Your Voice | Shaping the way we work
Our 'Your Voice' initiative was formed following staff feedback about how we evolve our ways of working post-Covid in 2021. Communication is at the heart of our culture at Sykes, and we listened to our teams about what had been working well and what they wanted to see for the future. Our goal is to adapt our business to create a flexible, rewarding environment that supports colleague wellbeing and life balance, whilst maintaining our performance levels as we move towards our goal of connecting 3 million happy holidaymakers with 35,000 holiday homes by 2023.
Working at Sykes
We’ve all had to adapt our home and work lives in some way during the pandemic, and we understand that it’s prompted many of us to think about how we see ourselves working in the future.
Our new hybrid way of working, which has been developed following consultation with colleagues, gives our team the flexibility to choose how they want to work.
We’re investing in new technology, hardware and systems to support effective working from any location, and we’re also exploring innovative new ways to ensure we continue to collaborate and develop our culture, wherever we may be.
What it looks like
The Sykes hybrid model
We’ve looked at how we move away from office-based working, for those staff who choose that option, whilst maintaining productivity and service levels as well as our culture of collaboration and innovation.
Achieving together is one of our key values and for some roles, to support our customers and owners, this may mean working in the office on a full-time basis. Many roles can continue to deliver results from other locations, 90% of the Sykes family have told us they would like the option to continue working from home and for many there has been a positive impact on work-life balance which is why we’ve introduced the hybrid model.
Work from home, the office or a combination of the two.
The Sykes Family Offices
Sometimes there’s no substitute for face-to-face contact to connect and collaborate with colleagues and there will be times when you need, and want, to be in the office. And why wouldn’t you? We have great offices where you’ll find great people!
If you’re working from the office, rest assured, we’ll be following all guidelines to keep you safe while you work.
One City Place, Chester
Home to the Sykes family in Chester since 2017, our city centre residence is equipped with all of the technology you’ll need to stay connected, spaces and activities for work and leisure for your personal and professional development.
It’s been classed as a ‘BREEAM Excellent’ building so it’s environmentally and economically sustainable and energy efficient too.
Sykes brand family – our regional offices may not be as big as One City Place but they are just as awesome. They’re in some beautiful locations and, of course, they’re equipped with all of the tech and tools you need to do your job.
Our regional teams are the hub of our local owner relationships and often meet with customers to act as key handover points as well as meeting with potential and existing property owners. Many of our regional offices are based in UK holiday hotspots and lunch could include a walk around the harbour or a picnic on the beach, after work you might want to relax with paddle boarding on the lake or catching some waves!
Why work at Sykes?
Our values are more than words on the page, they’re part of the family DNA that makes Sykes a great place to work as well as an award-winning business.
Our team are always telling us that culture is a really important part of working at Sykes, it’s why people join and stay with us for so long.
Don’t just take our word for it, here’s what some of our team have to say: (word cloud and quotes from Pulse survey)
It’s a great place to work
Everyone is so friendly and supportive
Great holidays and your birthday off!
Great culture and work-life balance. Couldn't be happier
The work ethic and team members around me make me proud to work for Sykes!
The great culture makes me feel like a valued member of the company.
I love the fact that Sykes is such a people-focused business
My sense of wellbeing has improved since working at Sykes.
Starting work for Sykes has been a breath of fresh air
Maintaining our culture while we’ve been working apart has been a challenge, but we’ve made sure to stay connected as we find new ways to work together and over 50% of staff say communication has improved.
Our wellbeing initiatives are being expanded all the time, as we respond to suggestions from the team, and include a whole host of activities including fitness training sessions, confidential counselling, complementary therapies and volunteering opportunities with charities and community projects.
We offer personal and professional development workshops so you can learn a new language or upskill to build your career, and we’re members of the Retail Trust too which gives all staff access to health, wellbeing, professional and financial advice and support – personalised to their individual circumstances.
And there’s some great staff benefits too, including
Through Your Voice we’ll continue to consult with colleagues across the Sykes family, to build and refine our approach and commitment to the development of new working patterns and practices.
It’s an exciting time here at Sykes as we embrace change and give our team more opportunities to enjoy the benefits of a more balanced way of working.
Find out more about a career at Sykes here