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When CEO, Dan Hopkinson, took over the reins at ElectraLink in 2021, culture sat at the top of the agenda. The small, rapidly growing energy data organisation faced cultural challenges, including poor staff retention and a lack of genuine employee feedback.
Before partnering with Best Companies, internal surveys were managed through DIY platforms. As Director of Diversity and Engagement, Amelia Heatley, explains, this homemade approach lacked the structure needed to drive real change. "We didn't necessarily have the background to know the right questions to ask and how to ask them. We wanted to work with a company where we could build that confidentiality in, so people felt safe to actually share what was really going on rather than just give a set of stock answers."
Deciding to survey immediately following the leadership transition proved pivotal. "The sooner you know what's going on, the sooner you've got the chance to make change", says Amelia. "If you wait, you lose some of the value of the change you bring in."
Tackling the Personal Growth Challenge
Since partnering with Best Companies, ElectraLink's focus has turned to personal growth.
In a smaller firm, linear career progression can be limited. To address this, ElectraLink shifted focus from traditional promotions toward comprehensive learning and development. Keira Forster, Marketing and Inclusion Executive at ElectraLink, highlights the range of support available:
"We've produced a lot of different resources that aren't necessarily promotion-driven to help people grow if a role isn’t immediately available. We have a dedicated training budget, people can access bigger qualifications and we've had three people in the company do MBAs in the past few years. It’s about trying to provide enough that people can still grow their skills and feel like they’re learning new things."
ElectraLink also introduced total transparency to internal recruitment. Every role is now advertised internally to give everyone an even playing field. This open approach has unveiled hidden talents across departments and encouraged lateral career moves, and 47% of employees have experienced growth within the organisation over the last two years.
Their efforts speak for themselves: Personal Growth scores have surged by 14% since 2021.
Open Doors and Honest Conversations
ElectraLink’s leadership transformation has been equally impactful, with Leadership scores leaping by 19% since 2021, placing them 8% higher than the Technology sector average.
This success stems from a culture of accessibility, open-plan working and bi-weekly company meetings featuring anonymous Q&A sessions.
"We are completely open to challenge and transparent about what’s going on", says Amelia. "We try not to make big decisions behind closed doors. Our leaders are willing to share personal stories about what's going on in their lives, demonstrating that we're all human beings and setting a really strong example."
Keira notes how this human-centric approach builds trust during high-stakes industry shifts. "At our annual People Conference, we dedicate an hour to an 'Ask the SMT' open Q&A panel. People ask the scary questions about the future of our company during big industry changes. Getting honest, un-sugarcoated answers back shows we're all in the same boat working together."
Supporting the Whole Person
Work-life balance and overall wellbeing are core pillars of the ElectraLink experience. The company's standout initiative is its 4-day working week (offered with no reduction in pay or condensed hours) which is reviewed and voted on annually by the staff.
ElectraLink’s commitment to wellbeing goes beyond working hours:
- Gender-Neutral 'Parenternity' Leave: Equal enhanced packages regardless of gender or how a child enters a family.
- Uncapped Healthcare Coverage: Removal of limits on outpatient care and coverage for pre-existing conditions.
- Menopause & Menstruation Policy: Dedicated leave options, flexible working adjustments and free sanitary products in all offices.
- Peer Support Networks: Active Employee Resource Groups, mental health first aiders and adoption of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme.
These initiatives helped drive a 15% increase in Wellbeing scores since 2021 (7% above sector average) and contributed to a record-low monthly sickness rate of just 0.2%.
Turning Best Companies Data into People Strategy
ElectraLink doesn't treat Best Companies survey data as an annual vanity metric, they treat it as core operational intelligence to shape their entire HR roadmap:
- Targeted Leadership Development: When factor scores highlighted opportunities to improve management support, ElectraLink used the data to design and launch a mandatory Leadership Academy, covering change management, emotional intelligence and performance coaching.
- Actionable Growth Initiatives: Granular feedback around personal progression prompted a complete restructuring of Personal Development Plans (PDPs) and the annual review process, directly moving the needle on employee satisfaction.
- Evidenced-Based Policy Design: Quantitative metrics provide a feedback loop for major policy shift, allowing leadership to measure exact impacts on wellbeing and productivity over time.
- Sector Benchmarking: Comparing their results against industry averages helps leadership contextualise their progress, validate strategy success and spot emerging workforce trends before they become pain points.
Authenticity Over Badges
ElectraLink has consistently achieved a 2-Star ‘Outstanding’ Best Companies accreditation. While reaching 3-Star remains a goal, the leadership team values total honesty above all else.
"I feel like we suffer to a degree because we are so real about this", Amelia reflects. "The answers we get are a very genuine reflection of what people think and feel. As much as I’d love to cross that 3-Star line, I would rather get the real picture and genuine feedback than cross the line because people didn't feel they could be honest."
For Keira, the Best Companies benchmark remains an invaluable tool for celebration and recruitment. "We like to time the survey around our People Conference so we can announce the results with everyone in the room. It’s an easy metric for everyone to understand how we’re doing and gives us a benchmark that shows, compared to so many businesses, we’re doing great."
By pairing rigorous data with genuine human empathy, ElectraLink proves that listening to employees and taking meaningful action is the key to creating a thriving workplace culture.
Amelia Heatley, Director of Diversity and Engagement
Amelia leads the strategic direction of communications, HR and the overarching people strategy. Since joining the organisation in 2018, Amelia has leveraged her deep background in communications and her extensive energy sector experience, including previous roles at Ofgem and UK Power Networks, to align ElectraLink’s external reputation with its internal culture. Driven by a personal passion for organisational inclusion, meaningful engagement and the democratisation of energy data, she focuses on creating an environment where a diverse spectrum of talent and stakeholders can thrive.
Keira Forster, Marketing and Inclusion Executive
Keira oversees internal communications across the entire organisation, collaborating closely with senior leadership to launch impactful engagement campaigns for key projects and business initiatives. As ElectraLink’s lead contact for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), she works alongside the internal EDI Forum to roll out new policies, initiatives and cultural celebrations designed to ensure all employees feel supported, valued and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.