How Nine Feet Tall creates the ideal work-life balance for its staff
With flexible work and hybrid roles continuing to factor into employees’ choices for new employers, National Work Life Week has focused on the theme of ‘Flex for All’. Monique Edwards, head of people and culture at change management consultancy Nine Feet Tall, shares her approach to flexible working.
“Culture and team are at the heart of what we do,” explains Edwards. “We believe engaged and supported employees are more productive and motivated. Putting our people first isn’t just the right thing to do by them, it’s what’s right for the business too. We have a mentoring system rather than a management system which is part of our culture of development.”
“There is much discussion about the impact hybrid or remote working has on productivity, but our advice is to be crystal clear on your expectations. Ensure every team member knows their responsibilities and required outputs, and the associated timelines and any restrictions.
“Regular check-ins, formal and informal, help to keep teams connected and give space to raise any concerns and celebrate successes – for both managers and teams.
“Make sure that everybody knows and uses the communication channels available to them. Engage with your teams to understand what the best methods are for connecting and remove unused channels from your systems to streamline workflows.
“Many companies have hybrid working in place through an unofficial agreement with individuals or teams, but it is vitally important to ensure you have official company policy in place on ways of working.
“As well as its impact on people, flexible working can affect other policies that you have, such as GDPR, health and safety, expenses, and cybersecurity. Address these factors in your ways-of-working policy and consider if your teams need additional guidance or training on how to manage data, devices and information outside of the office.”
How Nine Feet Tall does it
For change management consultancy Nine Feet Tall, employee wellbeing and work-life balance are a top priority, according to Edwards. In the firm’s 2025 employee survey, 95% of colleagues said they feel a sense of belonging at Nine Feet Tall and would recommend it as a place to work.
Behind this are policies including offering employees 10 learning and development days annually, and supplying staff with two fully paid volunteering days each year. As a result, the firm has an attrition rate of just 6%, demonstrating that employees feel valued and fulfilled – and was recognised as one of the UK’s top workplaces in the Sunday Times survey 2024.
Edwards adds, “We know how important social wellbeing is. We arrange regional ‘social connect’ days each month for our people to catch up face-to-face. The team has been invited to take part in yoga classes, sound baths, and everyone is encouraged to take regular breaks during the working day.
“We also host eight team away days every year, taking the whole team out of the office to connect, celebrate successes, share knowledge and bond with colleagues.
“We have a programme dedicated to employee wellbeing called How Are You? or HAY, and mental health awareness training is available to all team members. We regularly host guest speakers to deliver workshop sessions on topics such as stress awareness, women’s health, and suicide education. We promote walking meetings where possible, to reduce screen time and offer daily wellbeing hacks.
“We’re continually learning and improving what we do, though, by listening to our colleagues and finding ways to support them that work for them. It’s not one size fits all: communication, flexibility and adaptability are key for a good work-life balance.”
