Skipton Building Society was established in 1853 in the attractive market town whose name it shares. The company's core values date back to that time of people helping each other: savers supporting borrowers; the building society helping the town; everyone playing their part in building a better society.

Fast-forward 168 years to 2021 and there's now more than one million people trusting Skipton to help them save for their future and their own property. Building a better and more sustainable society remains an uncompromising core value – and Skipton's people have the autonomy to play their part in delivering it.

The building society is fiercely proud of its heritage and commitment to mutuality and there is a relentless focus on excellent customer service. Together with industry-leading colleague engagement, Skipton believes this sets it apart from others.

The business is one of just a handful of Investor in People Platinum-accredited organisations in the UK. It finds that those plans where colleagues have a say or are involved in from the start are the most effective.

This did not change throughout the pandemic. A collaborative ‘Future of the Workforce' project is underway, asking everyone their opinions on what they would like their new world of work to look like. Staff told the society they would like the flexibility shown to them to continue.

Prior to lockdown, Skipton colleagues were 90% office-based but now a return to the office needs to ensure it aligns with everything on the company's agenda, including a greener footprint.