Practice wins AJ100 Employer of the Year for second year running

The practice continues to lead the way on workplace practices including the addition last year of an exemplary new employee-centred head office at Hackney Wick, east London (pictured). Its other offices are in Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol.

‘The culture of accountability and responsibility enables them to continue innovating to meet employee needs,’ said the judges. ‘In a difficult year dealing with the cost of living crisis and hybrid working, HTA offers a great employee experience.’

Judges were impressed at the practice’s monitoring and evaluation of key metrics, including overtime, training and staff absence. The latter has fallen from an average of 9 sick days per year in 2016 to 3.3 in 2022, while overtime has fallen from 2 per cent to below 1.5 per cent as a percentage of overall hours.

Staff received an average salary increase of 6.5 per cent in March 22. A staff survey found that 96 per cent thought HTA was a good place to work, while 90 per cent felt HTA responded positively to new ways of working post-pandemic – 70 per cent now work three days a week or more in the office, and staff can apply for more flexible working arrangements.

Source:Kilian O'Sullivan

HTA Design’s London office is a converted 19th-century warehouse with an in-house café providing free breakfast and lunch

HTA is in the second year of a strategy to improve diversity and inclusion at the practice, and judges were impressed at its confidence in having conversations about race. Twelve staff achieved Part 3 Qualification in 2022, of which two-thirds were women and almost half were from ethnic minority backgrounds. At the end of 2022, 39 per cent of its architects were women and 18 per cent were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Nearly all staff (98 per cent) think HTA takes equality, diversity and inclusion issues seriously. In addition to forums for Blacc (Black African Caribbean Collective), women, and LGBTQ+, a neurodiversity group has recently been established. The practice has introduced policies supporting menstrual and menopause leave and the provision of free period products. It has also formulated guidance on dealing with miscarriages, stillbirths and sudden death.

Staff have access to 150 hours of focused training annually. Training and mentoring programmes include a post-Part 3 study group, future leaders mentoring, and reverse mentoring.

In 2022, the HTA Partnership was expanded with the addition of 12 new associate partners as members of the limited liability partnership.

The practice’s new London office, a retrofit of a 19th-century warehouse, aligns with its approach. Staff benefit from free breakfast and lunch at the in-house café, which serves locally sourced and mostly vegan food. The office incorporates a variety of working settings, with attention to acoustics ensuring a calm environment that is particularly appreciated by neurodiverse staff.

A bookable wellbeing room is used variously for prayer, as a place of retreat, and by breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk. Employees also have the use of impressive shower facilities with towels provided.

Judges noted that several shortlisted practices had made encouraging progress, and looked forward to seeing the outcome of their initiatives in years to come.

AJ100 Employer of the Year is sponsored by