Brother UK wins top employer award

Brother UK has scooped a major business award recognising its work to enhance its status as one of the UK’s leading tech employers.

The information, communications and technology company has been named Employer of the Year in the Business Masters awards, organised by regional news outlet TheBusinessDesk.com

Judges said Brother UK had “reinvented itself as an employer, including adjusting how it manages, motivates and rewards its people”.

Among the developments which impressed judges were its initiatives to nurture people, including ‘kinetic working’, which allows employees the chance to work in different and dynamic teams. Brother UK is also committed to investing in young people, including a pledge for apprenticeships to make up 5% of the workforce by the end of next year.

Louise Marshall, infrastructure and shared services director at Brother UK, said: “This is a proud moment for us at it is external recognition of all the changes and investments we have made in recent years.

“Our strategy to enhance our employer brand has been very simple – investing in our people and our work environment. The result of this is that we are now more successful in recruiting people and our employee retainment levels are among the highest in the sector.

“Our evolution shows that any business can reinvent itself by putting its people first.”

Brother UK is one of just a handful of British businesses that has achieved Investors in People Platinum (IIP) status, the highest-possible accolade recognising commitment to employees. It is now mentoring other businesses to help them to do the same.

Last month, Brother UK marked National Apprenticeship Week by organising a job swap which saw three senior directors – managing director Phil Jones, Louise Marshall and supply chain and service director Keith Howe – take up roles as apprentices.

Brother UK employs 200 people at its base in Audenshaw, Greater Manchester.