When it comes to wellbeing, Executive Search company Wilton & Bain are going against the grain. And it’s clearly working – they recently won an award for wellbeing in the Best Companies to Work For list. I spoke to Group CEO, David Heron, about their award-winning approach – here are five key takeaways.
Don’t sweat the small stuff… Focus on what’s important in life.
“Generally, recruitment is quite a formal industry. It is highly KPI driven and people across the sector are measured as much by inputs as they are by outputs. Presentism being one.
When it comes to when people are in the office, the hours they work, and their physical location, “this isn’t the sort of stuff that’s going to make the boat go faster,” David says. “I continue to be surprised how often I am asked by x,y, or z if it’s ok to take a half-day for my son’s sports day or my daughter’s Christmas show. I think the real question is “is it ok if you don’t?” People and businesses need to take hold of what is important in life. Personally, and professionally, it’s about doing what really matters, and my job is to create an environment that enables that – that gives people the flexibility to make these decisions for themselves.
Recognize what people want and need and shape your wellbeing offer around that.
In a lockdown, David recognized that a lot of his leadership team are working parents and home-schooling and weren’t getting any time for themselves. “So we invested in a childcare support scheme, where everyone in the company got half a day a week of paid childcare that they could do whatever they wanted with.”
They also gave everyone a day a month of holiday during the 3rd lockdown and had an extra bank holiday – on the Tuesday after the 2nd May bank holiday 2021, they shut the company for a day.
“We go with what feels right. It’s all very benevolent. If it feels like a good idea, we try it. And if it doesn’t work, we change it. Take the extra Bank Holiday – we’ll carry on doing that as it worked so well. Apart from Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, how many days do you actually get when your colleagues aren’t emailing you?”
Wellbeing helps people be better and do better.
The industry has for many years had a “boiler room mentality”, as David says. Some of this is good, but “in our world – the Executive Search world – we need our people to have thinking time, they need that headspace.
“While the Recruitment business is all about more, more, more, the Search business is actually about less, but do it better, and have more time to think. You’re probably firing far fewer bullets, but trying to make them much more accurate. It’s crucial that we help people look after themselves so they can do that. It’s about enabling people to be the best version of themselves.”
Leaders need to walk the talk when it comes to wellbeing.
As a leader, David is setting a great example around taking time out to look after themselves. “I tend to go to the gym at lunchtime, and now others at the company go to the gym at lunchtime, too. Many of our people have Peleton bikes and compete against each other, or do long rides out in the Surrey Hills. It’s great for team bonding, but it’s also great for the mind. Space and exercise help you to think clearly when under pressure.
“For me, it’s about people creating their own lives and structure. The old world of work was very structured – get in at this time, wear those clothes, take this amount of holiday… That just doesn’t work anymore.”
And finally… now is the time to invest in leaders.
Every year Wilton & Bain run a coaching program for future leaders, but this year, they’re doing a leaders’ program instead. “Our leaders have taken so many bullets over the past year and it’s time to invest in ourselves. We all need to keep learning, and improving. That journey never stops.”
