We’re a people-first business.
Our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) expresses what we, as an employer of choice, offer to our people. It encompasses all the visible and tangible ways we live our purpose and promote our ‘One IQ-EQ’ philosophy.
We activate our EVP through three key pillars – Being You, Advancing You, Recognising You – which define our promise to employees and guide our approach to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
We champion authenticity, celebrating individuality and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, supported and free to be themselves. Our commitment to inclusivity, transparency and empowerment is reflected in our employee engagement scores and the diverse voices that shape our culture.
Engagement is our top people priority and, through our partnership with Gallup, we aim to understand what our people need and how we can better support them. The globally recognised Gallup engagement survey measures how our people feel about key aspects of their work environment, including growth opportunities and support to achieve their goals. Our annual survey achieves a consistently high participation rate (93% in 2024 and 2025), demonstrating our people’s commitment to helping shape our culture. Our engagement score has been increasing year on year, with an overall score of 4.06/5 for 2025, against a backdrop of declining engagement trends globally. Of course, there’s always room for further improvement, and each year the survey results guide our managers in creating targeted action plans to achieve continuous improvement.
Beyond Gallup, we regularly engage our people using multiple channels:
- Quarterly regional and functional town halls providing updates from management and Q&A opportunities
- Our ‘Ideas Channel’ encouraging suggestions for process improvements and new tools
- ‘Athena’, our intranet platform, for company-wide dialogue
- Focus groups that dive deeper into specific topics or challenges
- Team meetings that encourage open discussion about workplace experiences
- An ‘Everyday Conversations’ approach to line management, promoting regular two-way feedback
This multi-channel approach ensures everyone has an opportunity to share their opinions, concerns and ideas, helping us create a truly inclusive environment aligned to the specific needs of our people.
Our hybrid working policy provides flexibility to balance work and personal commitments, supported by competitive benefits packages.
Our employee-led networks (ELNs) provide vital spaces where our people can connect, support each other and drive positive change. Our ELNs come together through a mixture of intranet-based global networking and local activities, with dedicated groups supporting our LGBTQ+ colleagues, Black colleagues, mental wellbeing, and female empowerment.
We’re committed to helping our people grow professionally and personally, preparing them for future challenges and opportunities. Our comprehensive learning and development programmes support employees at every career stage, from emerging talent to future leaders.
Our PowerU framework offers targeted development:
- Ascent: Multi-level suite of innovative programmes, such as Basecamp for new line managers and Explorer for high-potential employees at all levels
- Elevate: Women in leadership programme helping female employees develop their skills, knowledge and confidence
- Accelerate: Future leaders programme recognised by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)
Our Everyday Conversations approach to performance and development discussions ensures regular check-ins as well as the opportunity for two-way feedback.
Our unique Shadow GMT initiative offers high-performing, motivated employees direct mentorship from our Group Management Team (GMT) with a real mandate to lead strategic projects, gain insight into senior decision-making and build networks of ambitious peers.
We believe in celebrating both individual and team achievements, aligned to the success of our organisation. Recognition is woven into our daily operations through various initiatives:
- High Fives – Spontaneous peer appreciation on our global intranet platform. This simple yet powerful recognition tool saw close to 8,000 High Fives awarded in 2024
- Kudos – Group-wide recognition across five award categories, designed to celebrate individual contributions across all levels and regions
- Long-service awards – Celebrating and rewarding long-service milestones at five-year intervals
These global initiatives are complemented by numerous regional, functional and CHESS awards given out across the business.
We also offer plentiful opportunities for progression across the Group, from promotions to global mobility.