2 December 2024
Unravelling A2i’s guiding principles
By Susie Fisher, Director
People often ask me how we’ve created such a good atmosphere at A2i, and why our employee retention is so high. I think it all started with our first employee.
When I hired our first employee many years ago, I realised it was important to establish A2i’s company culture. It was no longer going to be just me and I wanted to ensure the people I work with share the same ethics and aims for good working practice. So I wrote A2i’s Principles of Business. I hoped that these would create a strong company and encourage the right working culture – from the beginning, and throughout all future expansions.
The strongest point for me was that people would always be more important than products or making money. It’s difficult with any business, possibly more so for small startups, as it’s the sales and profits that make the business sustainable and therefore make salaries possible. But people are more important! I want my staff to know they will be genuinely valued and treated well.
It felt right to me to also include other values which are a reflection of the atmosphere we want at A2i, such as respect, equality, flexibility, autonomy to make reasonable decisions, serving our customers well, honesty, job satisfaction, and the commitment to avoiding high levels of stress.
The same Principles of Business have guided us through all the stages we’ve been through as a business, over the last 25 years. We’ve ensured that every new team member is aware of our core values and I’ve enjoyed seeing new employees get excited by the prospect of a good working environment. We undoubtedly have a great atmosphere in the workplace and a fantastic team that works together very well so I hope that means we’re living up to their expectations.
As an employer, I am committed to being the best employer I can be. I want all my staff to know they are in an excellent workplace. We can enjoy working together and through our work, serve our customers and our purpose to improve accessibility.
But enough about me, let’s hear what our lovely team say on this subject…
“My time at A2i has been a delight; I’ve never felt so comfortable in a workplace, to truly be a part of the team. We always know we can rely on one another for support.”
“I think A2i’s Principles of Business are a really great foundation to run a company on. They centre the work, and the good it does, and put that above profit. They also make me feel really valued as an employee, and remind me of the value of the work we do.”
“I immediately felt embraced by A2i’s people-first culture which, coming from a fast-paced industry, I find extremely refreshing. I mean what is there not to like about prioritising employee happiness, honest communication and growth opportunities?”
“A2i’s principles put staff, clients, and accessible format end users above all else. This creates a great place to work and happy clients and end users. A successful combination!”
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