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Head of People
Company News
The ‘Giving Something Back’ award recognises the contribution businesses across the UK make when it comes to protecting the environment, supporting local charities and helping the wider community. This is something the whole team are passionate about at Search Laboratory, and it’s wonderful to see this recognised by being in the top 10 nationally.
The award is part of the UK’s Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies list where we placed 19th overall. We are incredibly proud of this milestone, which is a testament to all of our fantastic people and marks our ninth appearance on the list.
Each year staff nominate a ‘Charity of the Year’ which we support through frequent fundraising and by providing our digital expertise on a pro-bono basis.
Our recent charity partnership with Leeds Mind was launched with an Apprentice-style fundraiser which turned £460 into £1,685. We have a target of £16,000 to raise for the mental health charity which will provide funding for 200 counselling sessions and peer support for 240 people in the community.
As well as raising over £18,000 for Leeds Hospitals Charity last year, we have hosted fundraisers to support the LQBTQ+ community, Leeds Children’s Hospital, and Leeds North Food Bank.
Our charity committee help us generate innovative ways of involving our teams. Employees have used paid charity days to support the Ahead Partnership Schools project and help Leeds council with Himalayan Balsam bashing in local woodlands.
Our staff volunteer ‘Footprint’ group have led us to become certified as carbon neutral, meeting on a bi-monthly basis to discuss ways to reduce our environmental impact.
Our Leeds office is powered by 100% renewable energy, and we’ve implemented energy, water, and waste improvements throughout the building; such as decommissioning our gas boiler and installing water-saving devices in our bathrooms.
A carbon-neutral waste provider has also been appointed to prevent any of our waste going to landfill. 81% of waste is recycled, with the remaining 19% being converted into refuse-derived fuel.
Our mission is to make Search Laboratory the best place to work and listening to our people is central to achieving this. The company’s listening strategy includes engagement surveys, analysis of exit interviews and post-induction surveys. This means changes are made where it matters most to staff.
Our staff were pivotal when it came to defining our hybrid working policy. After trialling different approaches to flexible working, staff were able to tell us what suited them best.
When learning and development was raised as the number one priority, we hired an in-house Learning and Development Manager to provide a focus on training and progression opportunities. Programmes for aspiring managers and an entry-level training programme have also been rolled out to accelerate learning.
These programmes are supported by our 360-Learning platform for on-demand resources, alongside a digital library for audio and eBooks.
We have also rolled out a new benefits package after listening to feedback. New benefits this year include increased annual leave of up to 30 days, a healthcare plan from day one of employment and further enhancements to our maternity, paternity and adoption pay, with four weeks leave with full pay for new fathers. We have also introduced paid four-week sabbaticals.
In the regional awards, we placed 12th in Yorkshire & the Humber’s 75 Best Companies, and in the Marketing & Media’s Best 40 Agencies list, we came in 4th position.
Our CEO, Chris Attewell, expressed his gratitude for the award: “To be listed in the Best Companies list for the ninth time is a huge achievement and something that fills me with great pride. This award is a testament to the fantastic teams we have and how much we can achieve moving forward.”
You can stay up to date with the latest goings on at The Lab on our LinkedIn page.
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