😎 Autonomy
At Higson, autonomy plays a crucial role in empowering the team and giving us the freedom to make decisions, take a flexible approach to work, opportunity for learning and staying accountable for results.
One of the ways we do this is by having the team structure their day and calendar as they want and what they wish to prioritise. This helps the team find a work life balance which suits their preferences and needs, and helps us feel more in control of our time. An example of this is being able to block out “focus time” for deep work in our calendars, which is respected by other members of the team.
In addition to autonomy over time, the team can also set their own goals every month in one to ones, allowing us to steer our careers at Higson the way we desire. Through career conversations, we are given the freedom to choose our focus areas and priorities for the next few months and chart out a process to achieve them.
Coupled with autonomy, we also have a culture of trust and ownership. Team members are trusted to take full ownership of the tasks they take up and complete them, and there is no micromanagement involved.
📖 Opportunities to learn
At Higson, we have a culture which embraces learning and continuous improvement, and we believe this is essential for the success of individuals and Higson.
Our comprehensive 8-week induction programme is designed for new starter to equip them with the knowledge and skills. It covers a wide range of topics- about Higson, core content, client base and knowledge. Additional resources such as articles, books, videos and podcasts are shared to supplement the learning. It is ensured that the learning is embedded through weekly opportunities to deliver core content to experienced team members who provide feedback, guidance and answer any questions. Feedback is seen as a valuable for collaboration, personal growth and for continuous improvement. This thorough induction process definitely helped me improve my confidence and increase knowledge across areas.
We have a dedicated Slack channel where the team shares interesting articles and research pieces. We then take this up every few weeks in team meetings as part of our “content wrap ups” where we discuss the material and brainstorm ways together as a team to our existing content.
Lastly, we support uninterrupted focus time for learning. To do this, the team members are encouraged to block out dedicated focus time in their calendars every week, which allows them to research and read about areas of their interest, acquire new skills, or explore relevant topics which support their professional growth. For example, recently, I was able to complete a CIPD learning course on data and insights, which is an area of interest and is definitely helping me in my internal role of “Head of Data and Insights”.
⛑ Employee wellbeing
At Higson, employee well being is at the forefront of the culture. We recognize that happy and healthy teams make for success.
We actively encourage taking breaks and time off through an “unlimited holidays” policy. This helps the team prioritise their well-being and ensures that we are protected from burn out, and have opportunities to rest when needed.
To further promote well-being and have fun as a team, we have a dedicated well-being calendar that is rolled out every month. This calendar outlines team events for the month as well as suggestions for activities that individuals can engage in on their own. For example, we recently celebrated World Sleep Day by booking a “lie in day” and start work an hour later.
Aspects of our culture like flexible work arrangement and autonomy play a significant role in supporting employee well being at Higson, allowing the team to structure their day and week in a way that suits their personal preferences and needs. This promotes work-life balance by a healthy mix of work and personal life.
By prioritising employee well-being and incorporating fun and flexibility, Higson truly creates an environment which supports well-being and happiness of the team and creates a positive atmosphere.
Overall
Higson really fosters an inclusive, purpose-driven and enjoyable work environment. As someone who is still fairly new to the team, I have always felt welcomed and supported by the team because of the highly collaborative environment. The flat hierarchy helps contribute ideas, participate, and work very well together as a unit. In addition, Higson really values and helps us maintain a healthy work-life balance, and taking breaks and time-off is actively encouraged. This has definitely had have a positive impact on success and efficiency as a team.
What truly sets Higson apart from other consultancies is the dedication to embedding the solutions proposed. We genuinely care about the impact we have on clients, and go above and beyond to ensure implementation. We also care deeply about the planet- Higson's focus on sustainability really resonates with us- 20% of out annual profits are donated to charitable causes, and we run pro bono workshops for charity partners.
Working here definitely makes you feel and realise the impact you make in so many different ways. I have grown not only professionally but also personally- all in 6 months!