There are clear financial rewards for employees at architects Jestico + Whiles, but staff believe the work is a reward in itself. They claim the job is good for personal growth (84%), find their work stimulating and feel they are fully involved (both 80%) and are proud to work for the firm (82%). They also believe they can make a difference in the organisation (77%). The firm recently set up an employees' benefit trust, which means 65% of profits now go to staff compared to 20% five years ago. One person in every three earns more than £35,000. Small wonder that staff are happy with pay and benefits (70%), believe performance is appropriately rewarded (80%) and believe they are making a valuable contribution to the company's success (82%). People are happy in their jobs and benefit from perks which include international study trips to develop their own areas of interest and to see how their profession operates abroad. Closer to home, they are encouraged to cycle to work and meetings, demonstrating the company's concern for the environment. The firm, which has offices in London and Prague, undertakes work in Europe and Asia. It believes "each building should be enjoyable, efficient and unique", reinforcing the identity of the client and responding to their changing needs. The company is involved in residential, mixed-use, education, hotel, restaurant and office projects. Staff turnover is low at 7%, indicating a high degree of loyalty and trust in the organisation's leadership — staff believe in the principles and values of the organisation (85%) and have confidence in the skills of senior managers (81%). They say that director John Whiles, who has been with the company for 28 years, is doing a great job (82%), with many employees believing him to be inspirational (a 73% positive score) and moral (79%). Communication is a strong point, with messages effectively passed on down the line. Employees say that managers trust them to make the right decisions (80%) and that they express appreciation for a job well done (72%), scores that rank the firm 57th and 88th respectively. Directors and associates are encouraged to take part in social and sporting activities and staff say working with colleagues is fun (82%), while they also claim that people in their team care for each other (81%). Only slightly fewer claim that colleagues go out of their way to be helpful (70%) and describe a strong sense of family (77%). Staff enjoy flexible working that includes four-day weeks, home working and flexitime.
