People & Culture
Working at Bytes is different. We offer an engaging, rewarding and fun environment for all of our people. We have an experienced and dedicated workforce which we recognise as a key asset of our business. Key attributes of making Bytes a great working environment include an emphasis on personal wellbeing, investment in personal development and career progression, support for flexible working, diversity and inclusion in everything we do, and open and honest leadership communications.
Underpinning this is a culture which puts customers at its core while also seeking to maintain a dynamic sales culture. This has led to strong employee retention rates, improved productivity, better customer service and “stickier” customer relationships.
CSR Policy & Initiatives
View our CSR Initiatives
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to our continued efforts of embedding a culture which reflects the diverse communities in which we conduct business and which provides equal opportunity and support for all to use their experiences and skills to contribute to promoting an inclusive environment.
We understand that supporting our workforce in a culture of trust and respect is essential to the success of the organisation where colleagues feel valued and rewarded for the work they do. The tone for diversity and inclusion across the group is set from the top through an open and inclusive culture that supports our core values.
Bytes is a respectful employer that welcomes diversity and promotes equality, tolerance and teamwork. We know that it is essential that we create an inclusive workplace in which you feel valued and able to make an impact. We continue to working towards achieving the Hampton-Alexander Review gender diversity targets for female representation on our Board, Executive Committee and Senior Management teams. An overview of our progress can be found below.
Personal health & wellbeing
Our business focuses on employee experience and wellbeing, across both mental and physical health.
We work with employee engagement and wellbeing specialists who is dedicated to looking after staff, and to provide activities and support networks for our people. We engage with staff through formal meetings and different media platforms, or at other times with fun events and entertainment to know we were thinking about them daily – so they continue to feel connected to each other and to the company. Our above market benchmarking employee engagement scores speaks volumes about our connection with our people.
Happy people are the backbone of Bytes. Our hardworking staff have made us successful, so we make their mental and physical health a priority. We have a range of initiatives that promote good health and well-being.
We provide a free gym at Head Office and our other sites have agreements with local gyms including reduced cost membership. We encourage our staff to get active and aim to increase participation in our Cycle to Work scheme, we promote a healthy diet by supplying free fresh fruit to all staff. To help relieve stress, we provide on-site massages. We are also firmly against smoking and have invested in schemes to help staff quit.
Communities
Putting communities at the heart of our business -
Our long-standing support for the communities where we operate yields many benefits. It enriches our local areas, it makes our people feel good – about themselves and the business – it’s enjoyable, and it enhances our reputation.
Donations and charitable givings –
We freely give our money, skills and time to good causes, in line with our values. Central to our corporate responsibility policy is a commitment to give the equivalent of 1% of our overall business net profit after tax to charity each year. We have a formalised charity committee to manage our charity partnerships and fundraising, which includes those with a focus on mental health, cancer research charities, local food banks and hospices.
Pro-bono support for the not-for-profit sector –
As a business with a strong not-for-profit client base, and recognises that supporting community institutions strengthens the bonds between us and our customers.
Supporting local businesses to boost communities –
We do all we can to keep regional businesses thriving and are committed to using suppliers close to our various offices.
1% Net profit contribution
We are committed to playing our small part in helping eradicate poverty and, in the spirit of the UN Goal, donating what we do not use. This commitment starts financially. Bytes has a goal to wholeheartedly support charitable giving efforts by individuals and provide regular, significant donations as a business. Our goal is that, as a combination of individuals and the wider business, we work towards giving the equivalent of 1% of our overall business net profits and personal earnings to charity.
Bytes contributes heavily to this 1% target through its commitment to providing every member of staff one day, fully paid, to dedicate to charitable activities of their choosing per year.
Stakeholders
Our stakeholders have an important role to play in the successful operation of our business. We have identified our key stakeholders as our employees, customers, suppliers and vendors, the environment and communities in which we operate, and investors. We are fully aware of, and take seriously, our responsibilities to Bytes’ stakeholders. We believe that it is appropriate to consider the potential impact on our stakeholders when considering Bytes’ strategy or other actions. Indeed, these responsibilities are rooted in our culture, values and company purpose. We continue to consider our stakeholders in its decisions and actions - in a way that will continue to promote the success of Bytes for the benefit of its members as a whole, while having regard to all other stakeholders.
Our FY21 Section 172 Statement
The board embraces the principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code, including those aimed at promoting transparency around stakeholder engagement. We consider the interests of the Group's investors, customers, suppliers and vendors, and communities and the environment in our decision- making and in how we deliver our strategy to achieve long-term, sustainable success. Although Covid-19 has made face-to-face meetings more challenging this year, there has never been a more important time to stay connected with all of our stakeholders. Further information on how we, as a Board, have fulfilled our duties to our stakeholders under Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006, can be found on pages 72-76 of our Annual Report and Accounts 2021.
Annual Report and Accounts 2021
Health & Safety
We aim to run a safe organisation by complying with or exceeding all relevant standards including HSE recommendations as well as all relevant health and safety requirements. The health and safety of our employees, visitors as well as anyone else who is affected, is a top priority under our guiding principle of continuous improvement.
Health & Safety Policy
Human rights
Human rights are fundamental principles which allow an individual to lead a dignified and independent life, free from abuse and violations. These basic rights include freedom of speech, privacy, health, life, liberty and security, as well as access to clean water and sanitation and an adequate standard of living. At Bytes, we respect human rights both as an employer and buyer, and we strive to be a fair partner – paying a fair price to suppliers, supporting local communities and supporting good working conditions for everyone working in our business and among our vendors and partners.
We're committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights and the principles and guidance in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a basis for dialogue and action.
Our commitment to human rights is reinforced in our Supplier Code of Conduct, Sanctions Policy and Modern Slavery Policy, confirming that we will not tolerate, nor will we condone, abuse of human rights within any part of our business or supply chains, and we will take seriously any allegations that human rights are not properly respected. We are committed to building knowledge and awareness of our employees and suppliers on human rights encouraging them to speak up about any concerns they may have.