FEATURE the shopfloor in retail to managing campsites , and our shared values and culture ensure that whatever our role in the company , we are all working towards a common goal .”
Ritzema said WCF ’ s ability to integrate new employees into its employee-owned structure has been fundamental to the continued success of the business .
“ As a company which is continually expanding both organically and through acquisition , while at the same time operating in different sectors , having clear communication across our entire team at every level is crucial so everyone understands what it means to be an employee owner ,” said Ritzema . “ Our aim is to get our new employee owners on board right from the start so they feel empowered and excited to be part of it .”
WCF recently acquired North Yorkshire-based mail order clothing firm , Bella di Notte , which saw nearly 40 new employees join the WCF team .
The acquisition complements WCF ’ s existing national mail-order clothing brands which include Country Collection , James Meade and The Classic Boutique , with the firm continuing to run as an independent business under WCF ’ s portfolio of companies , and key decisions being taken from within the existing Bella di Notte team .
Ritzema said : “ The best employee-owned companies put their employees at the heart of their businesses , championing employee engagement and enabling employee owners to have a meaningful say in how the business is run and grown . Listening to our employee voice , responding meaningfully and being influenced by team responses is absolutely vital to our business as it means we receive a variety of feedback from across the company .”
At WCF , employee owners share their views and ideas through an employee voice forum where representatives from each part of the business gather suggestions and common issues from the team . These are either actioned
Jo Ritzema , Managing Director of WCF
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