The importance of implementing an employee-first culture within the modern workplace

We spoke with HR Director Neil Hayward recently to catch up on all things people, in particular, what Novuna is doing to foster an employee-first culture.

No matter the industry, it is vital that employees feel they are part of something and feel valued within a business. Attracting, retaining and engaging your employees should be a priority for all HR departments and businesses, and this has become especially clear in the wake of the great resignation.

Novuna has forged a strong reputation for delivering the best colleague experience possible through professional and personal development opportunities, within a safe, welcoming environment. Indeed, Novuna ranked 15 on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work UK list with a 4.6 rating, highlighting that we are working above industry standards, and showcasing the high level of commitment that has been built between the company and its employees.  

In the last 12 months, we have invested heavily in a range of professional and personal development pathways, focused on specific employee mentoring, coaching and leadership programmes. Our aim is to ensure that everyone has the scope to fulfil their potential and grow within the company around a wide-ranging support framework. Furthermore, we have established graduate schemes and apprenticeships in order to open up new routes for young people to join the company and develop their careers in financial services.

Additionally, Novuna has made a concerted effort to continue to grow an inclusive and diverse workplace that facilitates equality of opportunity. As a company, we have established several community groups that are each aligned to specific areas such as gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. Each group is sponsored and led by a senior executive within the company to drive things forward and enable even greater progress.

Organisations need to see their HR teams as a true business partner that can help drive the business forward. Our human resources department is focused on ensuring employee engagement and wellbeing remain front and centre across Novuna.

In response to the impact and concern cost of living increases have on our people, we have implemented a range of measures to help our employees feel supported, particularly for our colleagues with lower salary grades. This has seen the favourability of reward and recognition increase by 5.1% to reach 83.2% and enables us to continue to attract and retain the best talent, and in turn, provide innovative financial solutions and outstanding customer experiences.

 From providing greater agile and flexible working to encouraging employees to grasp opportunities to develop and progress irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or background, Novuna has succeeded in navigating the challenges of recent times. Most importantly, as a result of our hard work, we have emerged on the other side with a loyal, engaged and committed workforce.

My one piece of advice for any business in 2023 would be for them to double down on employee wellbeing and development opportunities as a first step. Implementing an employee-first culture and living your company values are fundamental to achieving a productive workforce and go hand in hand with the long-term success of any organisation.

Neil Hayward, Group HR Director at Novuna