Building brilliant culture – the Interaction way
We’re on a mission to banish boring offices. We create sustainable, flexible, human-centric spaces which help people thrive and do their best work. In a nutshell, we help organisations supercharge their working culture.
It’s no surprise then that we put a lot of effort into making sure our culture is the best it can be too. We want to be one of the best places to work in the South West, so we’re constantly refining what we offer our Actioneers. We’re really proud of the culture we’ve built.
Every new starter receives a huge digital onboarding booklet which answers every question they don’t know to ask. They also get an etiquette handbook, outlining how we treat each other and watch out for each other’s wellbeing. Before new Actioneers join, we circulate a Getting to Know Q&A with a photo, so people immediately have conversation starters. We have a monthly Interaction Time meeting, where we gather round the design bench (and Teams) and outline highs and lows of the previous month, as well as address any questions about the business. An anonymous Teams channel allows people to pose any question they like, with a promise it will be addressed at Interaction Time.
In early ’22 we launched the MOA – The Ministry of Action, a committee made up of Actioneers from across the business who act as a conduit to the leadership team (who we called The Thrivalists – we love naming things).
Meet the MOA
The MOA’s remit is to champion charity, wellness and work/life balance. They circulate regular Pulse surveys to monitor employee happiness and wellbeing, and host regular internal events which include Motivational Mondays (fresh smoothie bar), Wisdom Wednesdays (knowledge sharing sessions) and Fusion Fridays (themed party nights at our bar, The Volt).
The MOA also helps ensure our drive to become a more sustainable business is communicated throughout the organisation. We offer every Actioneer 2 “Commitment Days” a year – paid time off during which they can utilise Interaction resources (like our vans) to help a local charity or organisation. In addition, we’ve pledged an annual Sustainability Commitment of £150,000, which includes donations to sustainable causes, carbon offsetting and organisational improvements that will reduce our environmental impact.
We’re a very social bunch, and we take our outings seriously. Once a year we head off for our AGM, where we get together offsite, share our vision for the future of the business then get stuck into some memorable activities. In 2021 we held a 2-day festival, called 2Dots, with a bhangra workshop, Power Ballad Yoga, guided woodland meditation (where I got stung by a bee) and a silent disco in a forest. In 2022 we headed off to a country house hotel, where we had a Samba workshop, a duck-herding competition, ferret races and a bit of spa time to relax. We also hold a yearly Party in the Park, where we get together for summer games in one of Bath’s many green spaces. We also make sure we eat together at a big communal table, rather than at our desks – it’s a vital time for getting to know each other better outside of the rigours of project work.
After reading this you might have a bit of an idea of what it’s like working with us, and why we were named Employer of the Year by Bath Property Awards.
If you’ve enjoyed finding out about the Interaction culture, why not follow #lifeatinteraction – or better yet, get involved in the action. Check out our latest opportunities.
Find out what it’s like to work with us
Getting started with your culture
If you’re looking for help building your culture, we’ve covered everything you need to know about creating a best-in-class workplace culture in our Culture Guide. Download now.
