It’s always nice to enjoy working for your company, as well as hearing that your employees enjoy working for you. The team at TechRound have asked for submissions from employees in any position discussing why they like working for the company they are currently employed at. The responses have been varied, with employees discussing the benefits of working as part of a team, how they feel their current work-life balance suits them, and how some believe they have learned a lot from those surrounding them.
In no particular order, these are the submissions from a wide range of companies sharing the reasons why they enjoy working for their team:
1. Rnwl
Founder(s): Goncalo de Vasconcelos
Website: https://rnwl.co/
When serial entrepreneur Goncalo de Vasconcelos started Rnwl, he was on a mission to do two things. Firstly, shake up the world of insurance distribution. Secondly, create a workplace where people genuinely love to work. The first goal is a work in progress. The team recently launched the first version of the Rnwl app, targeted at car drivers who want insurance peace of mind. Goncalo knew the team were on the right track against the second when an interview candidate described Rnwl as ‘lovely and refreshing.’
What makes Rnwl lovely and refreshing? Goncalo has a firm belief that people produce their best work when they want to be at work. He says: “We’ve invested lots of effort into getting to know each other and our working styles. Doing this has enabled us to be aware of our gaps, make sure we build in time for learning and development and recruit talent who can fill the gaps so that everyone is adding value to the team.” He added, “We offer fair salaries, and all new joiners get options. Our best benefit is how we work. Our employees have complete flexibility in managing their workload and where they work. Employees don’t have to choose between work and life. They can have both. It’s about output, not presenteeism.”
Senior Developer Joanne Buxton said, “Following the lockdowns, I wanted to move closer to my family in Devon. With Rnwl, this was possible as our model means I only have to be at HQ 3 days a month.”
This approach has resulted in a diverse workforce: 50% of Rnwl’s development team are female, and 100% of the fathers have joint childcare responsibility, enabling their partners to thrive in their careers. Focussing on work and life is what makes Rnwl one of the UK’s best start-ups.
2. Goho
Founder(s): Stacey-Rebekka Karlsson
Website: https://www.thisisgoho.com/
Employees love working for the startup PR, Marketing & Events Agency Goho for many different reasons. One being that the team is super open and friendly meaning they have built some really solid relationships within the team. It’s also great because they get to focus on topics and social issues that they really care about, have conducted meetings about diversity and what they want to achieve within the business and their own personal lives.
Another amazing thing is having the leadership and 1-2-1 guidance that Goho offers, their managing director is super hands on and has an always on approach in helping them learn and become professionals in the industry. The working environment is fast-paced and they are constantly meeting new people, finding venues and connecting with professionals in the industry. Employees love the creative freedom, they get to research different clients and because they are a diverse team they get to work on the accounts that inspire and motivate them individually.
Two of the recent team members Caroline and Emily started working for Goho as interns which has now led them to be solid members of the company – this route into working life has been really beneficial for them both and has taught them so much in a short period of time. Overall, working in a startup means you have the support, care and motivation at all times – working doesn’t always feel like work and you are valued as a human being rather than a ‘robot’.
3. Team RH
Founder(s): Richie Howey & Rachael Hepton
Website: https://teamrhfitness.com/
Team RH is quickly establishing itself as the best company to work for in the North East.
It’s quadrupled in size over the last 2 years, during a global pandemic, and is actively seeking multiple employees across all departments to match the growth in sign-ups. We hire everything in house, from our own web and app development teams, to product development, graphic design and marketing departments.
If you’re looking to work for a slow-paced, regimented, old-fashioned company, this may not be the place for you… From hiring alpacas for staff as a form of pet therapy, to building a fully licensed bar and gym in our new unit and offering monthly socials to the whole company, Team RH is establishing itself as an industry leading employer by pushing boundaries to offer unique employee benefits.
So why do I love working here? Well, aside from our office cat, Luna, who 100% rules the office, it has to be the overall culture of the company. The CEOs (Richie Howey and Rachael Hepton) have a massive hands-on approach to everyone in the company. For the owners of a company to actively sit down with each employee every day and offer unique business insight and personal development for staff is practically unheard of. They listen to feedback and criticism to improve the company regardless of the employee’s title or position in the company.
It’s so bizarre to work for a company where people actively want to log on to do work in their spare time (even though we’re told not to!) It just shows how much they love the company to put in that effort. With a zero-tolerance policy for toxicity in the workplace, if you don’t want to work with honest, kind people and feel part of a mad family, this won’t be the place for you!
4. HELPFUL
Founder(s): Evan Michaels
Website: https://www.helpful.world/
A close-knit, dedicated, fast-moving team that naturally comes with the early days of a startup – HELPFUL empowers its people to follow their passions and values to create something unique. HELPFUL trusts its employees to complete the job they were hired to do. Providing autonomy from day one, you really feel like you’re part of an organisation that’s moving forwards – at pace! One minute you’re being onboarded and meeting the team; the next, you’re making key decisions and shaping the brand’s future direction.
The work-life balance is a perfect mix for the modern workplace. It’s demonstrated consistently by all team members – work hard and honestly when required, but make sure you live your life also. Stuck for childcare, need to attend an appointment or even prefer working the same hours as an owl? This isn’t a problem, as long as you’re getting your job done to the correct standard and working in the ‘HELPFUL way’.
For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.
5. Sprout.ai
Founder(s): Niels Thone & Raphael Guth
Website: https://sprout.ai/
Working for Sprout has been the most exciting experience. Since starting at the company only 18 months ago I have seen it grow from six to 30 employees and undertake two funding rounds (seed + and series A). It is a thrilling experience to work at a company that is growing rapidly.
The trust from the senior team has enabled me to steer my role into the direction that I would like to pursue for my personal growth. Senior leadership are always open to new ideas, new ways of doing things and give employees the agency to take on new responsibilities if they so wish.
It is also amazing to be part of a team that is truly hybrid! The London-based team members are back in the office when they choose to be but we have the flexibility to work remotely. This also means our team is global. Whilst our HQ is in London we have remote workers across the globe from Vietnam to Brazil. We have one in-person social and one remote social every month to ensure that everyone feels included and welcome.
The final and best reason for working for Sprout is the talented, smart and funny team. It feels like this is just the beginning and it is fantastic to be a part of a journey that is speeding along so fast!
6. Be More Social
Founder(s): Rik Courtney
Website: https://bemoresocial.co.uk/
Be More Social is a culture driven working environment with a no-nonsense attitude and a focus on driving results.
The business prides itself in supporting and developing its employees, providing regular training with the team on communication, time management, sales and personal development. Every 90 days, we hold team development sessions, led by our CEO, Rik, which focus on coaching and teaching employees social media industry news, as well as team-building activities.
Throughout Covid particularly, our business coach worked with each employee to train us all to improve our mindset. So, if anyone was feeling particularly low or struggling mentally to deliver on specific tasks, he would work with them to address their challenges and ensure that they felt mentally focused.
Last year, Be More Social was shortlisted for the ‘Excellence in People Development’ at the Doncaster Chamber Business Awards.
Working at Be More Social is like a mix between Google and Gymshark. Take the fun, relaxed, easy-going atmosphere with exceptionally talented people willing to always learn, try new ideas and grow.
I really love how I have the flexibility and trust to do my job to the best of my ability, there is no micromanagement, you have the freedom to make your own choices. As long as the work gets done and the results get hit, everyone wins’.
Rik Courtney, the CEO, is a boss who really cares about his staff, so much so that he refers to Be More Social as a family. When decisions are made, or actions are taken, it’s always to protect the business and its staff. We focus on a ‘WIN, WIN’ methodology.
7. Howbout
Founder(s): Duncan Cowan, Jake Jenner & Neil Tanna
Website: https://howbout.app/
Howbout is building a collaborative, open, and passion-driven environment from the start with the goal that everyone wakes up and feels excited to be here. The company’s passion, drive, and success stems from the founders’ dedication to not only the product, but to the culture they inspire throughout the business.
It’s important for us that we celebrate not just reaching goals, but the start-up journey as a whole. We work on a flexible work-from-home / work-from-office schedule, coordinating our days in the office together to prioritise collaborative meetings, team lunches, and socials. Every week the team gets together for a social to celebrate our wins and to champion the “behind the scenes” moments. Once a month, each employee has a turn at organising one social of their choosing. Our last social was drinks at a driving range!
Every employee should feel appreciated, and comfortable sharing feedback and being themselves. We’re always stepping up to give credit where credit is due and give praise to our peers not only for their work, but also their ideas and initiative. The team is encouraged to bring up their ideas and provide their value when making company decisions. Howbout believes that health always comes first, and builds a culture of understanding that not every day is a great day, and that’s okay.
Through quarterly “walk-and-talk” reviews, employees have the opportunity to bring up any thoughts or questions in a more casual setting and discuss personal development. Once a quarter, Howbout also organises an employee-only social (no founders allowed), where the employees can bring up any notes or feedback they might have and that is then compiled and relayed to the founders from the group as a whole.
Ultimately, the best part about working at Howbout is the passion, drive, and spirits of each and every team member. The culture here is a reflection of the founder’s dedication to the product and people, as they lead by example. It’s their hustle, hard work, and heart that is passed down to employees and inspires an environment where every person is willing to step-up and help, no matter what the situation or task at hand may be.
8. BARE Dating
Founder(s): Alex Sergent, Phil Beelsey, Gillian Myhill & Anna Adamiak
Website: https://bare.dating/
Keiton Guymer, current COO of BARE who was originally part of the DWP Kickstarter program has commented about working at BARE: My current position at BARE is both stimulating and exciting due to the company’s mission: creating a safe space for free and open-minded discussion and expression; creating a platform where people can easily open up about themselves and comfortably share their intentions. BARE is also a place that is fun and comfortable to work in, whilst always striving to improve and better fulfil the needs of our community, which is something that I personally feel there is a huge gap for in the market. I also like BARE’s flexibility as it allows me to switch between different roles and wear as many hats as possible. Life in a startup is constantly changing, and you never know what is around the corner.
So far, my journey at BARE has been very enriching. Initially, I started as a research & development assistant working on the product side of things. Since then, I have worked through several roles and became the first research and development manager, which led me to switch sides and eventually become the Head of Marketing & Growth, and now COO.
I have met so many people from different backgrounds and even have the opportunity to work with relationship experts, psychologists and many other individuals with various skill sets who build such an empowering and open-armed BARE community.
Working with multiple people at BARE has always been a great and educational experience because the fun and relaxing work environment encourages team members to share their ideas as they know that BARE is a safe space to have different types of conversations. I firmly believe that working for BARE is not just a job – it’s a highly rewarding experience – one that will positively meet your aspirational needs.
For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.
9. Huzzle
Founder(s): Amit Choudhary, Ingmar Klein & Parham Rakhshanfar
Website: https://www.huzzle.app/
The founding team of London-based Huzzle, the first complete career-management tool for students, only met in person in August 2021.
Amit Choudhary who is from India, German Ingmar Klein, and Parham Rakhshanfar, from Iran but who grew up in Vancouver, had started creating the company back in November last year.
Despite lockdown ending and people around the world drifting back to their offices, the multinational founding team wants to hang onto the remote-working vibe.
“We have a wework subscription, so the co-founders have a workspace in their respective cities,” says Klein, “but we want to stay remote first as long as possible to respect individual sleep schedules, eliminate commuting times and give work opportunities to tech talent in developing countries like India. We can find the best people to work for us wherever they are.”
The growing team is distributed around the globe, with five developers in India and Pakistan, an Indian living in Seoul, a Vietnamese residing in the UK as well as native Brits and Germans.
You could say Huzzle was one of the first post-pandemic companies since it has no current plans to take a central lease although a smaller office in Berlin or London might be on the cards.
“Having people coming to an office physically is not the future of companies in general and not the future for Huzzle,” Klein says.
So how does the company create a great work experience for the team who live so far apart from each other?
They will offer our remote employees benefits they can enjoy locally such as gym subscriptions, wellness programs and courses.
In the works is Huzzle’s first away-retreat where different team members can bring together different business units and boost chemistry, whether it’s a sailing trip in Greece or bar hopping in Dublin.
“I firmly believe investing money into these trips has a higher return than spending it on fixed office costs,” Klein adds. The people we need – smart, ambitious entrepreneurs – are bored by offices. To attract them, you need to give freedom, and be different from other companies. I believe the ones, which are structured to offer their employees remarkable experiences, in which the HR team ask themselves, ‘how can I surprise / delight my employees every single day?’ will win in tomorrow’s talent market.
10. MT Finance
Founder(s): Joshua Elash & Tomer Aboody
Website: https://www.mt-finance.com/
MT Finance has created a diverse and talented work force. The London-based company is a multi-award-winning bridging finance lender.
Founded in 2008 and now consisting of 40 employees, the staff includes nine different nationalities and speaks eleven languages. Challenging the traditionally male dominated finance and mortgage sector, there is a near 50:50 split of males and females in the organisation, and has very actively promoted women to the board, too.
The firm has looked to hire not only graduates but employees who may not have been offered the same socio-economic opportunities, deliberately seeking representation from diverse social backgrounds.
The company have found a winning formula, being named SFI Bridging Lender of the Year 2021 and MoneyFacts Best Service from a Bridging Finance Provider 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Chief Marketing Officer, Millie Dyson, commented: “At MT Finance we are proud to champion equal opportunities, not just gender representation, but socioeconomic diversity, too.
“When it comes to recruitment, we are committed to broadening the social diversity of our work force, especially from people with real potential but who may not have been given the same opportunities. We are here to encourage them on that journey, nurture that talent and help our employees reach their full potential.”
11. SEON
Founder(s): Bence Jendruszak & Tamas Kadar
Website: https://seon.io/
I had always envisioned working for a company that is doing cutting edge work in AI, but one that would have a positive impact on the world. So, when I heard about SEON I knew that it was a perfect fit for me – their ultimate goal is making the online world safer for businesses and their customers. And, with the recent surge in online crime, SEON is crucial as a modern way to fight fraud.
Being a part of the team at SEON is everything I imagined it to be: the leadership team is completely invested in what is happening on the ground, even as we’ve expanded rapidly following the record breaking Series A funding round earlier this year. Senior staff are easy to talk to and it’s not layers of unnecessary hierarchy. In fact, it’s just the opposite, the team brings infectious energy and passion – everyone is empowered to bring their best to the table and are supported to succeed.
SEON have created a culture of collaboration by building a team of top tier talent that is not only brilliant at what they do, but also supportive of each other. Anything is possible with tech and digital, you just get there quicker with an exceptional team.
With now over a hundred people across multiple offices globally, most recently in the USA and Indonesia, and a drive to grow the team even bigger it’s going to be more important than ever that we stick to our core values. We’re all committed to making fraud prevention accessible to help millions of people, and when you’ve got a goal like that and people that are dedicated to it you’re going to naturally create a great place to work.
12. Ready10
Founder(s): David Fraser
Website: https://ready10.media/
Ready10 is a stand-out consumer PR success story of the last five years and has attracted a number of top-tier clients like McDonald’s, Flora and MoneySuperMarket since it burst onto the scene in 2016.
As well as a different approach to PR, the agency also has a different approach to people with a values-based and people-first culture. Its staff benefits package includes 13 pay days a year (with two in January), unlimited holiday, medical insurance, a fund for staff to gain a qualification, free home broadband… and 100+ other perks.
The company also runs a series of internal and external training sessions to aid career development, from sessions on management to mental health.
Other training can be found outside of work through the ‘Personal Development Fund’, which finances the training of employees in any area they choose – not necessarily linked to PR. Recent examples of this include a team member obtaining an FA Level 2 coaching qualification, while another took Swedish lessons to impress his girlfriend!
Perks aside, there is also a strong culture at the agency and the Ready10 team are a friendly and welcoming bunch. They’ve maintained daily agency morning Zoom calls during the pandemic to keep spirits up, and there are also regular social events in place. In recent months they’ve had a singalong for the agency’s fifth birthday with Ritchie from 5ive, ‘Sean Da Paul’ (yes, really) introduce its virtual xmas party and even created a piece of artwork featuring the name of every employee the agency has ever had. And in early 2022, restrictions allowing, they’re heading off for a belated fifth birthday party – to Ibiza!
Finally, Ready10 is committed to having a safe and inclusive workplace for all and have an internal working group meeting monthly to ensure this. In the past year, they’ve implemented a pay review process to ensure transparency, data and candidate tracking and mentors for staff from minority backgrounds. Ready10 are founder members of the PR charter for mental health and work with external consultancy Head Office on its mental health provision and support for staff.
