Business name: Southerly
Based: London
Website: www.hellosoutherly.com
Person nominated: Shelley Hoppe, CEO
Nominated by: Anna Moumtzidou
We nominate our CEO, Shelley, for her leadership at Southerly.
Creative agencies rarely invest in HR, training and communications, but we do. In fact, we spent over £50k on training, support services, entertainment and new equipment for our 14 members of staff last year.
We have a great, friendly work environment with a kitchen area and a terrace for staff to make their lunch and socialise in. Earlier this year, Shelley invested in an independently-run survey to gather staff feedback, later introducing a list of initiatives that people want – such as: A staff pension plan, a profit-share scheme, a budget for social events, additional holidays after three years with the business.
If we hit our profit target, Shelley will put one third of it into a bonus pot. She is also focused on outcomes rather than outputs – so many of us enjoy flexible working arrangements. We have an adult behaviour culture, which means we trust our people if they need to work from home to attend a doctor’s appointment.
New ideas and skills are welcomed and often incorporated into our job roles. We also participate in setting our own goals and the company’s profit targets.
Finally, Shelley donates a percentage of our time to charity – team members suggest projects, and we provide pro bono design, editorial and social media skills to help them.
