How to create and maintain a happy workforce – and why hybrid working is crucial

By Kayla Wilson, who was appointed as a Director at eCommerce brand Furniturebox aged 34 last year.

Furniturebox is one of the fastest growing eCommerce brands in the country.

Based at a huge warehouse just off the M4 at Chippenham, the interiors brand was founded by classmates Monty George and Dan Beckles aged 17 after they had done their A-levels at grammar school in Salisbury.

They have grown the brand rapidly over the last decade serving markets all over the world and their first appointment as director was Kayla Wilson, who joined as marketing manager in 2020.

Here Kayla explains how creating and maintaining a happy workforce has been the key to Furniturebox’s success and why sticking with hybrid working post-Covid has been important…

Most managers would say they get happy workers with a list of benefits they provide (we do have those too) but, first and foremost at Furniturebox, it’s about the people you work with. The saying, “people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers” is very much the case and why hiring people for cultural fit is equally as important as their skills.

It starts with leadership and runs all the way through the business to build teams that are supportive and collaborate well. Everyone is fully aligned on growing the Furniturebox brand, delivering exceptional service to our customers whilst also being a great group of people to work with.

We also continue to develop our benefits offering to be competitive and plan to keep pushing this further as we grow. We’re investing in social events to bring together our three office locations regularly to keep connecting people across the business and have some fun.

Working from home is rapidly going out of fashion with many companies ordering staff back into the office at least four days a week.

We still believe that hybrid works for us and our teams. It ensures everyone has a great work-life balance to have happy and fulfilling lives in and outside of work. When they come into the office they can collaborate with their team by aligning days and still get that connection and team building which is an important part of our culture.

We find that flexible working particularly benefits our female employees. Despite efforts to address this, women are still disproportionately affected by caregiving responsibilities – whether that’s a relative or a child. Women can thrive in company cultures where they have the trust and flexibility to do their best work when it works for them. I’m a strong believer that parents are some of the most organised and efficient people out there (look at what they have to juggle 24/7!) and if you give them the right environment that supports them then you will see the benefits of that in terms of the work they deliver.

We encourage open communication with a strong open-door policy for management and HR. Employees can also share feedback anonymously through suggestion schemes, with plans underway to introduce anonymous staff surveys. Over 30 employees, including founders and leadership, have received mental health training. An online Employee Assistance Programme  is also available to all. Based on colleague feedback, the company has enhanced sick pay and maternity/paternity policies and supports flexible working arrangements wherever possible.

So, in this happy working environment, how was I able to climb the ladder quickly to director in just five years? For me, there were three key elements:

• • Relationships: Progression and opportunities don’t come about by just ‘the boss’ seeing the good work you do but rather by everyone across the business. Being kind, supportive and helpful will go a long way, and that won’t go unnoticed. Your reputation is built on the things people say about you when you’re not in the room.
    • Find a Mentor(s): I’ve never awkwardly asked someone, “Will you be my mentor?” (cue fear of rejection). But asking questions, being curious and showing interest in what others are doing will make them want to share ideas with you and pass on their knowledge. Most people love to help, so a simple: “I’ve noticed you’re really good at [this thing], would you have some time to show me more?” can go a long way.

• • • • Make Yourself Valuable: This is advice my dad gave me a long time ago. Whenever opportunities have come up to own a new project or area of the business, I’ve jumped on it. Sometimes I’ve said, “I’d like the opportunity to try owning this and I’m open to feedback about how it goes.” This has meant me being responsible for the whole eCommerce team, including marketing, website, marketplaces and product data. I could have stayed in my lane with just marketing but I put myself out there and took a risk.

I studied at the University of the West of England in Bristol, but at Furniturebox, we actively encourage non-traditional routes into jobs with cultural fit and personality more important than qualifications.

I enjoyed university, learnt new skills, gained confidence and made friends. However, in retrospect, if I’d known I wanted to go into marketing and knew what I do now…I would have gone the apprenticeship route to learn skills on the job and learn them quickly. Earn money, learn fast and spend three years progressing and getting promoted.

We are always looking for new people to join our happy band. We’d love to hear from you if you think that our culture would be a good fit.