Pros
Welcoming and people-focused culture, strong emphasis on flexibility and hybrid working with the office setup which is laid out for collaboration spaces and hot desks, prioritising the best bits about working together in person but the flexibility to work from home comfortably. I'm relatively new and have just experienced my first Hive day, which was absolutely brilliant. A great way to meet colleagues, practice presentation skills, share ideas, and most importantly - learn new skills. Exec team are approachable, visible, supportive and we have a clear direction and strategy as an org.
It is wonderful to work with colleagues who have a strong 'can-do' attitude, open to new ideas (in fact, hungry for new ideas), and I think the proof is in the pudding - the vast majority of folks have worked at Heywood for 5+ years, with many folks 10+ years. It feels like an organisation where people are encouraged to grow, contribute and are celebrated and supported to achieve.
It's also really just wonderful to work for an org that celebrates 'in-person' quality time rather than mandated quotas to be 'back to the office' without any real benefit. We are supported and encouraged to get the best out of both worlds.
Also, as the company has been celebrating turning 50, there have been some nice swag drops which always help making newbies feel included and also makes me personally feel proud to work for a fantastic, successful organisation.
I'd also like to mention the effort put in to curate and celebrate the people side of things - little competitions to share festive spirit, celebrating wellbeing, mental health awareness, I'm aware there was a summer party and we recently just had our Christmas party, it all makes the difference when considering joining a new org. I can tell you that Heywood is genuinely a brilliant place to work and I am really looking forward to the future.
Cons
There really aren't many at all, perhaps one absolutely tiny 'con', as I am still in my probation period I am not yet eligible for some amazing benefits like the holiday buy/sell scheme which means (I think) that I will need to wait 12 months to join the scheme next year. All in all, quite fair, and I plan on sticking around so will be looking forward to these nice benefits coming online at a later point.
