By Hannah Phillips
Here at Glide we like to think we’re different to many other companies. We believe in hard work in an informal atmosphere and we actively encourage each other to express ideas and implement them. Being a Glider is like being part of a family – we look out for each other and we do our best to support one another, because we’re a team. We know that happy staff make a happy and productive workplace and although things can get tough at times when we’re put under pressure, we know we’re surrounded by people who will help us through it.
We strongly believe in the importance of company culture here and we’re big on developing this. Outside of work, we’re a sociable bunch and some strong friendships have formed beyond the walls of our office, and that’s what we love about our workplace. We’re not just colleagues but friends too, and that’s pretty special.
Last year, our team working skills were put to the test as we embarked on a special mission for our annual company away day. We teamed up with the Army Reserves to complete 2 days of activities in the great outdoors, whilst experiencing life as a Reserve. The theme of our 2015 away day surrounded the importance of teamwork, as the purpose was to enhance our team building skills, as well as to encourage and develop leadership and management.
The experience exposed us to tough challenges where life or death would have been our only options in the real world. The challenges gave us all a chance to take an active role in leading our teams and working together to get ourselves out of difficult situations by coming up with clear solutions. We were all completely taken out of our comfort zones and pushed to the limit, finding that we were capable of things we didn’t even realise we could handle.
The whole experience was so positive that we have continued our partnership with the Army Reserves as we are now part of the Employer Recognition Scheme, giving our employees the opportunity to take extra holiday time should they wish to fulfill volunteer work with the Reserves. Last week we were also presented with the Silver Employer Recognition Award for our support to the Armed Forces, something we are very proud of and encourage other employers to get involved with.
Whilst our time with the Reserves was an exciting couple of days, we were also able to bring this enhancing experience back into the workplace, knowing where our strengths lie and integrating this within our day-to-day work. Recognising our weaker points has also meant that we can address these and build upon them, so we’re the best we can be here at Glide.
You can read more about our fantastic away day experience with the Reserves here.
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