By Amy Morrison
Hi everyone, as I have just landed back in Dublin after a fantastic time at ITW in Washington, I felt it was the right time to reflect on my experiences so far with the awesome team that is Simwood. I feel nothing but immense pride to work for such a fantastic and inclusive company.
I joined the team back in January from BT Wholesale and have since been taking the lead on sales and account management and what an amazing few months it has been. When people say that ‘it is important to enjoy what you do’ I think there is so much truth in this statement. Since joining Simwood I have loved every minute! Who wouldn’t? We have a great team and an incredible culture. We have an open dynamic here, if there is an issue we solve it together. You have a question you don’t know the answer to? Ping it in the correct (or even incorrect) Slack channel and everyone will be keen to help as much as possible. Simwood is passionate about helping our customers, and providing the best service we can is at the heart of everything we do.
The culture really is one of a kind. I am going to quote Parns here from a recent blog post she did because I believe this sums it up perfectly ‘diversity powers our unity and opportunity knows no bounds’. From day one I have been welcomed with open arms by the team, given incredible opportunities to be the face of our company at shows like Capacity Middle East in Dubai, a CCA conference in Tampa, Florida and most recently ITW in Washington (where we spoke about the all-powerful Simwood potato! If you haven’t checked it out please see here: https://simwood.com/potato/). Simwood value their employees and their comfort when working away from home and have a rare (but amazing) expenses policy where you aren’t obliged to try and find 3 meals that don’t exceed the £25 total per day rule. You don’t have to stay in a Travelodge. You don’t have to take 2 connecting flights to save 100 quid. Simwood want you to be comfortable and well fed when travelling for work. This was also demonstrated when Pete went full ‘Dad Mode’ and reminded me that, as part of our expenses policy, it didn’t matter if my cab cost $200 back from the ITW afterparty I went to in D.C. As long as I was safe, that was all that mattered!
Now, I would like to briefly touch base about the diversity point Parns spoke of. We have a fantastic team of people from all walks of life scattered across the world in places like France, Africa, USA, Northern Ireland (my home!) and of course, in Bristol, where our head office is. Simwood recognises that a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds fosters innovation and resilience. This promotes an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued. Our diversity enhances collaboration and helps drive the company’s success in such a dynamic and competitive industry.
You won’t find too many employers that encourage their employees to have as much autonomy as you do here. Simon and our SMT actively encourage us to take ownership, listen to our ideas and we even have an employee council where we can discuss and reflect on specific matters (this works very well, especially for the all important issues like keeping our favourite snacks well stocked in the office!) Work-life balance is something that is actively promoted within our company. For me personally, friends and family have made comments like ‘you look happier’ since I started working at Simwood. Since joining the team, I have found a much better work-life balance, something which we all need a bit more of! The team has also been incredibly supportive and accommodating around my personal caring responsibilities as well.
Finally, I want to touch on one last benefit that comes with working at Simwood. All of our employees have shares in the business, and this isn’t just at Director level. We are more than 99% owned by our people. The shares initiative aligns our team’s interests with the overall success of Simwood, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the company’s growth among us all. We recently received a dividend payment from our shares which has been a nice bonus as we approach the summer holiday season!
To finish things up, cultivating a strong company culture is no easy task – it is the heartbeat of a thriving organisation. By fostering an environment that values open communication, inclusivity and continuous growth, Simwood always comes out on top.
