The finalists for the EADT Business Awards 2024 have been announced.
Here we meet the finalists in the Employer of the Year category, sponsored by Waddington Brown.
Harwich Haven Authority
Established in 1863, Harwich Haven Authority is a major employer in the region, with approximately 70% of its employees living locally.
As one of the UK’s largest trust ports, the business operates 24/7, 365 days a year. Nearly 40% of all containerised goods enter the country via the Haven, making it critical to the local, regional and UK-wide economy.
The judges were impressed with “the consistency around explaining the ‘why’ to employees as an intentional approach to changing employee mindsets”.
They said it was great to hear about the Haven’s use of a “social value portal that puts tangible figures against the benefit of working, recruiting and buying ethically and sustainably”.
Morgan Sindall Construction
Morgan Sindall Construction is a UK business with a network of local offices, including an office in Ipswich serving Suffolk.
The company’s construction services range from special works and repair and maintenance to major landmark schemes delivered as standalone projects or as part of larger, multiple-project frameworks.
Covering the public and private sectors, its recent projects in Suffolk include Stowmarket Fire and Police Station and Newmarket Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre.
The judges noted the “huge range of culture, engagement and wellbeing activities that embrace every part of an employee’s journey”.
They also praised the combined long service and new starter lunches as a “simple but effective activity”.
Pager Power
Based in Sudbury, Pager Power is a global consultancy working in the renewables, aviation, building and telecoms sectors.
It primarily helps developers gain planning permission by providing the required analysis and technical reports for planning applications, and by assisting them to overcome objections from stakeholders.
From four full-time employees in 2016, the company has now grown to a team of 18, in addition to part-time staff and specialists who assist with marketing and development.
All three directors started at a junior level and now manage the company on a daily basis.
The business always promotes from within and looks for raw talent when it recruits, with less focus on experience and more on a candidate’s potential.
The judges said the financial success of the business, “no doubt helped hugely by the employee-owned engagement in delivering returns”, puts it in a “wonderful position to consider how the company acts on community and social values”.
SimpleClick
Having just celebrated its 15th anniversary, SimpleClick is an Ipswich-based agency specialising in software, mobile and web development.
High-calibre clients include Suffolk-based businesses Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Waller Transport Services, MacKenzie King, Same Day Business Loans, Vint-tro, Pier Marketing and ihAg.
In 2023, SimpleClick achieved record profit through recruitment, maintaining low staff turnover and investment in its proprietary platform, Doddle.
The judges said: “You can really feel the care that has gone into matching commercial decisions with how best to serve the employees. Innovative ideas – such as the nine-day fortnight and having the taking of leave as a KPI – show how to carefully balance the needs of both employees and clients."
They added that the company is “embracing the opportunity to nurture diversity” among its team, with examples of employees feeling comfortable to bring their whole selves to work.
To find out more about all finalists, please click here.
The winners of the EADT Business Awards 2024 will be announced at an award ceremony at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich on Thursday, July 4. For more information, please visit eadtbusinessawards.co.uk
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