Staff satisfaction sees specialist greetings retailer in HR league table
Card Factory has just been named as a great company to work for in both the UK’s Top 10 Best Big Companies and Top 10 Retail Companies lists.
Run by Best Companies, the top 10 tables for the Q2 2022 survey period – January 1-March 31 – were revealed last week, and Card Factory came 9th in the retail sector for organisations with over 25 full-time employees, in the company of winners Tails.com, plus Cossatto, Hobbycraft, Williams, Sofology, Joules Group, Modern Milkman, TheWorks.co.uk, and Selco Builders’ Warehouse.
In the Big category, for private and not-for-profit organisations with over 2,000 full-time employees, Card Factory’s stated purpose of helping people celebrate life moments by making its products affordable and available for everyone put the business in 10th spot, alongside winners Hobbycraft, plus MBDA UK, UK Power Networks, J Murphy & Sons, Howdens, NHS Business Services, TheWorks.co.uk, RSM UK, and ISG.
Jen Lawrence, Card Factory’s executive director people, said: “We are committed to listening to our colleagues so that we can make Card Factory the best place to work for everyone. The Best Companies survey allows us to learn more about what we are doing well and what we should change so that we can continuously improve. We’ve evolved over time in response to the survey results as it’s important that we not only listen, but act.”
As part of its social responsibility activity, Card Factory created a giant 18metre (59ft) long card to say thank you to the NHS for its work during the Covid pandemic, collecting more than1,500 signatures and raising almost £30,000 raised for NHS Charities Together.
Card Factory Foundation, its charitable arm, also launched a Covid19 Relief Fund to support staff who were struggling financially while on furlough. It was funded by the company’s leaders, who took a 20% pay cut that helped more than 500 colleagues to pay their bills.
With its HQ in Wakefield, Card Factory was established in 1997 and now employs 9,016 staff with an average age of 37, 83% of whom are female, across 1,027 UK locations – and the statistics for the survey show a 0% voluntary employee turnover rate.
In the Best Companies survey, 89% of staff agreed with the statement “my team is fun to work with” – during the pandemic, weekly huddles provided the opportunity to keep employees engaged with what was happening within the business, as well as to stay in touch with each other. Teams were also able to share their thoughts and stories through the company’s Thankful Thursday and Feel-Good Friday campaigns.
During lockdown, Card Factory introduced a Curiosity Corner where staff would discuss different topics linked to the company’s learning management system, which hosted relevant e-learning material. The optional scheme was available to all staff and proved to be popular, with 67% telling the survey they were happy their job is good for their personal growth.
And 43% agreed the business has a strong social conscience – the Card Factory Foundation was overwhelmed by staff fund-raising initiatives during the pandemic which led to a £31,500 donation to Macmillan Cancer, £20,000 to the NSPCC to fund Childline counsellors to work from home, and £10,000 to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, in support of NHS Charities Together.
Some of the staff benefits of working for Card Factory include a 15% staff discount, save as you earn schemes, at last 28 days’ holiday, loyalty and length of service awards, and free parking in the support centre, distribution centre, studios, Printcraft, online side Getting Personal and some store locations.
Best Companies said: “Being named one of the UK’s Best Companies To Work For is an accolade like no other, something other organisations the length and breadth of the nation strive for but only the very best achieve.
“It recognises your commitment to your employees and demonstrates that you see workplace engagement as a vital part of your organisation’s success.”
Top: Over 9,000 staff say they like working for Card Factory
