Every business or organisation is only as good as its people, and we understand how important it is to attract and retain talented individuals if we want to continue to lead in the outdoor education sector. As part of our Better Beyond Adventure journey, we’re committed to building a more sustainable world by acting progressively for the betterment of our communities and customers, but also for our colleagues.
We hope that there are some ideas here that can spark discussions for your school, business or organisation to ensure that you can also attract and retain the talent that you need to succeed.
“We put our people first in all that we do and are always looking for ways to ensure everyone feels supported and able to thrive when working with us”
– Sharon Parkin, Chief People and Culture Officer
Looking after people’s wellbeing, especially in the face of today’s global challenges, is fundamental to our work. These are some of the ways that we’re supporting our colleagues:
Flourish and grow
Life-skills training
At PGL we understand that employees have full lives, and they will bring their best selves to work when all areas of their lives are flourishing. This is why we offer life-skill training on topics to help improve their personal lives, such as financial literacy, mental health first aid, basic car maintenance and others.
Employee Assistance
We provide all staff with access to our Employee Assistance Program, which offers confidential counselling, stress management resources, work/life balance tips, as well as a wide range of services to help employees thrive both personally and professionally.
Additionally, we provide colleagues access to a wellbeing portal, run by the inhouse Wellbeing Team, where they can access support and resources covering drug and alcohol awareness, sexual health, vaping and smoking awareness, sleep, neurodiversity and many other topics.
Ongoing Management training & Career
In order for us to retain our best staff, it’s important that our colleagues can see a clear career pathway within PGL, and know the steps required to work towards this. Career opportunities are discussed with colleagues in one-one-one meetings with their manager, and clear career pathways have been established and communicated with all colleagues. PGL also provides a portal to employees to be able to map out their career journeys, and find out more about opportunities within the organisation.
Ongoing management training is also provided to all colleagues at a management level to ensure that their skills remain current, and they feel confident and supported to lead their teams to the best of their ability. Additionally, PGL offer paid time off to pursue professional development opportunities.
Listening to do better
We gather colleague feedback in a number of ways, which allows colleagues to feel heard and valued, while giving valuable insights into what is important to them.
Colleague Surveys
At PGL Adventure Camps, we undertake monthly satisfaction surveys, where colleagues have the opportunity to anonymously give feedback on different aspects of the business, providing an ongoing picture of how our colleagues feel. We are thrilled that our average monthly colleague engagement score for FY24 was way above industry benchmark at 8.6.
Additionally, colleagues took part in an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion survey to provide the organisation with data to ensure that all voices are heard and considered moving forward.
Viva Engage
Our company-wide communications platform, Viva Engage, gives colleagues a place where they can stay up to date with business announcements, stories, social networking and more! It provides a wonderful tool to seek out like-minded individuals within a large organisation.
Nurture and Protect
We’re proud to go above and beyond our requirements to provide:
Career break
PGL provide up to 6 months’ leave to support colleagues who are looking to take a career break. This allows colleagues the time and opportunity to pursue other passions and come back to the business with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.
Paid Cultural Leave
PGL allow colleagues to substitute up to two public holidays per year in order to access two paid days of cultural leave. This allows colleagues from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to celebrate their religious or cultural events.
Volunteering leave
Employees are encouraged, through our ReachOut Fundraising program, to undertake up to 8 hours of volunteer leave per year. Working with our chosen charities, or other local organistions who are dedicated to improving the lives of young people, our staff are paid to volunteer their time with these worthy organisations, bringing their skills and expertise to assist charities in need.
Flexible work environment
PGL operates a flexible work environment so that, wherever possible, colleagues can work remotely, or hybrid. There is also flexibility around shift timings, allowing for parents to complete certain roles within school hours, and be available for their children outside of school hours.
This flexibility allows PGL to hire the best talent regardless of their geographic location for certain jobs, and also provides for convenient part time or shift work for parents.
We know that now more than ever employees are looking for work/life balance, learning and development opportunities, career progression, positive work culture and to belong to an organisation who shares their values. We aim to provide all of these and more to our colleagues so that we can continue to attract and retain the brilliant talent that we need to improve the lives of children through our programs. We hope that this has shown you how you can achieve this too for your organisation.
