Thrive Homes named one of UK’s top places to work

We were rated the 15th best housing association employer in the country in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For 2019 list.

A new entrant in the top 25 housing association rankings, Thrive won its place due to various colleague engagement initiatives which build team spirit, offer a fair deal to staff and promote charity work.

A shift to more digital ways of working has played its part in improving employee satisfaction, including the success of Workplace by Facebook as an interactive collaborative tool for colleagues, introduction of electronic filing and adoption of an agile working policy.

The policy has offered employees more flexible working options such as opportunities to work from home, which has reduced the need for staff to travel.

Thrive was also recognised for its charitable work, including the ‘Thrive Give’ initiative which encourages colleagues to give their time and support to good causes. The scheme allows every staff member to spend one paid working day a year taking part in volunteering activities for local community projects.

‘Best Companies’ judges highlighted the motivating effect of Thrive’s staff rewards too, such as personal thank-you cards from the Chief Executive, the Big Birthday Breakfast and £50 online shopping vouchers for employees to celebrate the organisation’s 10th anniversary.

Overall, Thrive was ranked 53rd in the ‘not-for-profit organisations’ category of the 100 Best Companies to Work For listings, up from its 73rd placing last year.

The annual rankings – which are based on the views of staff – recognise the UK’s best employers, those who go the extra mile to create a thriving workplace where their employees can flourish.

Thrive Chief Executive Elspeth Mackenzie said: “Any organisation is only as good as the people who make up the team so, at Thrive, we pride ourselves on valuing, nurturing and rewarding our employees.

“By giving a fair deal to our staff, encouraging colleague engagement and running schemes which give something back to our communities and the environment, we aim to bring out the very best in our people, developing their talents while making Thrive a great place to work."