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Published: 20 Jun 2019

Response IT – Winner 2019, Best Small Employer

3 Key Points 

  • Hires based on skill and ability. Hours and days always negotiable. 
  • Open to flexibility from day one and happy to discuss changes any time. 
  • Business growth and low employee turnover.  

“A member of our team has a child in Portugal and when they wish to visit, rather than taking the whole time as leave, the usual approach is for them to take a couple of days of annual leave and then work from their base in Portugal remotely for the duration of the visit. This enables them to have quality time with their child and the business is not without an experienced engineer.” 

Debbie Alexander  

Summary 

Open to flexibility from day one and happy to discuss changes to working patterns at any time, the company finds solutions to keep talent while still meeting customer service level agreements. Employee turnover is very low and the business continues to grow. 

The three owners and directors of Response IT Services founded the company with flexibility in mind. They aim to find the right people who will drive up productivity and business growth – and if they need flexible working to achieve optimum performance, the company is happy to provide it. They say they hire for skill and ability and believe the hours and days an employee can work are negotiable. Three quarters of employees are parents. 

Flexible working is available from before ‘day one’ as it is part of the interview process. Remote working is common with some employees remote working from abroad. 

Offering home working can help the company respond more quickly when site visits are required as employees who live closest will respond.  

The directors are all fathers and carry out parenting duties such as school-runs and after-school activities. This helps employees feel at ease in talking about their own family responsibilities and asking for flexibility. 

Managers are always happy to discuss possible changes to work patterns as they understand employees’ circumstances can change. 

The supportive and open working culture means staff turnover is extremely low. Half the team has been with the company for at least seven years and three quarters have been in post at least three. The loyal workforce means recruitment and training costs are very low. 

The business continues to grow and now has more than 100 happy customers across the UK and Europe.