Having a reputation for being a great a place to work is something all businesses should strive for, but sometimes it’s easier said than done, especially for small businesses.
That’s why Real Business has teamed up with?Breathe to launch a new campaign, the SME Culture Leaders List 2019, so we can learn from the best. We will be scouring the country for a definitive list of the UK’s 25 best SMEs with enviable company culture.
So, why is company culture important?
It is commonplace for employees to wear many hats in small businesses. There’s often a lot going on, people are juggling several roles at once, and it can be easy to overlook company culture or bump it down the priority list.
Yet, perhaps now more than ever, people are increasingly concerned with company culture. Retaining good staff is no longer just about how much you pay them. According to research by Snacknation, assuming that they?re paid fairly, a negative work environment would still drive 17% of people to quit their jobs.
In addition, 93% of people who said they work in a ?toxic work environment would leave for a raise compared to just 34% who said their work culture was ?very strong?.
When we think of strong company cultures, we might think of very corporate offices offering free snacks, games rooms and nap pods etc. But there’s more to this than offering perks.
We re looking for SMEs that have nailed what it means to be a great place to work, whether that’s through their ethos, leadership style, inclusive policies, flexible working arrangements or kickass workspace.
How do you sign up?
Entering your business for the campaign couldn?t be easier. It’s free to enter and applications take just a few minutes.
Simply enter your name, industry, company size and tell us in 300 words why the company you are nominating is one of the best places to work.
Here are some things to think about in your nomination:
- What is your company’s vision and mission?
- How does the company culture reflect that?
- How do business values and actions back that up?
- Is company culture a business priority” Who manages it” Who drives it?
- How did they get started How do they measure success?
- Provide key examples of workplace culture in practice
- How do you sustain your company culture
- What is the impact of these initiatives on the organisation?
- Provide examples of employee engagement and its impact
- What is the impact of the company culture on revenue/bottom line
If you’d like to send any supporting materials across, please email them to [email protected] with the subject line “SME CULTURE LEADERS”.
Best of luck. We look forward to hearing your stories!
