We are delighted to announce that we have come 17th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2012.The award – which we were eligible to enter for the first time this year – is a vindication of what we’ve always known: that SilverDoor is a great place to work.
The awards are based on an anonymous employee survey, which all members of staff must take part in and which measures work/life balance, wellbeing and the relationship between managers and other members of staff. Over 800 companies entered the awards this year and over 246,000 employees were surveyed.
We scored particularly highly for wellbeing, coming tenth overall, and came fourth in the ‘Best for not bringing work home’ category. We also came tenth in the ‘Least exhausted’ list, meaning most employees said they don’t feel exhausted when they come home from work.At SilverDoor we’ve always placed huge importance on creating a comfortable, friendly working environment. Extensive on-site facilities, from our pool table and dartboard to our large staff room and kitchen, ensure that we’re all comfortable at lunchtimes and never in a hurry to rush off in the evenings.
We also encourage interaction outside the office through regular social events, from networking evenings with our property partners to summer parties and SilverDoor ‘nights in’, which are organised by one member of staff who chooses a theme and organises food and drinks for a Friday evening.
It’s not just about keeping the staff happy, though: these events and facilities help us communicate better and work well as a team, which improves the service we can offer our clients. They also help to keep our staff turnover low. Managing Director Marcus Angell explains: “The working environment at SilverDoor allows us to attract and retain the very best talent which pays dividends to clients. Developing a team of industry specialists enables us to deliver high levels of client service every time.”We know that as the company grows we will need to adapt to the changing needs of our employees, and the survey has provided a great opportunity for us to analyse and respond to feedback. We’ve already outlined plans for a pension scheme and a cycle to work scheme and will implement further changes over the coming months.