August 2024: a very social summer

We’ve been having a very social summer indeed at Ciphr HQ! From our fantastic summer conference to fun social events put together by our Culture Club, we’ve been having a blast. And that’s not even counting our self-care days…?

Earlier this month we had our annual summer conference - and it couldn’t have been more fun!?

The entire company met up in person to laugh, learn and spend some time together.?

Over the course of the day we:?

• Had an informative presentation from our CEO Sion Lewis about the future of Ciphr?

• Got to hear from our colleagues about the impact of their work?

• Participated in a fun team-building activity?

• Enjoyed food, drinks and each other’s company?

A huge thanks to Faye Morris Newman for organising this excellent event.?

We’ve got so many heroes and notable nominees to talk about today!?

Congratulations to our two winners, Courtney Thompson-Ayerst Assoc CIPD and Costa Christodoulou .?

Courtney has worked tirelessly to implement changes across professional services to positively impact customers and Ciphr colleagues alike. Her willingness to go above and is endlessly impressive, from responding to product queries to assisting with implementation messaging and jumping on prospect calls. All in all, she is a lifesaver and a shining light of positivity!?

Costa is unrelentingly committed to helping ensure P11Ds were completed well and on time.?He’s incredibly patient, and always happy to answer a colleague’s question. And he’s done all this at the same time as working tirelessly on the Azure migration.?

And that’s not all – we’ve got a special, extra hero award for Vishnu Pillai .?

Vishnu has built many complicated bespoke projects for some very important Marshall E-Learning Consultancy clients. Recently, he completed a complex eLearning development project on time and within budget – resulting in a happy client and great end product. Vishnu is a quietly brilliant and a credit to the team.?

And as for our notable nominations…?

• Angela Reda – always positive and a great source of knowledge?

• Alex Cockcroft – never fails to support our internal teams and customers exceptionally?

• Gerard Malone – sets a great management example and regularly exceeds expectations, despite being super busy?

• Laura Hamilton – always gives positive and constructive feedback, offering unwavering support and guidance to those around her?

• Jack Price – laser focused on getting HubSpot implemented?

• Laurie Mahmood Assoc CIPD – instrumental in bringing together the solution for two-factor authentication (2FA)?

Well deserved, every one of you.?

This summer, we’ve really been prioritising self care.?

On 2 August, we had our fifth Self-Care Friday – a day when we didn’t work! We’ve had them all throughout the summer, and they’ve been a huge hit.?

This extra day off gives us chance to recharge and focus on ourselves. It’s our way of saying thank you for all that our wonderful employees do.?

Then, of course, we had International Self-Care Day on 24 July! While we still worked that day, we made sure to take some time for ourselves. Whether that was going to the gym, doing some yoga or meditation, watching a favourite film, going for a walk, talking to a friend or curling up with a book.?

13 August – get set for growth with the right HR partner?

If your organisation is heading into a growth phase, you’ll need the right HR software – and the right HR software?partner?– to turn your goals into reality. Sarah Kerr , Amanda Barnden and Cathryn Newbery will help you learn how to do just that.?

Register here. ?

Here are the results of our recent polls:?

• 45% of you think encouraging remote working makes the most impact when trying to make your office more eco-friendly?

• 75% of you have HR software with two-factor authentication enabled – yay!?

• 45% of our followers who work in HR likes their jobs?

• 55% of you aren’t up to date about statutory neonatal care and pay?

• 40% of you know how to properly calculate holiday pay. If you’re part of the 60% who aren’t 100% sure, reach out to our team to see how we can help?

And here is the content that inspired our polls:?

• How to make your office more eco-friendly: six tips to try ?

• Two-factor authentication and HR software: what is it, and why should you use it? ?

• HR survey: how HR professionals view their jobs ?

• Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023: what you need to know (blog post by Claire Warner )?

• How to calculate holiday pay: your headaches solved (another post by Claire)?

That’s it for August – see you in the autumn. (Yes, the autumn – September is looming right around the corner!) Oh, and before you go – subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already, so you never miss an update.?