41061 Unite AR22 HI-RES WEB-READY - Flipbook - Page 21
STRATEGIC REPORT
GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
OTHER INFORMATION
19
Q&A
with Helene Murphy
Group People Director,
Unite
Helene became Group People Director in January 2021, with
a renewed vision for the People function. Leading all aspects
of the People strategy, Helene has brought her experience
from international start-ups and multi-national organisations
to Unite. Here, Helene shares more about Unite’s ambition to
deliver a Home for Success for our employees.
Q: As the cost-of-living crisis took hold,
what did Unite do to support employees?
A: We are extremely conscious of the pressures that the cost-ofliving crisis is having on our people – but especially the lowest
paid in our business.
As the conversations around cost-of-living grew, we discussed the
ways we could support our employees and introduced additional
financial wellbeing measures such as educational webinars and
new financial support providers. An additional one-off payment
of £500 was also made to support our people.
We also announced our highest ever pay award, following a
tiered approach by salary with 95% of our employees receiving
5% or more, and our lowest earners being awarded 10%,
reaffirming our long-standing commitment to being a Real
Living Wage employer.
Q: How do you ensure that employees
grow and develop with the business?
A: In late 2022, we were proud to launch The Academy; a fresh
approach to employee lifelong learning, delivering a combination
of online learning, bitesize modules, and face-to-face learning
for all.
Continuing to invest in our people, we launched bespoke Institute
of Leadership and Management (ILM) programmes, supporting
our leaders and managers to become focused, high-achieving,
and knowledgeable leaders.
Q: What progress was made in Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in 2022?
A: I am excited to have launched our first diversity, equity,
inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and wellbeing strategy:
We are US, which outlines our plan for the next three years.
Our employee forum, Culture Matters, has been integral in
embedding our strategic vision. They have sponsored a more
inclusive and equitable culture, and in 2022 the forum headed
the reform of our family leave policies, promoting more inclusive
language and first of its kind benefits for those who experience
child-loss. We have bolstered our diverse talent pipelines through
sponsorship of National Student Pride and programmes such as
#10000BlackInterns, a charitable organisation which provides
internships to students from Black heritage backgrounds – both
under-represented groups in the labour market.
We also launched a new DEIB learning programme under The
Academy, designed to give our employees the knowledge and
skills they need to become more consciously inclusive.
Delivering a Home for Success is not just about looking inwardly
at our employees and students, but also considering the impact
we have on our stakeholders and wider communities. We have
made important strides forward in DEIB and Wellbeing in 2022,
and look forward to continuing this journey in 2023.
Q: Finally, how do you recognise employees
for a job well done?
A: The Stars Awards is the hottest date on the Unite calendar,
and I was really proud to host them this year. We recognised
our colleagues who go above and beyond in categories such
as teamwork, leadership, safety and wellbeing, allyship, and
sustainability. The event showcased our commitment to our
values, with feedback praising its inclusivity and the opportunity
to engage with other teams.
For more about this project, go online to:
unitegroup.com/partnerships/insights