Behind the scenes

The latest from behind the scenes at Exponential-e, and the different ways our teams are helping us operate as an ethical, socially responsible company

Why learning and development have always been fundamental parts of life at Exponential-e

Attracting top talent is just part of the picture when it comes to building a thriving, successful organisation. If employees are to achieve their full potential in both their professional and personal lives, it is essential to nurture their talents and cultivate the skills that will help them progress along their chosen career paths. This is something that has always been a key part of Exponential-e’s overall l’espirit de corps.

Indeed, all new starters enjoy a four-day induction programme to ensure they can make a running start at Exponential-e, immersing them in both our solutions and company culture.

But that’s just the beginning…

Cutting-edge technology to power cutting-edge training

We employ a full-time Learning & Development team, who focus on creating and delivering bespoke training in response to the current trends and impending changes in both our industry and the wider digital landscape. These programmes are delivered through our own learning management system, Edison, allowing our employees to study at their own time, at their own pace, whether they are connecting from home, the office, or on the move.

All workshops are recorded, for the benefit of anyone unable to attend at the scheduled time, and to help us develop a comprehensive library of high-quality training material.

These in-house resources are supplemented by the LinkedIn Learning licenses that are provided to every employee.
In addition to utilising our training modules on a regular basis, all employees are encouraged to take up to four study days per year to focus on their personal development, for which we may offer a financial contribution towards external training that will prove beneficial to them.

Furthermore, since 2018, we have partnered with an external learning partner to deliver our sales training programmes and Management Academy, in order to identify and develop the next generation of leaders, which has led to us sponsoring several employees as they begin a master’s degree apprenticeship at Cranfield University.

Helping teams continue to excel in the ‘new normal’

While it is a constant source of pleasure and pride to see employees grow and thrive throughout the course of our various training modules, but it was throughout 2020 and the rise of COVID-19 that the true value of a flexible, engaging, and effective training model revealed itself.

With numerous organisations cutting costs, rethinking their IT infrastructure, and moving to remote working at a scale that would previously have been unthinkable, it was imperative that our teams would be able to support both new and longstanding customers and partners in overcoming the challenges involved.

To ensure our teams were equipped with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they would need on a day-to-day basis throughout this transitional period, a series of tailored workshops were set up,

ensuring our well-established, cornerstone solutions and newest innovations could effectively support the new way of working, without compromising performance, security, or usability, and with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

Celebrating excellence in learning and development at the Princess Royal Training Awards 2021

By equipping our teams with this knowledge, we were not only able to weather the challenges of the pandemic ourselves, but also support other organisations across the UK in doing the same,

allowing them to protect the wellbeing of their own employees while continuing to seamlessly deliver their services to customers and end users. The success of the programme was later acknowledged at the 2021 Princess Royal Training Awards – an annual event to celebrate excellence in training and development across the UK, where Exponential-e have been honoured for three years running.

Above all, these successes demonstrate that while change is inevitable, and may come in the most unexpected forms, the industry heroes of tomorrow will ensure organisations cannot just overcome the resulting challenges, but continue to thrive and innovate, provided they are properly supported and provided with the resources they need.

With this philosophy in place, training moves from a matter of cultivating individual talent to ensuring the future success and resilience of entire sectors.

Green Team Q&A: Management Perspective

This month, we asked Exponential-e and Vysiion representatives 5 questions about sustainability. The answers paint a very fascinating picture and we hope you enjoy the read.

Is sustainability subject close to your heart? If so, why?
Are there any “green” achievements you are proud of?
What “green” initiative would you love to be involved in?
If there was one thing you could change in the world, what would it be?
In your opinion, how important is it for a business to show a serious commitment to sustainability issues?

Amy Springford - Director of Client Relations, Exponential-e

Yes, I think we all have a responsibility to do our bit for the future generations and each other.
Since I moved further into London 4 years ago I haven’t had a car and I make the most of all the public transport options.
I have also majorly cut back on my plastic usage (particularly water bottles) by getting a filter tap at home.
Anything to better take care of all the great parks and green spaces we have in the UK.
I think we all learnt to appreciate them far more during lockdown so it’s really sad to see when they are not looked after.
More recyclable products and better (clearer) guidance around what/how to recycle - I find it can be pretty confusing!!
The posters the Green Team have shared in the kitchens are, however, very helpful!
So important – sustainability is quickly becoming an important value for a lot of people.
If businesses do not take it seriously they risk on losing out on new talented employees, alongside potentially losing business to other suppliers.
We need to make sure we are showing long-term commitment to being a sustainable and responsible business.

Andrew Morris - Finance Director, Vysiion, and Head of FP&A, Exponential-e

Yes, it’s a subject that I’ve become more and more aware of particularly over the last 2-3 years.
It’s only a small impact, but my fiancé and I have made some definitive changes to our lifestyle over the past couple of years (if I’m honest, she’s forced most of them onto me by stealth!) – among other things, we very rarely eat meat any more, we buy refillables and attempt to shop plastic-free, we’ve made a conscious decision to fly less and use our car as little as possible… And of course, I’m proud of the work that Exponential-e and Vysiion do to support renewable energy, with the likes of Gridserve charging stations and windfarm developments.
A selfish one, but I’d love to run a project to build a Grand Designs style carbon-neutral, sustainable home.
The efficacy of the rail network in the UK and society’s over-reliance on private cars! Oh, and fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic – why?!
Very important. Whilst individuals can make small differences, they pale in comparison to the effect of societal structure and the actions of businesses on people’s lifestyle and consumption habits. We need a “top down” approach from government and big businesses to achieve large-scale change.

Raymond Haysom - Head of Procurement Operations, Exponential-e

Absolutely. The society we are building will be our legacy.
I take value and purpose from knowing I am on the right side of history ensuring we leave behind a habitable planet for all future generations and species.
I’m very proud of the recycling programme my team have built for returned customer hardware. Not only are we saving in the region of £80,000 per year we are extending the life of our product and disposing of any unwanted items through responsible reuse of their raw materials.
Reforestation of the Planet.
Create World Peace 😊
100% important. From a supplier perspective, we want to know that our suppliers think like we do. The future talent we, our customers and suppliers employ will demand these values.

Peter Clapton - Chief Executive Officer, Vysiion

I see this as part of an evolutionary journey. Humans are adaptable and innovative, sustainability presents an exciting and fresh challenge, an opportunity to invent, collaborate, and participate in something that will improve all aspects of our lives.
Being better than my grown up children at recycling, and in the context of work, taking Vysiion into the renewable energy sector, winning work on many of the offshore wind farms that now contribute such a significant percentage of our energy.
I would love to play a key part in the delivery of a smart city deployment. Taking our technical know-how from an industrial, utility, and business setting, into a wider social environment, this would close the circle for me!
This is a good question and one where hindsight can colour your response. A purest might say, halting the development of the internal combustion engine but that would ignore the part it played in positively moving society forward on so many fronts. In truth, the primary motivation for most inventions had good intentions, even splitting the atom. My answer might therefore disappoint; the one thing I would change in the world is the speed that governments and we as individuals have accepted the need for, and embraced change. This next evolutionary phase, i.e. sustainability, requires us to move at pace and en masse.
Our commitment to sustainability needs to be an intrinsic part of all that we do. We need to lead by example, be prepared to innovate and make decisions in the best interest of all of our stakeholders, and wider society.

Have comments, questions or want to get involved?

Please get in touch:

greenteam@exponential-e.com