Concertus Design & Property Consultants, based in Ipswich, won the Best Employers Eastern Region 2018 Best Overall Large Company Award and was also presented with a Platinum Best Employers Accreditation. Read how gaining unique employee engagement data and being officially recognised as one of the region’s best employers has been a pivotal asset for the organisation’s recruitment strategy and has reinforced its commitment to continually raising the bar when it comes to people development and employee wellbeing. 

About

Concertus offers wide-ranging professional expertise and knowledge, creating successful solutions that are tailor-made to meet clients’ needs. It is an enthusiastic, passionate and talented team which strives to make places, properties and people be the best they can by working collaboratively with all parties to create effective and sustainable built environments.

Why did Concertus take part in Best Employers 2018?

Our ambition from day one has been to create an enjoyable working environment for our employees. We want our people to like coming to work and to be challenged every day to be the very best they can be. We decided to take part in Best Employers Eastern Region to find out more about what other companies were doing to achieve high levels of employee engagement and to see if there were any ways in which we might be able to improve. We did not expect to walk away with the Best Large Company Award and a Platinum Accreditation!

How did Best Employers help Concertus with employee engagement and frame its strategies for the future?

We are driven by our vision and values which include working together in collaboration and being supportive and encouraging. As part of this, we strive to be better every day and the feedback we have gained through the Best Employers survey has given us suggestions of where we can improve and implement new ways of engaging our employees. The clear structure of the Best Employers report gives us a framework to follow in which we will look at strategies around each subject area covered, setting new objectives as well as continuing to build upon the elements our employees have said they already appreciate and enjoy.

What were the benefits of taking part?

Not only were we able to analyse our own employee engagement results, we were also able to benchmark ourselves against other organisations. This showed that we were performing very well with our culture and values and also above expectation. This is an extremely positive result which we have shared as a motivational, good news story with our teams. We have also been able to showcase our achievement of being recognised as a Best Employer on our social media and marketing materials to help encourage recruitment.

What the judges said ...

Concertus delivers to its staff across all areas, from excellent training to good communications and a great working environment and commitment to CSR and sustainability.

We were particularly impressed with their commitment to training and supporting their teams to develop the skills they need to deliver exceptional service and to progress their career. The organisation is currently supporting over 20 employees studying for academic qualifications and offers graduate training programmes, apprenticeships and continuous professional development.

Concertus has also created a culture of open and honest communication which includes directors leading fortnightly staff catch-ups to share business updates and success stories. The working environment offers a flexible working culture and includes a non-work social space where employees can relax, laugh and have time away from their desks. Health care benefits such as corporate gym membership are further boosted by office fitness classes, health consultations, flu jabs, regular deliveries of healthy snacks, plus desk massages and talks on subjects including anxiety and coping under pressure. 

Already recognised with a Responsible Business of the Year Award in 2018, Concertus also encourages staff to give back to the local community and to support the sustainability processes embedded throughout the businesses. Fundraising has included challenges such as a Bush Tucker Trial style event and a charity skydive in aid of Concertus’ 2018 chosen charities - Amend UK and the Ipswich Homeless Shelter. Concertus staff also regularly attend careers events at local schools and colleges to support career progression and social mobility, plus three Stem Ambassadors from the organisation spend time teaching science, technology, engineering and maths, relating to their job roles, within schools.

What the client said ...

When we received the Best Employers Award, the first thing we did was round up all 125 employees for a celebratory lunch with fizz. Without our employees and their feedback, we would not have achieved this recognition and success. Achieving the Best Overall Large Company Award is a triumph, we are honoured! It has set a high bar, but tomorrow we will try to raise it. We will continually look to introduce initiatives which enhance wellbeing, employee engagement and benefits.

How has Best Employers made a difference to Concertus?

With the recruitment and retention of emerging talent considered essential for our continued growth, the Best Employers Eastern Region Award has also provided a pivotal asset which we can communicate across our recruitment strategy. It puts us on a platform as a good, reputable employer which is fully committed to doing the right thing for its employees and ensuring they are listened to. It will help us to attract like-minded individuals and to show that excellent career opportunities and working lifestyles can be found right here in our region.

About Pure

As a professional recruitment consultancy, Pure supports businesses in the Eastern region with talent recruitment, retention and succession planning. It recognises the significant impact employee engagement and workplace culture has on an organisation’s employer brand and its ability to attract and retain the high-calibre employees needed to achieve business growth and success. For more information on how Pure can support your business with unrivalled local recruitment expertise, talent development and employer brand, contact your local office.

Find out more about Best Employers Eastern Region 2020 here >>