Cultivating a positive work environment is pivotal for motivating employees, boosting productivity, and improving retention.
Employees spend around a third of their waking lives in a work environment. This could be at home, in an office, a factory, salon, train station, laboratory, or countless other physical spaces.
To make sure these settings are a breeding ground for productivity and employee wellbeing, employers need to ensure every individual has more than just the right tools and facilities available – people need to feel that they belong to a workplace where everyone is valued, supported, and inspired to do their best work.
Keep reading to find out the transferable techniques implemented by Admiral Group, which any company can action right now.
Who are Admiral Group?
Admiral was launched in 1993, with only one brand and 57 colleagues, and was built from the ground up. They chose to do things differently - happy to embrace innovation, new technology, new ways of working, and to take risks.
They put customers at the heart of what they did and believed in the power of the team. In 2004, Admiral floated on the London Stock Exchange, and in 2007 became, and still is, the only FTSE 100 company headquartered in Wales.
Primarily an insurance provider, offering motor, home, travel and pet insurance, the company also has Insurtech propositions like Veygo, personal loans through Admiral Money, and legal services through Admiral Law.
Some of their standout Trust Index employee survey scores include:
Their incredible company culture has resulted in impressive employer awards, most notably being ranked 13th among the Top 25 World’s Best Workplaces™ in 2023, and achieving Best Workplaces™ national recognition in 6 countries in the same year: Canada, France, India, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
In the UK especially, Admiral Group has become one of only two organisations to rank on the UK’s Best Workplaces™ List for the last 24 years in a row!
How Admiral Group created the ideal work environment
1. Facilities and flexibility
Admiral's flexible, hybrid work approach caters to both individual and business requirements seamlessly. Colleagues benefit from comprehensive support, including desks, chairs, and other essentials, facilitating productive remote work.
Moreover, the company has made significant investments in dedicated resources at their Cardiff and Swansea offices, creating environments meticulously designed to promote employee wellbeing and enhance productivity.
Admiral even developed a ‘Winter Wellbeing’ initiative to provide further support for their people during the colder months of the year.
As Admiral's Wellbeing and Workplace Support Business Partner, Paul Billington, explains:
“For our Winter Wellbeing Initiative in November and December 2023, we worked with our Facilities function to create ‘wellbeing rooms’ at our Cardiff and Swansea sites. Both rooms have low lighting options and soft furnishings as well as information and resources to do with all our wellbeing activities at Admiral.
There, we can welcome external third parties to site, and currently offer free access to therapists, massage, and a reflexologist. Having a dedicated space to house this activity makes it more accessible to all our colleagues, who can self-book sessions online.”
When asked about their workplace environment in the confidential Trust Index employee survey, this is what Admiral's people had to say:
“I love the hybrid working as an employee with a young family. I find that the additional stress of trying to sort out childcare has gone, which helps me focus on my job more.”
~ Admiral Group employee
2. Reward and recognition
Employee recognition has long been a cornerstone of effective management. But today, as the competition for talent escalates, the ways organisations show that they value their employees have become more important than ever.
In fact, our own Great Place To Work study of 1.7 million employee survey responses, gathered between 2018 and 2020, showed that affirmation, feedback, and reward are most effective for motivating employees to do their best work.
Here again, Admiral provides an exemplary example, as recognition has always been a core part of the company’s culture and takes many forms.
“Our colleagues work hard to make Admiral the success it is, and reward and recognition is about showing that hard work is appreciated and that everyone’s contribution is valued,” says Laura Dodd, Rewards Manager.
“Financial reward comes into it, but it’s also about all the other benefits you get as an employee of Admiral. Whilst not all our benefits are unique, we believe our culture is, and there is no other company that recognises its employees in the holistic way we do.”
One of the many ways colleagues are recognised at Admiral is through the company’s UK Insurance CEO’s monthly Customer Commentary to the business, which celebrates the work employees do for their customers, with a focus on frontline agents.
“As part of the commentary, our CEO recognises a Customer Champion based on nominations from colleagues and managers from around the business. The champion receives a £75 voucher of their choice as a ‘thank you’ and has a personal (usually virtual) meeting to talk about the great work they continue to do for our customers.”
Each year, Admiral also holds their prestigious Managers’ Awards, which have been running since 1992 – even before the first Admiral policy was sold!
Every award is chosen by a senior manager and has a special name based on the attributes the manager values in their colleagues, such as “Calming Influence Award”, “Bouncebackability Award” and “Rebel with a Cause” (and more!). Anyone can win an award, and anyone in the company could nominate a colleague.
As one employee shared in their survey:
“The fact that the company listens to everyone's suggestions, regardless of their role, and acts accordingly is an incredible touch.”
REVEALED: UK's Best Workplaces™ 2024
3. Admiral: Where You Can
Admiral is a place 'Where You Can'. It’s not just a workplace; it's a dynamic space where you'll be accepted, supported and empowered to be you. The company invests in its people to reach their full potential, focusing on growth and progress.
It’s a place where they prioritise doing what’s right; for each other, for their customers and beyond. As co-owners, all colleagues not only have a stake in the business but they also have the opportunity to influence and shape its future.
In essence, working at Admiral means being part of a community where you matter as much as the company's success.
How a positive work environment boosts retention
When employers invest in their people’s wellbeing, providing a conducive work environment and exceptional company culture, employees feel valued and are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Moreover, a supportive and nurturing atmosphere makes for an ideal working and learning environment, thus creating a culture of continuous improvement. Employees are, in turn, more engaged, inspired and driven to reach their full potential; share their positive experience of their workplace with others; and have a stronger desire to stay with the organisation long-term.
Out of the 6,360 UK Admiral Group employees who responded to the survey, an impressive 44.9% have worked for the company for 6-20+ years, and 80% of the 6,360 say they “want to work here for a long time”.
“Admiral has true family values and supports its employees as much as it possibly can,” shared one survey respondent. “The support given to me by the company in my time(s) of need has made me a loyal employee for life.”
Elevate your employee experience.
As one of the top drivers of engagement for 77% of companies we survey, fun is a big deal. Read our guide on how to embed fun into your employees' day-to-day work experience.
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