Sunderland-based Nice Network has been named as one of the UK’s top 25 SMEs for looking after its people and establishing a strong company culture.
The ‘Top 25 SME Culture Leaders’ campaign, led by Real Business in association with Breathe HR, champions SMEs that put company culture at the heart of everything they do.
The aim of the annual campaign is to shine a light on the small business pioneers that are dedicated to building a positive culture and the impact it can have not only on a company’s bottom-line, but also the lives of its employees.
After a rigorous judging process, the 11-person judging panel whittled down the shortlisted companies into a final list of 25 with Nice Network joining the likes of Brother UK and Birdie by finishing 19th in the final ranking.
The judges reserved special praise for Nice Network’s commitment to providing higher education opportunities to its staff as well as its dedication to breaking down the stigma associated with mental health in the workplace and its continual community support programmes.
This is yet another coup for the telecommunications specialist, which was last year crowned ‘Medium Business of the Year’ at the Sunderland Echo’s Portfolio Awards.
Managing director, Chris Lee, said: “It’s a real privilege to have been named among the UK’s top 25 SMEs for company culture and I would like to say a huge thank you to each and every employee, as this would never have been possible without them.
“As a company, Nice Network takes great pride in being an employer which goes above and beyond to support its staff, whether it be subsidised driving lessons, taking time out of the office to study, or taking paid leave to volunteer for local charities, we are always striving to be as inclusive as possible and this recognition is a stand-out example of this in action.”
The staff at Nice Network have been a key part of the firm’s continued expansion since day one, playing a vital role in ensuring service levels remain unbeatable. Since launching over 30 years ago, many of its clients have remained with the firm, building long-term relationships with customers such as Nike, Drager, Puma and many, many more.
Central to this success is the high regard the company holds its employees in. Staff wellbeing is integral to everything the business does and has helped the company establish one of the telecoms industries highest staff retention rates. In fact, the Nice Network team of 24 have now worked at the company for a combined total of over 135 years, a feat almost unheard of in the sector.
