A journey of responsibility, by Formation Architects

This month we spotlight our devoted ambassadors Formation Architects, an established, award-winning practice based in Central London, with a team of 90 and growing! Here they share their journey on board our Foundations for Responsible Business programme. Their story highlights their strides in community engagement, workforce diversity, employee wellbeing, and environmental stewardship, culminating in various awards and the ‘Achievement’ Level in the Mayor’s Good Work Standards. It’s a welcome reminder of the transformative power of responsible business, and its ripple effect on society.

‘In today’s dynamic and unprecedented landscape, the pursuit for clarity and fairness in the workplace is imperative. Individuals take good work conditions into account when forming opinions about a company, or when searching employment opportunities. Here at Formation Architects we remain dedicated in our commitment to setting exemplary work standards.

Our journey began through our enrolment on the Foundations for Responsible Business programme hosted by Heart of the City. The programme allowed us to take our first steps towards being a more responsible business and looked at how we can help our local community, build a diverse workforce, take care of our employees’ wellbeing and reduce our environmental impact. Since then, Formation Architects have won the Heart of the City Award at the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards in 2019 and were shortlisted for the Social Impact Dragon Award this year. Most recently, we were awarded the ‘Achievement’ Level in the Mayor’s Good Work Standards.

The Mayor’s Good Work Standard accreditation is organised into four pillars that are relevant to having an ethical business: fair pay and conditions, workplace wellbeing, skills and progression, and diversity and recruitment. The standards are based on best employment practices that set a benchmark for a London employer to work towards and achieve.

The accreditation offers the resources to understand the process, requirements and expectations to achieving work excellence. To be eligible, your organisation must first be an accredited London Living Wage Employer.

The application process is straightforward and involves a self-assessment, with each pillar containing both the ‘Achievement’ and ‘Excellence’ accreditations, presented as yes/no questions. The process not only facilitates your eligibility but also serves as a valuable tool to assess your organisation. Following submission, you will be required to provide evidence to support your answers.

Guided by our own core values, it was important to assess our company in comparison to these benchmark standards to ensure that we are fostering a healthy workplace environment and going beyond the legal requirements. The application process of this accreditation gave us a chance for reflection and enabled us to measure our company’s performance, understand areas of improvement and highlight what other policies and initiatives we can integrate to be better. Additionally, it enabled us to acknowledge and appreciate our existing achievements for the established standards that we had already met.

As an employee-owned small to medium enterprise (SME), adhering to good work standards is valuable in adapting to our changing environment. Implementing the best practices and efficient processes contributes to a positive work culture, improved operational efficiency, employee engagement, productivity and retention. Operating as an Employee Ownership Trust, Formation Architects ensures robust employee benefits, through the fair distribution of bonuses which fosters a culture of fairness and transparency. This approach motivates all employees to work diligently, thereby maximising the collective benefits for everyone. Other employee benefits include an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) action plan with measurable objectives, a comprehensive employee handbook with agile and flexible working policies, enhanced maternity pay and more. Formation Architects goes beyond minimum standards, making our business more attractive to like-minded employees, clients and companies within the industry. Our approach creates a competitive edge through enhancing our credibility and trustworthiness, amongst ourselves internally as well as externally with our clients and the wider business community.

Formation Architects will continue to set a good example and strive for Good Work Standards, with the goal of achieving the ‘Excellence’ Level in the near future. If you are a business aspiring to improve, the Mayor’s Good Work Standard can serve to initiate your own journey towards achieving excellence in the workplace.’

Formation Architects are ambassadors for the Heart of the City, and their Associate, Nimi Gabrie, sits on our Board Advisory Panel.