SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS: People Development

The thriving Sheffield cooperative has more than 150 SME shareholder members operating throughout the UK in the business supplies market.

The firm invests heavily into creating the ideal environment in which people can achieve success.

With a highly motivated and driven team, the company is able to deliver its services to the highest standard possible.

With younger generations of consumers using alternative methods of purchasing, Office Friendly took the initiative and recruited marketing graduates hot from Sheffield Hallam University.

Having employed its interns over the last few years to research or progress new initiatives, the firm was familiar with the skill sets they had to offer – and wanted to utilise them.

It has done so much for graduates that Hallam University has used Office Friendly as a case study for graduates.

One intern was a poster girl around the city on all the billboards too.

Office Friendly also recruited an apprentice with a lower level skill base to be trained in basic marketing skills.

After three years he has a full-time role in the company and continues his development along the NVQ qualification.

Learning and development is a valued asset within Office Friendly. It is consistently high in the company’s priorities and includes everyone, directors too.

With a combination of mentoring, formal courses and workshops, training academies and on the job training it aims to cover a range of tools and techniques to keep development stimulating, consistent and varied.

A strategy was developed for its team to work at the top of its game in order to consistently give the highest possible service to customers.

The firm’s employee development strategies have allowed individuals to blossom into experts in their own field.