How to be the best place to work

AlumierMD UK and Irish general manager Kate Hardcastle explains what makes the skincare manufacturer one of the best companies to work for in the UK

AlumierMD has been recognised as one of the best companies to work in the UK at the Great Places to Work awards, with special credit given to the brand’s gender equality and diversity, strategy and innovation.

AlumierMD’s UK and Irish general manager Kate Hardcastle shares her top tips on how to be an award-winning workplace.

LEADERSHIP

“My favourite subject! Leadership is such an important factor in our success in achieving this accreditation. Leadership is more than just setting the strategy, it’s about bringing the right people together, to be in the right room, to discuss the right topics. Often middle management groups are squeezed, and they receive heat from the top and their teams. However, we have created an environment where that group is empowered to lead and ensure they have accountability for their decision-making without fear of any judgement. If we get something wrong, we learn from it, we own it and move forward. We have clear output-driven meeting agendas, set ways to ensure collaboration and bring everyone together two times a year (as a minimum) to share thinking and celebrate one another’s achievements – we are each other’s cheerleaders!”

HR PRACTISES

“We have worked hard to get the basics right; we have an employee lifecycle concept which addresses all the components of what an individual will experience as an employee from initial talent attraction to ensuring someone is a good leaver. This cycle has boasted fantastic examples of ex-employees who have recommended others to come and join us, an accolade we do not take for granted and very much appreciate. At the centre of our HR practises, we adopt a strong focus on development and extracurricular projects to enhance an individual’s experience and growth. By realising the potential in our team members, it’s possible to provide great opportunities supported by our geographical spread and ambitious organisational growth plans.”

COMPENSATION

“Oh, the age-old debate of pay. For us, compensation is more than just the big number, but the total reward someone receives. Compensation is financial but also ensuring we have the right overall benefits package is crucial. We understand that the flexibility for what works for an individual’s circumstances is unique to them and ultimately, you can’t put a price on the environment that brings the best out in a team member. In a competitive industry, there are some deep pockets out there, but we like to look further. We focus on both ensuring we understand the market value but also take the time to consider an individual’s lifestyle and preferences.”

BENEFITS

“We share a core focus on wellbeing at AlumierMD. It is of paramount importance to us, we encourage walking 1-2-1’s, taking time out to recharge and ensuring the benefits we offer are underpinned by wellness. For example, working with partners who can offer seminars on mental, physical, or financial well-being. This has been a part of our value proposition since AlumierMD’s inception and will never be taken off the agenda. Benefits like these can ensure your team and colleagues can put their best foot forward, our well-being underpins everything!”

“By realising the potential in our team members, it’s possible to provide great opportunities supported by our geographical spread and ambitious organisational growth plans.”

TEAMWORK

“This is where I think we excel! We hire first for attitude and second for skills and experience. Hiring the right people, with the right attitudes to hold one another to account - but doing so with the utmost respect and integrity - ensures teamwork. It’s an area we scored the highest in at 94% for the Best Places to Work Award, and I couldn’t be prouder of this metric. We don’t see each other in person every day, every week or even every month but we still take time for one another. We ensure the way we collaborate and focus plays to one another’s strengths, offers support and encourages results. By fostering a culture that allows each team member to be open with their strengths and overused strengths (often referred to as weaknesses), we join forces to learn from one another and drive projects forward.”

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

“We’ve always believed in the intrinsic link between employee engagement and customer engagement, and it couldn’t be truer! We survey our team at least twice a year to ascertain our Employee Net Promoter Score (how likely our employees are to recommend AlumierMD as a good place to work) our most recent result being our highest to date, 81+. Receiving direct feedback from our teams and colleagues allows us to capture rich data to mark our homework. This ensures we continue to focus on what is working well, while constantly striving to improve. Over the last few years, we have created groups of individuals who hold themselves accountable to introduce new initiatives to enhance our employee experience. Ultimately, the buck stops with the leadership team though and we take this very seriously, we are targeted on our employees’ feedback and how they show up.”

WORKPLACE

“We want our team to be proud of where they work, be equipped to deliver in their roles and offer the right balance. Flexibility is key here and we aim for that, we have teams all over the world in different time zones, so we encourage autonomy, which results in great engagement. We strive for efficiencies as we continue to grow, systems and processes can always be refined. We have a state-of-the-art warehouse and office facility in the UK along with great training venues to educate our professionals across all our UK and Ireland territories. Ultimately, however, our teams work where they need to work. We have no workplace rules because as mentioned, it’s all delivered with trust and outputs.”

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

“We view corporate social responsibilities (CSR) as part of our longterm growth, the values we stand by and our moral aspiration. Since our inception, ensuring we give something back to the industry has been at the forefront, our determination to support our professionals is paramount and offering a great customer experience is never compromised. Not known to many, but our founders have referred to AlumierMD as a ‘backwards company’. Unlike those who partner with a charity to adhere to CSR – our company started after to make our charity sustainable. The Alumier Foundation is AlumierMD’s primary global philanthropic project. Its initiatives have enabled hundreds of students to further their education, changing their lives forever.

KATE HARDCASTLE

Kate Hardcastle is a business and HR management expert, and a chartered member of the Institute of Personnel and Development. She joined AlumierMD in 2018, and has worked with every territory, including the build out and launch of AlumierMD’s US operation. She feels strongly that by creating and driving the right platforms for people to realise their potential, this in turn supports organisational growth.