As a B Corp, looking after the Lily’s Kitchen team is hugely important to us. Having fair and robust HR policies to support our employees is only part of the equation. We strive to enable and empower everyone on our team so that they feel able to work to the best of their abilities while making a tangible difference to the business on a day-to-day basis. We also want to make sure that everyone who contributes to the success of our business is happy.
Regularly tracking employee Happiness Scores provides a great barometer of how we are doing, and I am pleased to say that from 2022-23 our score held steady at 77%, which is above the 71% industry average for employee satisfaction. From January this year, we have moved to a quarterly pulse check in which we hope will give us even more insights, an understanding of the drivers behind our scores, and where we can continuously improve.
As we grow, however, and in a world of hybrid working, the challenge is to make sure that our team has opportunities to have fun together. We have always taken time to get to know each other through team socials, bake offs, Christmas parties, picnics, and more. And, of course, our dog-friendly office goes a long way towards putting smiles on people’s faces.
More recently we created our Culture Club, a staff-led committee who help to keep us connected through the Culture Chronicles newsletter, office socials, and sports activities, and facilitate a virtual suggestion box and recognition for colleagues. By creating moments our staff can enjoy together, led by team members themselves, we are building a strong and inclusive culture where people have a chance to meet co-workers they might not ordinarily interact with and through activities they really want to participate in.
With this approach, we are optimistic that our team will be even happier in their roles. After all, a happy team is a successful team.
Georgina Cameron is HR director at Lily’s Kitchen
