The rise in hybrid working in recent years has brought numerous benefits for employees and employers alike. One of the key advantages is that it has opened the door to a larger talent pool beyond regional confines, which is a welcome boost for sectors like technology, which has historically battled skills shortages and struggled to recruit outside of major cities. At Sopro, this growing need for tech talent, combined with an ambition to become a global leader, led to the Brighton business expanding across three territories in just eight years. With sites in the UK, Macedonia and US , the Brighton-founded brand has a diverse workforce of coders, developers and writers

Think global, act local
Implementing an overarching people strategy when you have three very different territories to navigate can be a complex process. First and foremost, the strategy must comply with employment legislation in each country. This is a vital first step and can sometimes be overlooked if you are trying to apply British norms to international locations. It was a learning that we made early on at Sopro, when we realised there was a skills shortage in the UK and began to consider tech talent overseas, in countries such as Macedonia. But beyond the regulations, it is vital that the sentiment of your strategy as an employer remains fair and consistent throughout. 

Our commitment to “think global, act local” sits at the heart of our people strategy and dictates each move we make from a HR perspective. Everything we do, from creating contracts and benefits packages to running staff engagement events, is based on how it will impact our colleagues at a local level. For example, as a UK-founded business it could be tempting to set a benefits package that appeals to British ways of working, benchmarking elements such as paid annual leave and benefits against national averages and then rolling this out to colleagues across all locations. The danger with doing so is that this approach doesn’t account for the vast differences in cultural norms and legislation across the territories in which we operate. In the US, the average number of paid vacation days is 10, while statutory leave entitlement in the UK is 28 days (including bank holidays). Taking our ‘think global, act local’ approach, we first consider the sentiment behind our benefits package and then align it with each location. We want to offer an above-average holiday allowance to all colleagues, as we understand the importance of having a personal life beyond the office. So this global premise sits within our people strategy, and the practicalities of how many days are included are then decided at a local level.

Embrace your differences
We know that our people are our greatest asset, and we embrace the diverse range of individuals within our business. We encourage this spirit among colleagues, with our theme during National Inclusion Week being to ‘bring your whole self to work’. This approach applies across the business, from our software developers to our customer success team and everyone in between, wherever they are based. We use a variety of internal communications tools, such as our global intranet, to allow colleagues to showcase their passions and personalities, learning more about their counterparts in other offices. We have various committees of champions across all levels of the business, whose role it is to promote their particular passion or interest to their peers. From wellbeing to community and D&I champions, these committees are vital to Sopro and their roles are taken seriously, with line manager approval required and a commitment to a minimum number of projects undertaken each year. 

For Pride month in June, our D&I champions have planned a calendar of events to mark the occasion across each location. In Brighton, where Sopro was founded, Pride is an opportunity to have fun, while also recognising the importance of the occasion and what it means to the LGBTQ+ community. From a pride playlist takeover, to themed food and treats, the Brighton plans reflect the demographic of the workforce and of the community around us, and we are working with a number of local businesses as part of our plans to celebrate internally. In Macedonia, the D&I champions are focussing on education and information, with a host of resources available on our intranet to explain the foundations of Pride month and encouraging conversations about what it means to our people. In Miami, colleagues are showcasing the renowned Miami Pride Festival and reflecting on its origins. There will also be a nominated charity across the business for donations to related causes. This localised approach to a global event means that we can connect with colleagues and meet their different needs, while recognising the important celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride.

Listen and learn
Sopro is a business that is built on data; we operate the largest B2B company database of its type, and have more than 230 million ‘clean’ contacts. So it is perhaps no surprise that data also sits at the heart of our global people strategy. We have various methods of surveying our colleagues, giving us a host of insights across both quantitative and qualitative reports. Monthly anonymous polls provide statistics that we can use to benchmark trends. They take less than five minutes for colleagues to complete and the results give us scores across a number of key topics. The data is reliable and allows us to interrogate ourselves as a business. Trends – both positive and negative – can be analysed and changes are made where needed.

In addition, we have longer form interviews at various stages of employment, from recruitment to exit interviews and the newly introduced ‘stay interviews’. These allow us to have open and honest conversations with valued colleagues before they get to a point when they would consider moving on, helping to identify areas for progress and to ensure we are meeting their needs as an employer. This is particularly important as a global brand and the learnings we gain from our colleagues overseas are invaluable. We have participation levels that consistently track above the industry average, indicating that our employees understand the importance of this research as much as we do. 

The past few years have been challenging for businesses and their employees alike, and a team spirit has been vital to our continued growth. Remaining true to our core values and meeting the needs of our people at a local level has enabled us to navigate this period and emerge stronger than ever.