Software Solved has been on a journey over the last few years under the leadership of Lindsay Lucas who celebrated her two-year anniversary as MD in July. We are a values-led company and proud to support our team.
Software Solved arrived at its values in 2019 through inclusive, whole-team workshops which were designed to provide thoughts and insights on what the values should be and what staff wanted from Software Solved as an employer (no employer is perfect!). The input was collated, and everyone was asked to choose five words from the list that they would want to see instilled in the values. Votes were then totalled up allowing general themes to be identified and the values to be born.
The values that were born out of this process were:
- Inclusive – We value people, the power of possibilities and the fun of working together.
- Passionate – Our enthusiasm is infectious and keeps the team focused on delivering quality each and every time.
- Creative – We empower curious minds to harness the team’s expertise and challenge us all to think differently.
- Authentic – Our culture encourages ownership and supports people to be open and genuine in everything they do.
The next and hardest step was embedding the values into the day-to-day working environment.
Some of the ways in which we’ve done this include:
- Encouraging each department to think about how the values apply their area and role to make them as relevant and relatable as possible.
- Including values in our job descriptions and performance reviews.
- Introducing monthly and end of year awards where the team nominate colleagues based on the values. This not only makes the team think about what they do but also crucially how they do it.
Software Solved’s approach to inclusivity means that we recognise people are different in many ways and that those differences are a benefit. Alternate perspectives and experiences enrich the company and everyone’s contributions matter. The team hold each other accountable for being inclusive and are trained on how to have open and courageous conversations.
We strive to go beyond what is required by law, understanding that we are all human and have commitments outside of work. We offer enhanced leave, flexible working hours, and remote working as standard, all of which help us to recruit a diverse workforce. We recruit from any background and do not ask for specific qualifications or number of years’ experience instead recognising everyone has different career pathways. We focus on cultural fit ensuring we have an inclusive and diverse team where employees feel supported and offer training and development opportunities to aid staff progression. Once part of the team, our staff have access to dedicated Mental Health First Aiders and receive regular training on various topics including LGBQT+, CSR, neurodiversity.
Whilst there are always improvements to be made, from the feedback we have had the team feel more comfortable being themselves at work. One of our team recently shared that they are “happy and proud that Software Solved is a safe and supportive environment in which to work. I cannot overstate how important it is that we champion inclusivity and hold this as a core value”.
I appreciate that as the HR Manager I would sing Software Solved’s praises. It is reassuring to hear from our employees through surveys and our dedicated employee forum who meet with the leadership team regularly, that our staff feel that management are transparent and genuinely care about the team.
Fostering an inclusive culture does not just happen by chance and we work hard to live and breathe our values.
Find out more about our culture and the benefits and perks of working at Software Solved.
