We spend a lot of our lives at work. Finding a specific type of job or an industry that you’re interested in or passionate about is a big part of that, of course. But, the other half of the equation is the culture of where you’re choosing to hone your trade or profession.
Culture can sometimes be one of those things that’s difficult to pin down, unless you make an effort to understand and consider it. It’s not immutable, but grows and evolves over time because of different factors, including leadership, behaviours, beliefs, attitudes, expectations and shared values. And it sets the tone for how work is done and how people interact day-to-day.
Our own workplace is built upon and driven by a simple, but deeply held idea of being ‘human-first’.
We believe that being a great employer isn’t separate from being a great research agency. Our people are our product, in a sense – their curiosity, expertise and ability to understand others is what creates the value we deliver to clients.
We’ve worked hard to create a culture where people feel trusted, supported and able to grow, while giving them a genuine voice in how IFF develops.
So when it’s recognised, it means a lot to us. It’s an appreciation not only of just of the things we’ve put in place, but of the people who make our culture what it is every day.
Which is why our win last week at the MRS Oppies for Best Place to Work was such great news, knowing the integral role our Operations team plays in delivering our research. We were proud the judges recognised how we support people to achieve their potential:
“IFF Research have a human-first approach; emphasising transparency, long term growth and flexibility for the whole team. With an inclusive, sustainable and equitable workplace culture, they are worthy winners”.
Encouragingly, that approach clearly affects the quality of our work in a positive way too, as we were awards Highly Commended for the Operational Excellence and Best Data Collection: Interviewer Enabled categories as well. And we’ve recently, been nominated for three prizes at the MRS Awards for Best Place to Work, Agency of the Year and Healthcare Research.
It also echoed another award from earlier in the year. At the UK Company Culture Awards, we won Best Flexible Working Policy for our four-day working week pilot and the thinking behind it. Each accolade reflects the same underlying aim: to create a workplace where people can do excellent work without losing sight of the lives they lead beyond it.
A major part of ‘being human-first’ means continuing to listen, learn and look for new ways to help our people thrive. That’s how we maintain the conditions that allows our people and our business to flourish.
But for now, it’s certainly something worth celebrating when we have the chance. Our annual Team Day earlier this month gave us the perfect excuse to do just that in our own way. We stepped away from our desks and usual routines for a morning of highly entertaining (and slightly chaotic) sports day challenges, before sitting down for a meal and a good old natter.