BEST PLACES TO WORK

Summary:

It says a lot about Brands2Life that half the company’s staff joined as graduate trainees. Co-founder Giles Fraser says: ‘Our mission is to build the best PR agency in London, through giving fulfilling careers for all staff.’ Last year the agency developed the slogan Expect More! to encapsulate the proposition offered to staff, clients and the media. Staff certainly get more – as demonstrated by the agency being placed 23rd in the Sunday Times Best 100 Small Companies to Work for. Everyone working at Brands2Life has had a payrise every year they have worked there, and once people have served four years, they get a two-month sabbatical on half-pay.

Benefits:

Flexible hours, working from home, childcare vouchers, private healthcare, subsidised sports and social committees, bonuses, sabbaticals and career breaks, secondments, pension, Blackberries and laptops for account managers and above, free dental care, external mentoring, exchanges.

Training and development:

All staff are reviewed quarterly by a co-founder and their group head, who is responsible for their career and welfare. Staff objectives are linked in to the roles and responsibilities documents for each level of staff. At each quarterly review, training and development plans are agreed. Training includes internal sessions on campaign planning, media sell-in and client and media relations, and external training sessions on negotiating, time management, strategic planning and writing and media workshops.

Work/life balance:

Brands2Life has a family-friendly approach. Flexible working is offered to mothers returning to work and fathers are allowed extended paternity leave. All new starters are allocated a buddy that is outside of their account teams to help new joiners integrate quickly.

Graduate recruitment and new joiners:

Graduate training is strong at Brands2Life and in 2008 the company ran two Grad Weeks for the 15 graduates who joined the company in the past two years. All new starters are given induction and the company teams all staff with a group head who takes responsibility for their career and welfare.