About Unicef UK

At Unicef, different teams adopt different practices according to their needs. These include weekly stand up meetings to share priorities for the week and to ask for assistance if they need it using a red /amber / green status flag, which indicates their workload to colleagues. There is also the use of instant messaging or communication apps such as WhatsApp to share information, updates and to ask questions, plus the use of Skype or FaceTime to dial colleagues into meetings. Each year, Unicef bring all employees together for an all staff away day. This is an engaging event which gives real meaning and purpose to everyone's jobs by connecting people to the impact their efforts and Unicef's work is having for children around the world. 2016’s event was themed around Children on the Move. They had informative presentations from colleagues working in their Jordan and Lebanon country offices and heard from inspiring young people about the positive impact one of their UK Programmes 'Rights Respecting Schools' is having on their lives. Staff also had the opportunity to participate in a humanitarian emergency simulation and take a virtual reality tour of a refugee camp.

During a recent strategy process at Unicef, members of their Executive team ran face to face briefing sessions for employees in which they shared their refreshed primary purpose / mission statement and showed how their strategic plans and ways of working together will help achieve their vision of a world fit for every child. Their Executive Director also presented on this at their all staff away day in September. These are a couple of ways that Unicef help colleagues to see how the work they do contributes to the bigger picture. As part of Unicef UK's induction programme, all new colleagues take part in a half day interactive workshop that is focused on introducing their Common Approach values and explaining how they work together to achieve their ambitious goals for children. Their Common Approach values are first mentioned during the recruitment of new staff. They are an important part of the induction and on-boarding of new colleagues. They also conduct 360 feedback as part of the end of probation review to ensure that new recruits are able to model these values in their work with others.

At Unicef’s 2015 annual staff away day all colleagues were invited to contribute ideas as to how they could make Unicef UK an even better place to work. Many colleagues indicated they would value greater flexibility and more personal leave. All employees have the opportunity to request a formal flexible working arrangement regardless of length of service. This includes temporary or permanent contractual changes to hours, working pattern or place of work. Currently 18% of employees work less than Unicef’s standard 35 hours per week. They have also introduced agile working guiding principles and colleagues are trusted to choose the work environment that enables them to do their best work. Agile working differs from flexible working, as it allows informal choices about work to be made on a daily basis. As well as this colleagues can work remotely, including at home, on a more regular basis and embrace flexibility in their working hours. Finally ‘Sunshine Fridays’ returned in 2016, whereby all colleagues are encouraged to finish work at 4pm on Fridays throughout August to enjoy their Summer weekends.