Companies must work out what makes them special if they want to recruit and retain staff.
That’s the view of Lucy Sunner, head of culture at the world’s number one taxi dispatch software provider Autocab.
The Manchester-headquartered tech firm is backed by Uber and recently moved into state-of-the-art office space at No 2 Circle Square.
Sunner is one of six speakers at a joint BusinessCloud / pro-manchester event on July 5th entitled ‘Raising the bar of the modern workplace’.
She said that the pandemic had changed the way people regard work forever and employers needed to react accordingly.
“Because of the pandemic people are demanding more,” said Sunner. “There’s a level of expectation around what people want from a company. People have realised they want a better balance in their life.
“You need to think outside the box to keep it fresh. You’ve got to keep pushing the boundary to make work more attractive.
“What is it that makes us special? We want everyone to feel part of the Autocab family.”
Lucy Sunner, Autocab
Autocab currently employs 180 people but have plans to create up to another 200 roles by 2025.
The company’s software supports 1,500 independent taxi companies in 30 countries and has ambitious plans for international growth.
Autocab has taken 20,000 sq ft of workspace in the city’s newest tech cluster at the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road innovation district.
Sunner joined Autocab in August 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and admitted that presented its own challenge.
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“Communication is key,” she said. “Building a culture when everyone is working remotely was difficult. I’m not shy about organising social events. There has to be an element of social around work. People want flexibility.
“Staff absolutely love the new space at Circle Space. It’s amazing and there’s a real buzz around the office.”
The company is currently trialling a return to work for at least two days a week but it’s under constant review.
Sunner will be joining Wayne Bennett, director of Fairmont Recruitment; Laura Herbert, head of people at Apadmi; Will Lewis, director of OBI; Sarah Lloyd-Foster, talent acquisition manager, Travel Counsellors; and Ian Makin, co-founder, Naimuri at next week’s event.
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