Kenneth Lillie – TBG London

Employees at entrepreneurial firms who have been with it since the company’s foundation often have a special affection for the organisation that manifests itself in extraordinary commitment and hard work. Kenneth Lillie, who works for digital advertising agency TBG, is a superb example.

“Kenneth is basically the guy who made it all happen,” says managing director Simon Mansell. “He was there form the start and without him we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

TBH has grown from three employees to more than 50 in six years, and from scratch to a £13m turnover. In that time, Mansell acknowledges that he’s had plenty of recognition. Now, he’s determined that Lillie gets some praise for his contribution.

“In reality at least 50% of the success of the company is down to Kenneth filling in all the gaps which were created by me,” he says. “As with many entrepreneurs, I have lots of ideas but a short attention span which makes execution a challenge. Kenneth made that execution happen which made the company happen.”

Lillie has had such a broad remit in his time at the company, taking in everything from marketing to project management, that he no longer has an official job title. He was also responsible for entering TBG in the Sunday Times Top 100 Places To Work, resulting in an impressive and morale boosting 14th place in the list.

He’s also helped Mansell to formulate the HR policies that made this recognition possible.

“I've found that people work for a cause if you get motivation right and therefore money is less important,” says Mansell. “The fact that our business is quite focused around working together to hit our business aims, sees that everyone has a vested interest in working toward a common goal.”

Lillie is justifiably proud of his work in getting the company’s HR record recognised. “I had been told that companies generally take three years to enter the Top 100 and we hit 14 in our first year,” he says. “As I managed the whole process and had instigated many of the quirky things that make people happy, I felt that it was partly down to me that we had done so well - the positions are determined by anonymous surveys completed by the whole company.”


Lillie’s advice for other entrepreneurs hoping to build such a strong people culture is simple. “Focus on employee happiness and you'll be more than halfway there.  Simon has done a great job of keeping everyone informed of what is going on and I think that has helped a lot.”

Paula Sharp – senior projects manager, Kids Allowed Limited

“We have a culture of ‘celebrating our stars’ and empowering our team to do a great job,” says Jennie Johnson, co founder of £2.9m turnover childcare firm Kids Allowed. “I believe these values encourage people like Paula to excel.”

She’s referring to the company’s senior projects manager, Paula Sharp, whose remit has covered everything from turning new premises into a Kids Allowed Centre, replacing operational software, intruding HR software and implementing new strategic relationships. Johnson says she’s the “one you would clone if you could”, but the management at the company have ensured that loyalty and job satisfaction are given every chance to thrive naturally.

“Every team member takes part in an annual bonus scheme, we also have monthly awards for outstanding team performance and these success stories are shared in the monthly newsletter to share best practice and encourage everyone to follow the lead of our “star” employees,” Johnson explains.

“We spend just as much time and effort on being the employer of choice as we do on being the nursery of choice for our customers. We have a great reputation for being a fantastic place to work and this helps to attract great people.”

As a member of staff at such a diligent and caring employer, what tips does Sharp have for entrepreneurs looking to inspire a similar sense of loyalty at their own firm? “Empower your team, provide ongoing support, rewards, facilities and training to make your business a fabulous place to work - somewhere people in your sector will want to work,” she says. 

Clara Blows – orders administrator, Breathe Interiors

“Anyone who shows initiative in providing exceptional service both internally and externally is recognized by peers and managers,” says Breathe Interiors managing director Mike Bird. The £12m turnover office interiors company has just enjoyed its best year ever, but when it needed a new orders administrator, it looked to promote from within rather than recruiting externally. Clara Blows was an obvious choice – she joined the company as a temporary receptionist, but when a number of customers gave her glowing reports, Breathe Interiors’ management took note. 

“Clara’s abilities were immediately recognized by peers, managers and customers, so she was promoted to orders administrator.” The role requires a thorough understanding of all types of office furniture and careful attention to detail, but the company ensures that she was eased into the role rather than thrown in at the deep end. “I have been provided with many opportunities to shadow more experienced colleagues and to visit projects at various stages of completion,” says Blows. “Expert advice has been sought if it can’t be supplied from within our own team.”

She says that the culture of the company is aided by its knowledge of the product it sells and, unsurprisingly perhaps, she advises other entrepreneurs to consider the physical working conditions of employees.

“By creating shared spaces and encouraging frequent interactions, issues can be resolved when they first arise, reducing stress levels,” she says.

As the company’s growth continues apace, Bird says that “star performers are entirely involved in [our] growth and we ensure they hold key roles in this progress”.

Steve Fletcher – purchasing manager, ANS

“The only time a busy, self-involved employee would notice a purchasing manager would be if he made a mistake,” says ANS managing director Paul Sweeney. The man who holds this position at the £10m turnover e-security business is the very definition of an unsung hero as far as Sweeney is concerned; nobody can recall him having made a mistake, so his profile has remained low key.

Steve Fletcher has been “quietly saving the company money and allowing it to rin smoothly” for a decade, Sweeney says. “Steve is diligent, professional and hard working. Without him ANS would struggle to function.”

Fletcher takes an almost old-school pride in his work, saying “a job well done is its own reward,” but Sweeney says that the company has a variety of HR schemes to encourage loyalty and consistently strong performance from employees including company bonus schemes and share options.

“The best compliment that can be given to Steve is to say that he is only really noticed when he is not here,” says Sweeney. His nomination in this scheme suggests otherwise, but you take the point.

 “We encourage a work hard, play hard culture at the company, and like to think that we have a genuine family atmosphere that makes staff want to work here,” says Sweeney. “We also give staff a clear career path to help them develop their skills and reach their goals.”

The company aims to increase its turnover to £15m this year, and will rely on the commitment of Fletcher and his colleagues to hit that target.

Debby Darby – assistant manager, ADM Computer Services

An employee in procession of the vision to improve procedures and processes form their own initiative is an invaluable asset. Debby Darby, assistant manager at £2.3m turnover ADM Computer Services, developed the IT company’s helpdesk system last year along with the administration processes that go along with it. “She has enabled the service department to expand by four engineers without the need for more administration staff,” says ADM’s Projects Director, Martin Tanner.

“Debby’s fantastic ability to create non-bureaucratic procedures to ensure control of work, without hindering efficiency, has also led to a significant decrease in non-chargeable work,” he says.

Darby says that she appreciated being encouraged to persist with problem solving. “My feedback is listened to and acted upon if appropriate.   Nobody likes to feel like their efforts have been ignored.”

She also believes that smaller companies should exploit their opportunity to utilise the skills of each employee to the full, as ADM does. “Job descriptions can be wider and more challenging.  There is less ‘cubby-holing’ of skill sets to each job.  Multi-tasking and stretching yourself inevitably aids future career prospects by providing greater knowledge and experience,” she says.