Vestd named one of the UK's Culture Leaders

We're thrilled to announce that Breathe HR has named Vestd as one of the UK's Culture Leaders. Vestd came third out of 25 SMEs committed to putting their people first.

Breathe HR is a cloud-based, user-friendly HR system designed with SMEs in mind. Believing that more businesses should get the recognition they deserve, they played close attention to companies that maintained a strong culture throughout the pandemic. 

And we're pleased to say that we’re on the list!

What IS company culture?

It may seem like a silly question to ask, but company culture means different things to different people. A broad definition is the attitudes, behaviours and outlook of a company or organisation. For us, positive company culture is about:

• Trust
• Collaboration
• Autonomy
• Purpose
• Recognition
• Diligence

These are the values that define Vestd to a tee. And cultivate great company culture.

What this means to us

To be recognised as a Culture Leader is an endorsement of who we are, what we do and the positive company culture we are building together. Vestd founder and CEO Ifty Nasir said:

"I'm delighted that Vestd has been selected as a Culture Leader. I couldn’t be prouder of the team and of the culture we’ve created that we’ll continue to nurture as the team grows."

How to put people first

As part of the judging process, Breathe HR looked at several factors that impact company culture. So, we thought we’d share a few examples of things we do (that work) and how to do them well.

Flexible working

When the pandemic hit, UK businesses had to adapt, and many employees began working at home for the first time. Our team is totally remote and has been for some time, so we know what works for us. Find what works for your business. 

Health and wellbeing

This is a biggie. With the sudden switch to remote working, lots of companies are likely struggling to spot signs of stress among employees. It’s harder to read those subtle cues. And the pandemic has affected us all in different ways.

We put together a guide to maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing while working remotely. Schedule time for human connection, even if it's via Zoom.

Rest and recognition go a long way too, so remind teams to take their full holiday entitlement and remember to show your team just how much you value them.

Engage employees

Employee engagement is crucial to positive company culture but also business success. An engaged employee is enthusiastic about the work they do and for whom. Teams with a mutual understanding of the overall mission are more motivated to make it happen.

Did you know that share schemes are proven to improve employee engagement? It's one of the reasons why one in four UK-based SMEs ownership with all (or some) of their employees. Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) are one way to do this.

We’re big fans. In fact, we collated the biggest cache of data on the subject in UK history, which revealed the overwhelmingly positive impact of EMI on teams. We’re talking growth, loyalty, motivation, retention and recruitment.

But there are other share schemes and option schemes available to suit different business needs. Feel free to book a call with a member of the team to talk about what’s right for you.

A huge thanks to Breathe HR for their recognition. And kudos to all the other companies in the line-up putting their people first. We salute you!