Employee Owned Day 2017

This year we celebrate our second Employee Owned Day. In the spirit of all partners having a say in how the company’s run, below are a few quotes from our partners that shed light on what it’s like to work in the creative industry’s first 100% Employee Owned Trust (EOT).

Andy Parsons – Chief Operating Officer

Being an Employee Owned Trust sets us apart from our competitors, people are always curious about the structure of the company and how we work. I take pride in the junior members of the staff getting involved and having input, they get to help with decisions that they wouldn’t normally get to have at this stage in their careers. Everyone’s got skin in the game and if that doesn’t motivate you, nothing will.

David Williams – Senior Designer

Being an Employee Owned Trust is a big deal to me. We’ve initiated loads of changes to be the kind of company we want to be, from free breakfasts and birthdays off to changing the soap in the bathroom and the toners in our printers. We’re in charge to invest how we want and improve how we want. I would describe the spirit of working here as responsible, which is a weird thing to say but it’s true. We’ve got so much input on everything. It’s amazing.

Andrew Lewin – Finance Assistant

There was a huge wow moment when we first changed something collectively as employees. It was clear from that moment that being an Employee Owned Trust was a real, powerful tool for the greater good. Being on the Partner Forum* has been an amazing experience to help transition us into a new kind of working environment, and seeing the impact on people’s lives has been inspiring. We’re still adapting and learning as we go so the evolution is continuing but I feel we’re really building a spirit that I haven’t seen at any other company

*Our committee that represent the Partners.

Brett Kellett – Senior Designer and Partner Trustee

As a Partner Trustee* I’ve got to work closely with the leadership team which has been fascinating and empowering. Sometimes it’s hard to explain to everyone else what’s happening as a lot is confidential, but it’s an invigorating process that’s been positive for the business. I feel like we’ve got new energy as a company and there’s incredible potential going forward. Becoming an Employee Owned Trust has made us more receptive and able to implement radical new ideas, which is something I want both as a creative and a shareholder in the business.

* One of the three trustees that looks after the interests of the partners.

Kristina Ball – Business Development Manager

Responsibility filters down to everyone here because the partnership model means we all have an equal stake. It prompts you to be reflective and challenge yourself, to ask what else you can do outside your remit and provides a lot of room for self-direction. This process is liberating and means you are less likely to find your ideas archived or dismissed – there is a genuine group effort to evolve everyone’s ideas into workable solutions. Things come to life in ways I haven’t seen before at other companies.

Jamie Collins-Adams – Copywriter

Just four months into working at Pollitt & Partners I got to vote on a change to our working hours. That was a striking moment to me. The ballot paper in my hand was proof that I had an equal say and my opinion was important. It was hugely exciting. After over a year here I can safely describe this as the happiest agency environment I’ve worked in. That’s the power of being an Employee Owned Trust.

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The Employee Owned Trust model gives every permanent member of staff a say in how the company is run, and we all benefit from the success of the business. In the branding world we are the first to champion it, and we hope others will follow suit.

To find out more about the EOT model and Employee Owned Day, take a look at http://employeeownership.co.uk/