BEST PLACES TO WORK

Summary:

‘Unity is a unique company where people can do work they are passionate about, that values the team as much as the bottom line,’ says co-founder Gerry Hopkinson. ‘Everyone is given an opportunity to influence our client list, campaigns and culture so we all feel genuine love and responsibility for our work.’ Awards scooped by the agency include CIPR Outstanding Small Consultancy. The senior management team encourages feedback from staff on how to improve the agency, and acts on them as much as possible. Initiatives introduced include ‘pasta and pitch sessions’ where the wider team is talked through pitch documents over lunch, and free fruit every week.

Benefits:

Working from home, flexible hours, bonuses, sabbaticals and career breaks, flexible benefits package, performance related pay, share ownership in the company, secondments, Friday 4pm finish, free fruit, away-days, PRCA membership discounts, bi-annual parties, DVD library, Blackberry and laptop, pension, birthday celebration, duvet day, social lunches, paid leave to follow work-related passions – for example a consultant was given two weeks paid leave to volunteer for Boris Johnson’s mayoral campaign comms team.

Training and development:

Staff are reviewed every six months with all team members providing feedback. Staff are given both external and internal training. The latter includes a programme of best practice workshops. In the past these have included crisis management, client relationships and digital communications. Workshops are led by senior members of the team.

Work/life balance:

All employees are entitled to flexible hours and to work from home where appropriate. Staff are given laptops so they can work from home and blackberries are given to senior staff. Senior management considers sabbaticals and career breaks on a case-by-case basis. Team socials are encouraged and range from casual events such as team lunches and after-work drinks, to company parties and trips abroad to foster team-building.

Graduate recruitment and new joiners:

Unity holds extensive interviews for gap year PR students. Those who get through are taken on full-time once they graduate, and so far all students have received firsts for their year with Unity. The agency runs a staff induction programme for new starters and matches junior staff and new starters with a buddy or mentor.