Leading independent Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance provider, Progress Careers, are celebrating after being shortlisted for the ‘Most Supportive Employer’ award at the forthcoming Careers in Careers Celebration Festival taking place next month.
The award, which recognises an employer who is particularly supportive with pay, terms and conditions, development or other attributes who can be shown as an example of best practice, will be decided by a panel of judges after a nomination process, with the winner being crowned on the day.
Progress Careers, who take immense pride in their employee engagement activity, place collaboration, celebration, and recognition high on their internal agenda. From sharing best practice, to clear career pathways, Progress Careers are more than just a team of advisers, they are a family, a tribe.
This supportive and caring approach is spearheaded by Paula Thompson, who was appointed as Managing Director in 2021. Since taking the helm, she has fostered a culture that is driven by flexibility, fairness, and friendliness. An approach which is reflected as much in their delivery to schools as it is in their culture. The team, who take time out for well-being, professional development, and communication days, take every opportunity to champion the business to potential new recruits, and regularly share their positive experiences on their own social media profiles.
Paula commented that;
“Being nominated for such an award is incredibly humbling, but then to find out that we’ve been shortlisted just fills me with immense pride and joy.
“We are a remote team who is incredibly close and most of us chat daily through various channels. I am passionate about ensuring the team feel supported and celebrated, and that’s one reason why I believe that so many of our advisers choose to stay with us.
“We are also always looking for ways that we can enhance our employee offer to demonstrate what a responsive and responsible employer we are. For example, we have reviewed our benefits packages recently to now offer things such as Life Assurance and private healthcare, we now offer more flexibility for advisers wherever possible because we recognise their need for this. We have also established dedicated days in the calendar where we down tools and go for family picnics or welcome a guest speaker in for some professional development. I am incredibly passionate about investing in my team so that they know just how valued they are.”
But Progress Careers aren’t just a family of highly skilled careers professionals, they are also proudly passionate about changing the lives of young people by equipping them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their futures. This incredible impact is showcased in their social accounts which saw the organisation generate £17,475,034 of social value between 2021-2022. This incredible impact resulted in the organisation providing a £21.98 return for every £1 spent on their services.
Paula and the team are now counting down the days until the awards on the 14th of November, and hope to be able to lift their award with pride on the day.
