Paradigm Housing Group

There is plenty of opportunity for employees to stand out and drive improvement in “small but mighty” Paradigm Housing Group. Many staff have built long-term careers with the people-centred not-for-profit organisation in High Wycombe, where there is a high rate of internal appointments for job vacancies.

Paradigm began as the first large-scale voluntary stock transfer in the 1980s, from Chiltern District Council. For tenants, it provides about 15,000 affordable homes in London and surrounding areas for people who would otherwise be priced out of the housing market. For employees, it offers a friendly and open place to work, with an appreciation of the importance of a work-life balance and a great benefits package.

The diverse workforce has a strong social committee and wellbeing working group. The housing group encourages formal and informal job shadowing across different teams, saying “their passion is infectious, and leaves you with a true feeling of who Paradigm is”. All directors spend time in customer-facing roles to keep in touch with Paradigm's communities.

Senior leaders have made sure the workforce has stayed connected over the past year with vlogs and webinars – and held extra team meetings to address the specific needs of technicians working remotely. When government guidelines allowed, managers began inviting staff members to one-to-one walking meetings to combine exercise with a chat about how things were going. Feedback from staff has been positive about the meetings, which have helped to combat isolation.