SearchFlow finds “the best way” for staff and customers: Training and empowerment help firm to win Best Company award

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to reveal the factors that have helped SearchFlow, a UK provider of property searches, to earn a first‐class rating from Best Companies, the organization that compiles the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For lists.

Design/methodology/approach

Emphasizes the importance of good leadership, treating everyone as an equal, recruiting people most likely to fit in with the company culture, an unwavering focus on employee development and a passion for empowering employees, to creating and maintaining a healthy corporate culture.

Findings

Shows that the company has low turnover compared to similar businesses – less than 12 percent of its total workforce annually, compared with a national average of nearly 23 percent, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development – with many staff having grown and adapted through the company's evolution over the years.

Practical implications

Contains plenty of practical lessons for companies keen to promote excellence in the workplace.

Originality/value

Reveals how a company benefits when it is able to trust people, respect their ideas, and let them make their own decisions.

Citation

(2008), "SearchFlow finds “the best way” for staff and customers: Training and empowerment help firm to win Best Company award", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 9-11. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670730810878402