GLL is undoubtedly a ‘people business' not only because we interact with many thousands of customers each day, but because we rely on a workforce of dedicated, motivated and supportive employees with shared values and ambitions to deliver our services.
This people-centric culture stretches back to 1993 when GLL was established as a charitable social enterprise and worker co-operative, a trailblazer in the sector with a corporate structure later emulated by many. It's undoubtedly why, more than 30 years on, GLL is an organisation led by ‘home grown' talent and individuals who have risen through the ranks – providing real inspiration and tangible career pathways for today's employees.
GLL employs a varied and geographically diverse workforce ranging from fitness instructors, nursery staff and librarians, to box office managers and call centre colleagues. With staff numbers topping 11,000, today we represent 0.2% of the total UK workforce, highlighting our significant role within the employment sector.
A staff-led business
The benefits of applying a social enterprise business model to delivering public leisure and library services are numerous. But perhaps most importantly it means that the business is staff-led, ensuring all members of the organisation have a say in its future. At GLL, this is delivered formally through our worker board.
The board comprises employees from all areas of the business, who are nominated and voted for by their peers. They are supported by sector expert trustees and this group sets corporate policies and holds GLL's chief executive to account.
An evolving landscape
During Covid the agility and dedication of our workforce, in the face of extremely challenging operating conditions, contributed to a strong business bounce back. It also gave us the opportunity to review and restructure our approach to HR and over the past few years we have evolved, changed and learnt.
We rethought our operations, introducing a new digital system for customers and multi-skilled our staff to improve operational agility. We established a customer service centre and knowledge hub and transformed front-of-house into concierge roles. A data-led approach has demonstrated improvements in indicators such as reduced vacancy rates and turnover, increased learning activity and ultimately business growth.
In 2022 GLL became an accredited Real Living Wage employer, one of just 9,000 businesses in the UK, demonstrating our commitment to fair pay. Then in 2023 we achieved Investors In People (IIP) Gold standard.
The IIP review was resoundingly positive, IIP practitioner Matthew Filbee said: ‘GLL's journey to IIP Gold accreditation is a testament to their commitment to people, continuous improvement and community impact. By embedding IIP principles into their daily operations and fostering a culture of ownership and accountability, GLL has not only achieved a prestigious accolade but also strengthened its position as a leading social enterprise.'
The opportunity to choose
A further people-focused innovation has been the introduction of GLL's You Choose programme. This ensures that every employee can choose how they work with us, either as a permanent or full/part-time contracted employee or a flexible employee.
The programme was developed in consultation with our workforce and it became evident that for some flexibility to fit working arrangements around further education or family commitments was important, while for others stability and structure were the priorities. From the business's perspective You Choose has multiple benefits ranging from improved staff retention to widening the employment pool.
Supporting our people to be the best they can be
A case-in-point is Imogen Loucas, who started her career journey with GLL on a flexible contract five years ago, working as a library assistant in the London borough of Bromley, while completing an undergraduate degree. A rapid career trajectory, supported by her GLL managers today sees Imogen employed as a permanent member of staff, working as a library manager in Balham.
As part of Imogen's career pathway GLL part sponsored a master's degree in Libraries and Information Science at University College, enabling Imogen to secure additional academic qualifications, which would have otherwise been financially prohibitive.
Imogen sees her long-term future with our organisation explaining that: ‘I want to work somewhere that sees the potential in me.'
Career pathways for all
Improving access to employment is another organisational priority and we have a multitude of local initiatives to meet specific demographic needs.
One innovative project is GLL's partnership with the Prince's Trust on the ‘Get into Leisure' employability programme. Focused primarily on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the initiative provides a pathway to employment giving participants the skills to ‘live, learn and earn'.
Terry Marks is a Get into Leisure graduate, who now works at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, Terry said: ‘I felt a real sense of achievement as I developed new skills and my swimming improved massively as I trained for my lifeguarding qualifications. After completing the course, I was offered flexible or full-time work with GLL and am still working for them today.'
We have re-developed relationships with DWP, job centres, schools, the Prince's Trust and others to boost awareness of career opportunities in leisure and libraries, provide routes to employment, work experience and a pipeline of talented people.
Apprenticeships play an important role in our workforce strategy and we currently have 177 apprentices. Our apprenticeship levy is used to support workforce up-skilling at entry to manager level and has earned us recognition as a finalist for the UK Active Award Educator of the Year in 2023.
We have focused on the core skills needed by managers and have an award-winning Trainee Manager Scheme; a CIMSPA endorsed Management Development Programme, a training partnership with CILIP and Talent Development schemes.
The next chapter
We are driven to being the best staff-owned organisation in the UK. In practice that means consolidating organisational and personal values and delivering our Career Promise, whether that entails being able to flex work around personal commitments, securing academic or vocational qualifications, being coached or achieving managerial ambitions.
What won't change is our recognition that our people are our business, the root of our success and the roadmap to our future.
Lorraine Patrinos is People Director at GLL
