Name: Clare Roberts
Job title: HR and health and safety director
Company: Natures Way Foods
HQ location: Selsey, West Sussex
Number of employees: 450 permanent staff


What's it like to work for your company? It's fast-paced and demanding due to the nature of our product range and the response times our business demands. Everything is immediate, here and now.

Why is it a good employer? We ensure staff understand their role and accountability in the workplace and then allow them to progress by offering general career support at all levels. We have great customer/supplier partnerships and customer exposure at all levels, with everyone involved in customer visits.

Is there a definable company culture? We have all the positives of a bigger organisation balanced by all the great qualities of small companies such as being flexible and non-political. Our daily quality meetings involve the CEO and factory guys all contributing with no one frightened to speak up. We also have a great balance of employee involvement in our CSR strategy that focuses on community involvement, an employee volunteer scheme and other employee schemes/sponsorships.

If the company were a car what would it be and why? Something fast, with a strong personality, highly innovative, always looking for the latest modifications , but with a strong heritage... perhaps a Mini Cooper S with full accessories pack or a new electric car.

What's the training like? All factory staff get training in product knowledge, factory systems and processes, health and safety and food hygiene. We run a Management Development Programme, which currently has 90 people on it. It's an 18-month modular programme with an external consultant and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management.

We also support, financially and with day release, employee further education. And we actively encourage people to identify learning gaps and find solutions for these such as category management courses with IGD. But we don't just do traditional formalised training. We also strongly support and encourage role learning, coaching and mentoring.

Has the company won any awards? In 2006 we won the West Sussex County Council Green Business of the Year Award, and the Silver award from the West Sussex Education Business Partnership in its Investors in the Future category.

Are you looking for any people right now? We are always looking for great people. As part of our Talent Management challenge we are working on an employer branding strategy whereby we will use our own internal brand to market the business more proactively through PR, recruitment fairs, milk rounds and advertorials.

How does one go about applying for a job? Online, or call HR and ask for an application form.

How do I find out more about the company? www.natureswayfoods.com.

Topics