How to make your workplace happier

As part of International Happiness At Work Week, we listed 10 things that help make Team Transmit a happy place to be.

Then we asked staff to vote for their Top 3...

Team Transmit has grown rapidly over the past few years, adding new team members from across the country, as well as welcoming back some familiar faces to the fold. Our People and Culture Manager Chelsey Etherington has certainly been put through her paces!

There’s a reason why Transmit is the UK’s leading provider of Start Up Loans: we're all doing our bit to help independent businesses to thrive.

Everyone who works here is super motivated to support entrepreneurs to realise their ambitions of becoming their own boss.

Our supportive, inclusive and somewhat alternative company culture means that happiness at work is genuinely achieved on a daily basis. How, we hear you ask? Take a look at these 10 ways Transmit Startups supports happiness at work…

1.Consistently deliver praise and recognition

It’s not just about weekly 1-1s with line managers and quarterly get-togethers for the whole business, though these are obviously important. What makes a bigger difference is the use of nifty apps and online tools used to capture the “vibe” in the office, or the morale of remote workers. 

Being able to send a digital ‘thank you’ note to a colleague only takes a few clicks. Feedback Fridays always create a happy buzz on Slack at the end of the week. As does the sharing of a newly published Success Story, when the team collectively celebrate the efforts of the Client & Business Advisor who’s helped a particular Start Up Loan client to achieve something amazing.

2.Provide staff with free drinks and a well-stocked ‘tuck shop’ full of snacks

Team Transmit is home to a number of coffee-addicts who rely on regular trips to see ‘Nigel’ the Nespresso machine.

When we're working hard, a little cup (or three) of comforting caffeine really makes a difference to our day! And, thanks to Joy, our Contracts & Delivery Manager, there’s always a stash of crisps, chocolate and sweets to accompany your beverage.

3.Give staff the day off on their birthday (and send them cake!)

For the majority of employees, Transmit is the first company they’ve ever worked for who believe that no one should have to work on their birthday.

4.Actively encourage taking breaks during the working day 

Taking a break is important to Team Transmit, whether that’s to get some exercise, make a meal (lunch for the Southerners, dinner for the Northerners!) or walk the dog. 

The team use Slack to share photos of the food they’ve prepared, as well as recording videos of their pets and showing off newly decorated homes.

For team members who’ve joined more recently, informal chats with their assigned ‘buddy’ are another lovely way to break up the working day. Virtual ‘coffee catch ups’ which started in Covid have helped to keep the team connected as it grows.

5.Hold a “sh*t task amnesty” 

No one loves every single bit of their job all of the time. There are some tasks that we know have to get done, but the actual doing of them kind of sucks. 

Every so often, Transmit employees have the chance to offload some of the things they don’t enjoy and look for opportunities to share the load. 

Even our three directors get involved, looking at how to redistribute some of their own tasks to maximise individual skill sets and make running the business more enjoyable for all of them.

6.Make learning fun 

Developing yourself, boosting your brain and pepping up your career potential shouldn’t feel like a chore. We genuinely love to learn, and that’s a key element of our culture.

7.Support people to move teams 

A surprising number of Team Transmit are in a completely different role to the one they were originally hired for!

That’s because our directors genuinely care about each individual and want everyone to have career opportunities that are right for them. We’re open minded about shuffling employees between teams because it helps us broaden our skill sets, try different roles and experience a different side of the business. 

So-called ‘sideways moves’ are a regular occurrence here, showing that if role has been outgrown or no longer feels like the perfect fit, there are plenty of other options to explore.

Since Transmit’s directors are self-taught entrepreneurs themselves, they also support team members to have side-hustles of their own. 

8.When you’re off, you’re off

At Transmit, evenings, weekends and annual leave are respected. This might seem obvious, but digital working or remote working does NOT mean being “on” 24/7. Recognising that everyone has their own stuff going on outside of work is essential to creating happiness at work. 

Meetings at Transmit are kept within our ‘core business hours’ and unless there’s a genuine emergency, if your Out Of Office is on you will not be disturbed.

9.Embrace mistakes and focus on moving forwards

Mistakes are a fact of life. One of the strengths of Team Transmit is our rapid response when something goes pear shaped. 

Rather than breathing a sigh of relief that “it wasn’t me”, the team can be relied upon to rally round the colleague who’s had a mishap.  When we work together to put it right, we all learn something and it makes us stronger.

10. Offer flexible working patterns

Our diverse team includes early risers, night owls, working parents and colleagues juggling caring responsibilities. 

Our Directors acknowledge that personal priorities are different for everyone, because they’ve got their own!

‘People and Culture’ is a business priority every day of the year and whatever personal circumstances might be impacting your work, there’s someone ready to listen and help work out a solution.

Drum roll please for Team Transmit’s Top 3 happiness boosters!

(As voted for in International Happiness At Work Week, September 2022)

First place goes to: Offer flexible working patterns

In second place: Actively encourage taking breaks during the working day 

Taking third place is: Embrace mistakes and focus on moving forwards

Wherever you are, here's to a happier workplace!