Fleet Alliance is a great place to work. I’m rightly proud that for seven successive years we have been recognised by the Great Place to Work Institute as an employer that really cares for its staff.

An employer that creates an environment that is rich and rewarding for our employees; and one that translates into great customer service for our fleet customers.

I’m convinced the two are intrinsically linked.

I’m sure it contributes to being voted the UK’s top vehicle leasing and fleet management company for service to customers in the Experteye awards – for the third time in four years.

Creating a happy, caring and fun environment makes the commute to Fleet Alliance HQ that little bit easier for staff every morning.

I think it’s important on so many levels, especially having just read the latest Ford Trends report, which makes dark reading on many levels.

This is the eighth time Ford has published its research into future trends and it finds the consumer becoming increasingly lonely, increasingly isolated. Technology and social media are part of this reason and while consumers benefit from greater mobility they also lack the social cohesion provided by a community.

What’s more, as internet commerce continues to grow, 75% of consumers say they want more human interaction in the future, not less. Consumers may want a seamless service but they are also very keen to experience a personalised service with meaningful interactions.

So while investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) might bring greater efficiency, it won’t bring the same level of human interchange and the ability to surprise and delight.

Investing in humans does all this; it’s what we do at Fleet Alliance.

Stepping up with Excellence in Wellbeing award

And ensuring their wellbeing is the next step in caring for our employees. So I’m delighted that we have been recognised by the Great Place to Work Institute in the form of their Excellence in Wellbeing award –  particularly as It is determined solely on staff survey results.

Employee wellbeing encompasses all the physical, psychological, social and financial aspects of working life. This includes fulfilment at work, work-life balance, interpersonal relationships, financial security, work environment and mental and physical health.

So how do we do this?

Well, there’s Wellness Wednesdays for starters. These include stress-down workshops, therapies and treatments. There’s yoga, meditation and breathing exercises, for example, while we also offer a counselling service to balance work life and home life. We’re also going to introduce flexitime to make it easier for our employees to make work fit around their life – rather than the other way around.

It’s important for our staff to be happy.

And we are also recognising that “it’s OK not to be OK” – with a changed business culture towards mental health issues that encourages wellbeing in this area.

But we also think it’s important to look outwards and to engage with our environment and with charitable work. That’s why we have Fleet Alliance Loves.

Fleet Alliance Loves reflects our core values of Fairness, Trust, Engagement and Respect. It’s how we look after our staff. And expect staff to look after each other, the community around us, and the impact of our business on the environment.

Focusing on these values, creating caring environments and taking part in charitable activities helps mould us into better people.

And, I hope, people that are less isolated, lonely and vulnerable.