonderful David MacLeod of the national Engage for Success taskforce, and proud of the movement it has spawned. 2. What’s your top tip for creating a happy and engaged workplace? It’s the people, stupid. Regard your people as the solution not the problem, have faith in them to come up with the answers to the challenges you face, listen to and respect them, and give them something to believe in. 3. Could you give me one example of how people responded to greater trust? Trust is when the values of an organisation are reflected in the behaviours and creates a culture of confidence and positivity where people feel they can speak out when things aren’t right. and come up with suggestions for improvements. 4. What have you done to create a culture of trust at your organisation? I’ve tried to empower the team at the IPA to do what they do best in their areas of expertise, while creating an atmosphere of mutuality and solidarity. 5. Could you give me an example of what you’ve done to give staff greater freedom and autonomy? No micro-managing, but plenty of team discussion about mission, strategy, and day to day operations, so everyone feels as empowered and as accountable for success as everyone else.
5 Questions With Peter Cheese of CIPD
Peter Cheese is the CEO of the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
CIPD is the professional body for HR and people development. It is career partners to more than 140,000 members around the world, giving them the support they need to make a real impact on the work and working lives of the people and organisations they work with. Through its research, CIPD provides a point of view on creating that impact in the context of the rapidly changing world of work.
We spoke to Peter Cheese about how he has helped to create an engaged and happy workplace.
5 questions with Damien O’Neill of Advanced Technology Services UK Ltd
Damien O’Neill is Site Manager at
Advanced Technology Services UK Ltd (ATS).
ATS employs more than 3,000 people across the US, Mexico and the UK, and specialises in factory maintenance and IT services. Their company culture is centered around safety and continuous improvement, with their products winning multiple awards for innovation.
We spoke to Damien to find out more about ATS and their culture, ahead of the 2017 Happy Workplaces Conference next month.
5 questions with Simon Grosse of Foundation SP
Simon Grosse is the CEO of Foundation SP.
Foundation SP has just been awarded the UK’s Best Workplace in the Small Business Category (for organisations with between 20 to 40 staff). This is the second year running that they have been given the prestigious award.
We spoke to Simon about Foundation SP’s value-led culture to find out more.
Brand New Excel Training Course: Excel Pivot Tables
At Happy, we love Excel. No really, we do! It’s immensely powerful, full of fantastic features and can produce beautiful results. But we love it most when it’s easy – we don’t think anyone should have to spend days wrestling with Excel. So how is this new course going to change all that?
Happy Workplaces Have Higher Share Growth
The link between staff happiness and engagement has been shown in countless studies to improve staff retention, improve productivity and increase profits – and it’s also been shown to dramatically increase share growth.
5 Questions With Sarah Metcalfe of SureFlap
Sarah Metcalfe is Head of Customer Service at SureFlap.
SureFlap Ltd
is a Cambridge-based multi-award winning company that designs and manufactures smart pet products. These include cat flaps and pet doors, pet feeders, and microchip readers. Their products are designed to look great and are the best at what they do, and they are loved by the people that use them – SureFlap now has a Net Promoter Score of over 95% in over 20 countries around the world.
We spoke to Sarah about how she has created a happy and engaged workplace, with values based on trust and freedom within guidelines.
Happy Workplaces are More Profitable
Companies that prioritise the happiness and well-being of their employees are generally considered more progressive, are viewed more favourably by the general public and seem to be recognised as morally superior, but do happy workplaces actually perform better financially?
Crying: The Unexpected Key To Happiness
Even in an age of hyper-individualism, there’s still a stigma about crying. We’re basically expected to suppress any outward display of vulnerability in the public arena lest our humanity be unceremoniously revealed.
Happy is Proud to be a Freedom-Centered Workplace
I am proud to announce that Happy has qualified as a WorldBlu certified Freedom-Centred Workplace for the fourth time. We are one of only three UK companies to make the list this year and are honoured to be there alongside John Lewis.
