Our culture and the way we work
At VIVID, we’re proud of the culture we’ve created and which we continue to hone; inclusive and supportive while also driving people to grow and perform at their very best.
Our customers are at the centre of all we do, and our staff are the driving force. As we continue to grow, our success will continue to be based on having an environment where our teams are nurtured, empowered and have the ability to excel.
"While we’ve always worked hard for our customers, this year has seen a shift in thinking and mindset across all our teams. Supported by our new customer influence strategy, we’ve embedded a real ‘customer first’ focus across our organisation’s culture as we’ve looked to deliver improvements in our services.
To help drive and deliver excellent customer service now and in future, we’ve continued to invest in fostering an inclusive, supportive and crucially, high performing culture. From supporting existing leaders and developing futures ones through to bringing forward the next generation of housing sector talent via our apprenticeship programme, we’ve continued to invest in the organisation and in turn, our customers, for the long-term.”
- Duncan Short, Group Resources Director
We’ve reduced our median gender pay gap to
meaning that for each £1 earned by men, women earned 1p more
Considering the UK in 2023 reported a median gender pay gap of 14.3%, we’ve made huge progress and sustained it.
Our commitment is to make our team feel appreciated, supported, and recognised for their achievements, while also encouraging them to embrace challenges and grow. This approach enables us to deliver exceptional homes and services to our customers.
It’s through this, that we’ll be able to provide excellent customer service, deliver safe, warm homes and build more new affordable housing in the coming years. At the heart of this is our focus on performance across every part of the business, from neighbourhood teams to asset management and from repairs to sustainability and development. Our efforts in supporting each and every one of our people in each and every team to work to the best of their abilities is how we’ll become a consistently high performing organisation. The outcomes we’ve achieved this year demonstrate we’re on the right path.
We’ve also been conscious that if we're going to support our customers effectively, we need to have the right and best people at hand in future.
promotions
learning opportunities undertaken for new starters, upskilling and training
As a result, we’ve invested significantly in our future workforce over the last 12 months. Our People team launched a new apprenticeships pathway programme, appointing 10 apprentices to roles in various VIVID teams. We’ve also supported aspiring future leaders to develop their skills, knowledge and behaviours through our 12 month ‘Optimise’ leadership programme. New managers have also been supported in their roles through our Leaders’ Persona training, helping them develop the management skills they need as they step up in the business.
To make sure that we continue to have a complete and honest understanding of employees’ views, including around how our teams are managed by senior leaders, we’ve again placed time and attention on an employee engagement survey. To allow us to better shape this year's survey, we delivered it for the very first time in-house, and we achieved an impressive score of 82% employee engagement.
To help see our culture and ways of working effectively supported internally, we've placed emphasis on the work of our 3 leading staff forums.
response to staff engagement survey
employee engagement score in staff engagement survey
Employee forums
We believe that that every voice matters and that applies to our customers and our people.
That’s why we have a range of employee forums designed to give our people a platform to share their experiences, shape our culture, and drive positive change across the organisation.
- Employee Voice – a space where colleagues can raise ideas, share feedback, and help influence decisions that affect their day-to-day work
- Trades Voice – a dedicated forum for our Property Services team to speak up about what matters most on the ground, ensuring their expertise and insights are heard and acted upon
- Diversity and Inclusion Group – a passionate team working to celebrate difference, challenge inequality, and make sure everyone feels respected, represented, and included
- Stigma Busters – a bold and supportive group tackling stigma around mental health and other hidden challenges, helping to create a more open and understanding workplace
Over the past year, they have played a key role in shaping the new absence and leave procedure, developing questions for the staff engagement survey, reviewing our benefits, and providing valuable feedback on major projects. They've also supported our inclusive and respectful culture while making sure this is underpinned by having equitable policies in place. From highlighting the challenges some in our workplace face to celebrating how we're all different, the activity during the year has helped ensure that everyone here at VIVID feels truly comfortable, no matter who they are. This has included a specific focus on raising awareness around hidden disabilities.
Together, these forums help us build a workplace where everyone feels empowered to contribute, be heard, and make a difference.
We've reduced our median ethnicity pay gap from 4.3% to
meaning there is no difference between the wages of white employees compared to our non-white employees
We value and recognise the importance of a diverse workforce to deliver our business objectives. It’s our aim to have an equal representation of gender at all levels and similar roles across our business. We’re working hard to encourage more women to apply for trades roles through our links with local schools and colleges and our inclusive recruitment approach.
Apprentices
Deciding what you want to be and do isn’t easy, there's so much to choose from. Apprenticeships offer a fantastic career pathway into an industry, a business and a speciality.
That’s why, in October 2024, we launched our Housing Progression Pathway, a 3-year apprenticeship that enables local people to gain a professional qualification and develop their skills and knowledge while they work in roles such as Neighbourhoods, Tenancy Enforcement, Leasehold Management, and Income.
We also offer other apprenticeship opportunities designed to help apprentices succeed in their careers.
National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is a celebration of apprenticeships and their benefits. This year the theme was "Skills for Life", focusing on how apprenticeships help build valuable skills for career and personal growth. Our apprentices joined in this celebration, sharing their stories of their experience so far and what it means to them.
Hear their stories:
