[back]Academy Speaker - In Detail
 Henry Stewart
|
|
 Workshops
| Discover the 8 Secrets of How to Create a Great Workplace |
|
Workshop information may only be viewed if you are an Academy member. Check our membership details.
|
|
|
Related Items |
Henry Stewart is the founder and Chief Executive of Happy (previously known as Happy Computers), who provide training in both desktop IT and how to create great places to work. Although only employing 45 people, Happy has won wide recognition for its innovative approach to management and to customer service.
In 2003 Management Today rated Happy as the best company in the UK for customer service, in its annual Service Excellence awards. Previous winners included First Direct and Nationwide Building Society.
Also in 2003 Parents at Work named Happy as joint winner of Family Friendly Employer of the Year. The company is short-listed for Business in the Community's award for the greatest Impact on Society.
In 2004 Happy was listed as No. 12 in the Financial Times Top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK. The FT rated Happy as the very best company in the UK for work/life balance. In 2006 Happy was listed again at No. 11.
In 2006 the company was named as having the most positive impact on society of any small business in the UK, by Business in the Community.
In 2007 the Financial Times rated Happy as the 2nd best place to work in the UK, in its annual Best Workplaces awards.
Imagine a company based around the principle that 'people work best when they feel good about themselves', explains Henry.
Imagine a workplace where, instead of levels of approval, people are trusted to make the key decisions for themselves. Imagine trusting people to work out their own balance of life and work. Imagine a blame-free culture where mistakes are celebrated. Wouldn't you want to work there? We are still learning but that is the type of company we are seeking to create.
Henry is convinced the approach pays dividends in business terms, with benefits in greater staff retention, easier recruitment and more motivated employees giving great service to customers.
The company has certainly been tested, as the IT training market (Happy's core business) has been in severe recession with a fall in sales of 30% across the sector. Happy has continued to grow as many competitors have gone into administration or been forced to merge.
Achievements include winning the contract to provide content for the largest e-learning project ever to take place in Europe, with the aim of training half a million people in the National Health Service in IT skills. There are already over 200,000 students signed up.
Contact Details