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At BioStrata, we aim to use our world-class marketing skills and expert knowledge of the life sciences industry to make a positive impact on the world through the power of science. To ensure we do this, our mission is simple: to help our clients bring 100 game-changing products to market by 2030.
However, we can’t achieve this mission without our talented team. That’s why supporting the team is our number one priority. They’re at the heart of everything we do, and we prioritise their wellbeing and growth in every decision we make.
By fostering a culture of like-minded individuals who share the same core values, we strive to maintain an environment where everyone can reach their full potential, work together, and enjoy themselves while doing it.
We’re delighted to share that we are finalists at the UK Company Culture Awards 2023 for ‘Best Employee Development Programme (Agency)’ and ‘Best Workplace Health and Wellbeing Awareness Initiative (Agency)’, and are so proud of our team for making this a reality.
What recent initiatives has BioStrata put in place to support the team?
We’ve shared below some examples of the initiatives we’ve implemented in the past 12 months that have contributed to our selection as UK Company Culture Awards finalists.
Health and wellbeing awareness initiatives
BioStrata's operations team initiated a health and wellbeing programme last year to promote and enhance the physical, mental and emotional health of our employees. The initiative consists of several wellbeing programmes and support mechanisms, from improving our health and wellbeing company benefits, to providing the team with practical advice on how they can improve their own wellbeing, such as establishing a routine and clearing their mind.
We strive to equip our team with the necessary resources to establish and uphold a productive and healthy workplace where they can achieve their full potential. Our goal is to foster a positive work environment where the team feels comfortable discussing work-related or personal issues that may be negatively impacting their health and well-being with their colleagues, HR, and management.
Overall, our health and wellbeing these initiatives have resulted in increased engagement and contributed to our overall efforts to retain staff.
Employee development programme
BioStrata's agency operating system (EOS) supports working in 90-day sprints. The leadership team sets quarterly company goals or "rocks," while each department sets their own quarterly goals aligned with the company's objectives. In order to provide the team with more frequent opportunities to check their personal performance development progress and receive support from the company, BioStrata implemented a new employee development programme that consists of quarterly reviews, replacing the previous annual appraisal process.
The new processes uses an Individual Development Plan (IDP) which is a structured document and accompanying process for managers to work with their team to identify their professional and personal development goals, and break them down into actionable priorities. It’s designed to help each member of the team:
- Set a motivating long-term career vision.
- Outline their quarterly goals.
- Identify the challenges and solutions to achieving these goals.
- Prioritise what to tackle first and what assistance will be required.
- Align staff training and development with the agency’s priorities.
We also took the decision to eliminate the personal performance aspect of its bonus scheme (without decreasing the overall bonus amount). This modification allows the team to challenge themselves on a personal performance level without worrying about the impact on their bonus. Additionally, the agency changed the bonus scheme from annual to quarterly to align with the team's quarterly accomplishments and recognise their hard work.
What do the team think of BioStrata’s culture?
Here’s what Emma Radoux, one of our talented Science Writers, had to say about BioStrata’s team culture when we sat down with her recently:
“Everybody is so supportive at BioStrata, and has each other in mind at all times. We all want to see each other succeed, and even with everyone’s ambition and drive, there’s never any competition or rivalry between each other. Additionally, although there are different levels of seniority (as with every company), you don’t feel isolated or excluded. Our senior leadership are open and honest about all aspects of the company, including what decisions have been made, why, and the impact they have on the company.
The most important thing I’ve learned from my colleagues at BioStrata is the power of feedback. Everybody is encouraged to be honest with one another in a constructive way – sometimes you’ll be the teacher, and sometimes you’ll be the student, and my colleagues are experts in both roles. We wouldn’t be able to give and receive feedback so effectively without the trust we’ve built as a close-knit team. This has helped me grow professionally in two ways: the first is I now have the confidence to express my thoughts and ideas when I think a process can be improved. But secondly, my colleagues can openly tell me when there’s things that I can do better, too – meaning I’m always growing as a person, and I never take it personally as I trust it’s from a place of mutual respect.”
- Emma Radoux, Science Writer at BioStrata
You can hear more thoughts from the team about working at BioStrata in the video below.
What would winning mean to BioStrata?
Our people are at the heart of everything we do at BioStrata, and we couldn't do what we do without them. Here’s what our CEO, Dr Paul Avery has to say about what winning would mean to the team…
“Being shortlisted and winning awards like these not only helps us to benchmark the progress we are making as a team to ensure we’re providing the best working environment for us all to thrive in, it also publicly recognises the hard work that our amazing team puts in day in and day out. Our ongoing commitment to always improving and looking to be the best we can be is something I feel we can all be very proud of.”
- Dr Paul Avery, CEO at BioStrata
We’d like to wish all the other finalists the best of luck and we will see you in May for the awards ceremony!
Interested in joining us and learning more about BioStrata?
If you’re interested in becoming a part of our team, you can visit our careers page to view our current job openings. Even if you don't see a role that suits you, we would still like to hear from you! We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals, so please get in touch and submit your details to apply for a position that may not be listed.
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