Sport BOP (employer)

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Moving from the private sector to a not-for-profit showed Sport BOP Business Development Manager Marcus Reynolds that financial incentives weren’t the only way to recruit, retain and motivate great people. Marcus has been with Sport BOP for just over a year and is enthusiastic about the power of flexibility and a positive workplace culture.

“In the private sector you can throw money at it but here we have to be a bit more creative,” he says.

Sport BOP employs around 30 people, all of whom are passionate about their jobs. Most of them spend the majority of their working hours in schools, sports clubs or meeting with their communities. Evening and weekend work is commonplace so Sport BOP does not have the option of strict timekeeping.

“Some of the programme teams are delivering their initiatives and programmes at all hours so we recognise that fact and are flexible around when they come and go,” says Marcus. “It’s an employment relationship built on trust so it all comes back to our recruitment process. We aim to recruit people who share common values and are innovative and passionate about the industry.”

The lines of communication within Sport BOP are open and Marcus says the environment is supportive. “We’re all very focussed on the organisation and on the team. Everyone has worked hard over the years to make sure that sort of culture exists. You can’t measure the benefits of having a supportive environment like that.”

Sport BOP has a workplace wellness policy which spells out its commitment to flexible work options and supporting families. For example the policy says Sport BOP will “support flexi-time to meet family and sport/physical activity needs. Sport BOP will also support flexi-time as required for other personal/private time requirements of team members.”

People with caring responsibilities are catered for with part-time work or other forms of flexibility. One mother of primary school children recently reduced her hours so she could spend time coaching their sports teams. Initially, the arrangement will be monitored through regular meetings to ensure it is working well for Sport BOP and the employee.

Staff often arrange their work days around their children’s school hours, perhaps leaving early to pick up children from school and then working in the evening.

Marcus says that while administrative staff do not work such unconventional hours as the programme staff, they do have some flexibility in their work hours. For example, one woman attends a Pilates class one morning a week and takes a shorter lunch break to make up the time.

Sport BOP’s commitment to wellness and flexibility does not compromise its commercial focus. “We’re flexible but at the same time we’re a commercial organisation and we need to deliver on our promises,” says Marcus. “Team leaders keep an ear to the ground and stay aware of what staff are up to. Building a great team and staying focused is something that Sport BOP does very well.”