By Sarah Chadbourne, HR Director at AccessPay
Every year when the Great Place to Work results come in, I do the same thing. Before looking at any scores or rankings, I read the comments. Because the real story of a company’s culture isn’t in the numbers — it’s in the words people choose when they describe what it feels like to work there. This year’s feedback from the team at AccessPay made me incredibly proud. Again and again, people talked about the support they feel from colleagues, the trust they’re given to do their best work, and the sense of belonging they have here. Culture isn’t something you can design once and leave alone. It’s something that evolves every day through the behaviours, decisions and relationships across a company. Seeing those experiences reflected in our Great Place to Work feedback reminds me why building a great workplace matters so much.
Something worth celebrating
For the third year running, AccessPay has been recognised on the Great Place to Work® UK Medium Workplaces list. Awards are nice. But what matters most is how they’re decided. Great Place to Work is based on one thing: what employees say about working here. And when the comments came in this year, one theme stood out above all others.
The people
Ask anyone at AccessPay what makes the company special and you’ll hear the same answer. The people. Employees talk about the warmth of the welcome they receive when they join. They talk about colleagues who go out of their way to help each other succeed. And they talk about a culture where people genuinely enjoy working together. I recall countless new starter conversations after a few weeks in where people can’t believe how welcoming and helpful others are. In a fintech environment where things move quickly and expectations are high, that sense of community makes a huge difference.
A culture of trust
Another word that appeared again and again in the survey feedback was trust. People described being given ownership of their work, the freedom to bring forward ideas and the confidence that their voice will be heard. That trust creates something powerful. When people feel ownership, they take pride in what they build. Trust is also the basis of a psychologically safe place to work — which I believe is the foundation of a high performance culture. And in a company of just over 130 people serving more than 1,000 customers, that really matters.
Support that goes beyond the workplace
Workplaces are at their best when people feel supported and celebrated not just as employees, but as individuals. Survey responses spoke about flexibility, wellbeing initiatives and the way colleagues support each other through life’s challenges. Through the Moments that Matter incentive scheme, AccessPay makes sure that people’s life moments are recognised. It’s the kind of culture where people celebrate success together and show up for each other when it counts.
Growing without losing what matters
AccessPay has grown quickly in recent years. With that growth comes new complexity, new opportunities and new challenges. But one thing has remained a priority throughout — protecting the culture that makes the company special. That means investing in leadership development, clear communication and creating opportunities for people to grow their careers inside the business. The impact has been real: employee satisfaction has risen from an already high 88% to 93%.
The real reason this is important
Culture isn’t about free lunches or social events alone — although these are very much appreciated, especially Lynn’s jacket potatoes! It’s about how people treat each other. It’s about whether people feel safe sharing ideas. It’s about whether they feel proud to say where they work. Being recognised as a Great Place to Work for the third year running tells me we’re on the right path. But the real credit goes to the people who show up every day and make AccessPay the place it is. And that’s something worth celebrating.
Sarah Chadbourne HR Director, AccessPay Sarah leads the people function at AccessPay, championing culture, inclusion and employee experience. She has been instrumental in AccessPay achieving Great Place to Work® certification for three consecutive years.
