100 Stories of Growth - Insights from Entrepreneurs

Founder Jonathan Hall says that his company’s “purpose is to create happiness, one job at a time”. Not just for his clients but also for the hopeful applicants his team meets every day. As the debate about wellbeing and mental health issues in the workplace intensifies – and rightly so – Hall is setting an admirable example for other scale-up companies by looking after his staff. Hall points to some key initiatives that aim to help achieve his people’s happiness. His company has invested in a mental health coach who comes to the office once a month to spend an hour with each employee. “It’s completely confidential and they can talk about anything they want, whether it’s work, home or personal,” he says. And it’s easy for management to keep track of how the team is feeling. The company uses a system called Officevibe, an online sentiment tracker that looks at everything from general happiness and wellbeing, to how well you get on with your co-workers. The London-based recruiter is set to increase its turnover by 60% and double its headcount to 30 this year. Hall believes that finding good people – and keeping them – is the key to Cranberry Panda’s success. That’s why he’s invested in creating a culture where employees feel supported and inspired to thrive. How to nurture and retain the best people CRANBERRY PANDA “They can talk about anything they want, whether it’s work, home or personal.” — JONATHAN HALL, CRANBERRY PANDA Gousto founder and CEO Timo Boldt has overcome numerous scale-up challenges thanks to the company’s strong values, people-focused culture and unequivocal commitment to organic growth. Leaving his lucrative job in the investment world, Boldt created recipe box company Gousto, delivering fresh, measured ingredients and recipes directly to homes. He decided Gousto was a winning idea as “there is a real need for more sustainably sourced food”. Gousto’s commitment to producing impact beyond just financial returns is supported by a strong set of company values, known as its three ownership principles: “Dream, Deliver, Care”. These principles permeate all elements of the company culture, from job interviews to salary reviews. Boldt believes this has helped the company attract the best people who have helped Gousto “punch above our weight”. However, Boldt has made many sacrifices along Gousto’s scale-up journey. He didn’t take a salary, had to make very tough decisions, and transformed the company’s leadership team. “All of this has been immensely painful and quite emotional,” he explains. “It all comes down to our people and how they help the business to scale.” — TIMO BOLDT, GOUSTO Boldt highlights the importance of “resilience” and “organisational robustness” to help handle these inevitable scale-up hurdles. He believes strong company values have provided the company with essential organisational direction and togetherness during tough times. Emotional resilience is key GOUSTO 31 30 INSIGHTS FROM ENTREPRENEURS EMOTIONAL CAPITAL THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMERS THE INNOVATORS