16th October 2024 is Great Place to Work Certification Day, and we are pleased to announce that we are joining an amazing group of organisations globally that have achieved certification as a Great Place to Work. This is very meaningful to us at Leeds Mind as it is gained through gathering employee feedback on their experiences working as part of our team.
How we have achieved certification
This certification is the next step on our long journey to develop our workplace as a Great Place to Work. We have invested in People and Culture, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and Workplace Wellbeing over recent years to ensure that our employees work in a supportive and inclusive organisation where everyone feels that they belong.
Some of the key developments include:
- Relaunching our EDI network and creating peer support/positive action spaces for our colleagues including Culturally Diverse Voices, ADHD Support Group, LGBTQIA+ Voices, & Menopause Support
- Creating and embedding new Leeds Mind Values in everything we do from recognition programmes to quarterly performance reviews
- Ensuring our Wellbeing offer is second to none and working with managers to develop & support employee experience within teams, including introducing Enhanced Family Leave pay for the first time.
Eloise Bell, our Director of People, Culture & Governance said ‘this certification is incredible recognition that Leeds Mind truly is a great place to work, where people are welcomed and feel that they belong. We’ve worked incredibly hard to develop Leeds Mind as a caring and inclusive workplace, with policies that support this and managers who are equipped to lead colleagues confidently.’
How does the Great Place to Work certification work?
Great Place to Work certification is gained by asking employees for their feedback on Leeds Mind as a workplace. Survey questions focus on all aspects of the employee experience. It covers everything from equity of reward to leadership capability and health and safety.
We are now working on action plans to ensure development areas recognised by colleagues are worked on. Utilising the feedback from our employees helps us understand what else we need to do to continue our ambition to maintain Great Place to Work status.
Our highest scoring areas were:
- 100% of people stated they are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation.
- 100% of people stated that their colleagues are willing to listen to their work-related problems.
- 99% of people stated they feel good about how we contribute to the community.
- 98% of people stated they are clear about the goals and objectives for their service.
- 98% of people state that when you join the company, you are made to feel welcome.
- 98% of people stated their work had special meaning – it’s not ‘just a job’.
Here at Leeds Mind, we’re excited about the opportunities that Great Place to Work certification will bring. It will allow us to demonstrate to potential employees that we’re an attractive employer, bringing even better talent to deliver services for the people we work with. It will also help us enhance trust and credibility with commissioners, funders and other external stakeholders, which is vital in a challenging funding landscape.
What’s next at Leeds Mind?
We’re committed to continuously developing Leeds Mind’s workplace culture. Some of our current and upcoming projects that will support this are:
- Undertaking a review of our recruitment process to ensure it’s inclusive and helps us find the best talent effectively
- Developing a People Engagement strategy to ensure that we continue to hear our colleagues’ feedback and communicate internally efficiently
- Strengthening our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion efforts with a comprehensive dashboard that measures the impact of our efforts and how we can be more inclusive and representative of our community
We’re so grateful to all of our colleagues for completing the survey and giving their feedback, which made this incredible certification possible. A huge thanks also goes out to all of our leaders, who make a supportive workplace happen every day.
If you are interested in a career with Leeds Mind, keep an eye on our job opportunities page. Here you can find vacancies when they become available. We have a great range of roles you could get involved with.
