Feb 05, 2016

It often sounds like a corporate poster cliché when organisations say that ‘people’ are the heart of their business. However, for wnDirect this is an ethos that has been genuinely embraced with a number of initiatives designed to empower and motivate its staff including wnVoice which gives each staff member an opportunity to ‘have a say’, a volunteering programme and more quirky regular visit from a masseuse who is on hand to give desk massages to office based staff.

Working environment and salary are, understandably, two areas of importance to staff. In recognition of this wnDirect has recently opened its new office space in Heathrow. In addition to a more spacious working environment with additional meeting rooms staff will also benefit from more attractive and motivational surrounding, a bigger kitchen with additional seating areas and a social area with sofas.

Speaking about the new offices Stuart Hill, CEO of wnDirect said: “wnDirect has grown at a considerable pace and we had outgrown our previous offices. As well as needing more space we were keen to create an environment that really reflects what we are about. wnDirect, and the people in it, are energetic and dynamic and we wanted to embrace those characteristics whilst recognising that when people work hard they also need a space to take a break and get some headspace.“

In addition to this exciting new work environment wnDirect has also been accredited as a Living Wage employer which means they have voluntarily committed to paying everyone, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third party contractors and suppliers, the minimum hourly wage of £8.25 – significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.70. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. It is a social consensus with the decisions about what to include in this set by the public.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Sarah Vero said: “We are delighted to welcome wnDirect to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.“

Commenting on the accreditation Amy Collins, Director of Marketing, Talent and Culture of wnDirect said: “At wnDirect we have a number of initiatives designed to recognise and reward staff. However, we appreciate that, at the end of the day, your salary is a significant factor in most people’s lives and we wanted to ensure that everyone that comes to work at wnDirect not only recognises the opportunities but also feels appreciated and respected from the outset. We think it’s a great scheme and we’re really pleased to be part of it.”