Firstsource Solutions comes out singing – putting people FIRST - Business In The Community

Firstsource Solutions comes out singing – putting people FIRST

A global business process outsourcers, with UK operations in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Teeside and Cardiff, Firstsource Solutions is one of the UK’s top ten contact centre providers, servicing the financial, healthcare, insurance, telecommunications and media sectors.

Background

In Northern Ireland, Firstsource Solutions has 1,756 employees across two sites.

What Firstsource Solutions did

Firstsource has a structured plan to continually improve its business and be a great employer. It offers homeworking and flexible working opportunities for staff and has a key interest in health and wellbeing. To this end, Firstsource has on-site advice from healthcare professionals, quarterly wellbeing weeks, clinics for smoking cessation, fitness and stress relief. Along with counselling, health insurance and occupational health advice, Firstsource is committed to putting its people first.

Firstsource has a commitment to attracting and retaining people who are long-term unemployed and has worked with Ulster University to develop the first global university/contact centre degree of its kind. It has also launched its First EDGE Academy – a suite of certified leadership management and development programmes for emerging leaders.

Firstsource communicates throughout the organisation on a regular basis – both face to face and online. Its ‘Be The Change’ award acknowledge and celebrate staff and their valuable contributions. Uniquely, Firstsource is experiencing the healthy benefits of its workplace choir, an innovative way to boost confidence as well as improve mental health and productivity.

The outcomes and impacts

  • Awards planters_EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
  • Increased staff retention
  • 125 promotions in 2015/’16
  • 147 positions attained by those who were long-term unemployed
  • Flexible working opportunities increased by 47%
  • 100 hours of volunteer time given to the local community
  • Established the Firstsource Workplace Choir
  • Achieved Silver Investors in People accreditation
  • Employee engagement increased by 10% in one year
  • 500 lbs of weight lost by 57 employees in the £ for lb challenge
  • Raised £28,000 for charitable causes
  • To find out more, email gabrielle.cairns@firstsource.com