A lingerie and swimwear firm named the best company to work for in the South West has said how increased efforts to stay connected with its furloughed team in the region during the pandemic helped it to win the accolade.
Bravissimo, which has stores in Bath and in Cheltenham, recently topped a list of 50 firms published by employee engagement specialists Best Companies.
Based on an anonymous poll capturing the views of staff at more than a thousand companies nationwide, the annual survey ranks employers on a variety of factors that shape their employees’ experience, from pensions to equal opportunities.
Around 90% of Bravissimo staff said they felt proud to work for the organisation, that their team was fun to work for and the company encouraged charitable activities.
The business was also commended for having women in at least 40% of its senior management roles.
The retailer has its headquarters in Leamington Spa but employs 700 people across its website and 26 UK stores, as well as an outlet in the US. It also topped Best Companies' North West regional list for 2021.
The firm’s senior management was praised for its hands-on approach to helping staff during busy periods and prioritising workers’ wellbeing after returning from furlough and during the national lockdowns.
Bravissimo ran digital listening groups in response to the Black Lives Matter campaign to hear employees' personal experiences of discrimination. The company also offered Christmas hampers to all of its staff to reward their efforts over last year.
Caroline Bartlett, retail and customer Director at Bravissimo, said: “We are so pleased to have all our shops open for our customers’ and this achievement is a great reflection of positive team engagement in Bath and Cheltenham.
“During the last lockdown, there was increased attention on keeping connected with our teams whilst they have been on furlough and sharing business updates. Engagement with our teams has never been so important.
“Our teams received training activity to support them coming back to work, focusing on mind-set, looking after each other and our customers. Our purpose and helping our customers to feel confident and uplifted, is deep rooted across all of our employees.
“The teams in both Bath and Cheltenham have strong links to the local community and are focussed on providing an uplifting experience to as many customers as possible”.
Bravissimo finished just ahead of life insurance broker Reassured, which has offices in Bournemouth and Bristol, and Bristol-based tech firm Redrock Consulting on Best Companies' 2021 South West list.
