A UK legal executive commented to me the other day that in the company he worked for the only differentiating employment factor is the laptop they give you! Working culture which aids staff retention and development seemed to be low down the list of this company’s criteria and this struck me as very sad. We spend a third of our lives at work, and where possible, enjoying this time seems a reasonable objective in a life that is lived only once. Many in the professional sector in Leeds are working to ensure their working culture is modern, dynamic, exciting and goes beyond the pay check at the end of the month. We see this physically in the new office environments which are developing in Leeds. Wellington Place and City Square House are amazing spaces where people gravitate to, which in turn improves productivity, connection, team dynamics and creates an exciting working culture along with additional benefits to the city centre and wider place experience.
Other levers beyond pay are the softer less tangible opportunities we extend to those we employ. Days in the community, training, and giving staff development opportunities that in the long term all help retention and company reputation. LeedsBID carried out a survey of all businesses in Leeds earlier this year and a number of positive ideas came forward in this regard which I have listed below to hopefully inspire and provide you with some opportunities to pass onto your own employees.
Team Building
The other day in Trevelyan Square, outside the Marriott Hotel, a corporate day was underway with obligatory name badges and clip boards. Staff on this away day were sitting in groups and doing physical activities in the city centre. Sometimes budgets can be a factor in team development, but what if it was free? At LeedsBID we have been working with Hasbro to create a Leeds Monopoly Takeover this summer. The activity is a school holiday trail, with prizes and fun for all who participate with a concept that is familiar to us all, whatever our age. One company said to me the other day, “This is great! I am going to adapt the trail and create a team building day one afternoon when the sun shines for my team.” Brilliant. Find out more at https://monopolyleeds.com/
Inspiring minds
Dispatching staff on courses can be expensive with travel, hotels, and course fees, but what if there was a more affordable option locally? LeedsBID created Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI) which is now in its fourth year. The festival promotes the very best of ‘brand Leeds’ to the UK and world beyond. The programme brings together 30+ incredible speakers, across 9 events, over 4 days at the legendary Leeds Playhouse in October. With subjects including AI to neurodiversity to creativity and geopolitics, LIFI has been curated to respond to the business sectors and organisations in the city. Following last year’s sold-out festival, we wanted to go even bigger, even better in 2024 and will be joined by Prof Tim Spector, music legend Nile Rodgers, Carol Vorderman, Stacey Dooley, Kate Garraway, Goldie, Rylan, Kate Adie, Self Esteem and Matt Willis. Complimenting these celebrity experts, we have a host of the most influential thought leaders, writers, academics, and professionals in their fields drawn from across the UK, Leeds and the world.
The mixture of keynote and panel discussions will tackle some of the most important social issues of today and present inspiring, thought-provoking, and uplifting perspectives on how we can all make the world a better place and put Leeds more boldly on the map as a place you want to be. We have kept ticket process low so you can buy these for staff as part of their professional development. Tickets are available via the website www.leedsinternationalfestival.com
LIFI24 is about curiosity, connection, and conversation. You and your company can be part of that conversation.
Training @ LeedsBID
LeedsBID is located in the heart of the city and offers free training as well as workshop space to all levy paying businesses in Leeds.
Training includes, working with West Yorkshire Police on issues of retail crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and de-escalation training to courses which cover IT skills, first aid and mental health training.
These courses have been driven by the demands and requests of businesses in Leeds with over 1,400 people taking part in training opportunities.
See what is available here
Days in the community
ESG and CSR are top of the list for most companies, recognising the importance of social value and contributing to the environment where your businesses operate. Companies are looking for new and creative ways to accomplish this in Leeds and this came through strongly in our recent survey. With the professional sector comprising of 46% of Leeds, imagine if we were able to unlock the many days of community action back into LS1 and LS2 where we all work. Thousands of hours of time and expertise could be harvested. Working with other organisations, LeedsBID is looking to support this aspiration and provide companies with a range of opportunities that link to their own ESG agenda. Being different, coming up with new ideas provides staff new motivation. In a past life working for a FTSE 100 company, a team of head office staff spent two days (ground force style) building sensory garden in the city centre for children and particularly for those requiring extra care. Imagine the pride every time they walked to work as they passed the garden they created, and they could say inside ‘we did that’. They owned it and cared for it long after their day of action in the community.
Inspiring, training and looking after staff goes a long way to retain them; it creates loyalty and beyond this, it instils a positive brand reputation. It is these opportunities that differentiate our working culture that go beyond the laptop we are given!
Andrew Cooper
Chief Executive LeedsBID
Andrew will be speaking on ESG at The Industry Innovation Dinners event being held in Leeds on Wednesday 25th September 2024.
