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People & culture

The passion and commitment of our people is the main driving force behind our success.

Doing what’s right for students starts with doing what’s right for our people

To elevate the student experience and remain a key part of the higher education sector, we know how important it is to retain true depth and breadth of expertise across our teams.

We are driven by our values and culture and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas. We provide a range of career pathways and make opportunities for progression available to all.

Supporting our Sustainability Strategy, we are developing greater representation of gender and ethnicity in senior positions to create a more diverse workforce. We believe it is important for everybody to be able to be themselves, have their voice heard and feel that they truly belong when they work with us.

Our values:

Creating room for everyone

Authenticity and diversity by striving to be welcoming and inclusive to all.

Keeping uS safe

Physical and mental wellbeing, with safety part of everything we do.

Doing what’s right

Responsibility and transparency, always looking to do the right thing.

Raising the bar together

Development and efficiency, constantly striving to be better.

The Academy

INVESTING IN LIFELONG LEARNING FOR OUR TEAMS

The Academy launched in October 2022 to enable on-the job learning and development for every Unite employee, at every career stage. Lifelong learning can be accessed in the form of workshops, online courses, skill sessions, leadership programmes, mentoring and coaching.

Academy - strategy box

Being part of the Unite Students team

Our ambition is to be recognised as a quality place to work and we are dedicated to continuously raising standards and doing what’s right for our people.

Gender pay gap reporting

We recognise the importance of diversity & inclusion and the benefits it can bring to the workplace. We welcome the Government’s introduction of Gender Pay Gap reporting legislation under the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulation 2017 and what it sets out to achieve.

Investors in People

We hold an Investors in People (IIP) Gold award, placing us in the top 3% of the UK organisations actively working with IIP. The award reflects our continuing commitment to our employees; creating a great place to work and developing our people to achieve their true potential.

Real Living Wage

We are proud to be a Real Living Wage employer. We understand the benefit of having a happy and motivated workforce who earn a fair salary for their hard work and commitment. We received the accreditation in 2015, the first in our sector, and we remain committed to maintaining the Real Living Wage for our employees going forward.

Talent development

We support our people in their own learning and development by access to a range of learning interventions that are linked to the skills, knowledge, and behaviours. Our Talent Development team works with the business to identify learning solutions that enable our people to develop the capabilities they need.

Parental policies

We believe in a healthy work-life balance. Our family-friendly initiatives reflect our commitment to equality and provides our people with support and clear guidance to ensure they are fully aware of their entitlement.

Meet our people

05/04/2023
Blogs
In conversation with: Helene Murphy, Group People Director
Helene became Group People Director in January 2021, with a renewed vision for the People function. Leading all aspects of the People strategy, Helene has brought her experience from international start-ups and multi-national organisations to Unite. Here, Helene shares more about Unite’s ambition to deliver a Home for Success for our employees.
05/04/2023
Blogs
In conversation with: Karan Khanna, Chief Customer Officer
Karan leads the operational and commercial functions for Unite, working with his team to enhance the student experience, deliver commercial performance and raise brand awareness. He joined the business in June 2021 from InterContinental Hotels Group, where he served as managing director for the UK and Ireland. Here, Karan explains some of the focus areas for the year.
A Day in the Life of… a General Manager at Unite Students
Unite Students’ Day in the Life series is back to shine a spotlight on more of our frontline employees and the fantastic work they do in our city teams. First up is Karina Croft, General Manager for Leeds North, who has been with Unite Students since 2005 and last year won the CEO Award at our internal Stars Awards – we hear about a typical day in her role, how it felt to be recognised, and the most unusual situation she’s had to deal with.
In conversation with: Richard Morris’ drive to update our Family Leave Policy
In conversation with Unite Students’ Head of Operations (Financial Planning & Analysis), Richard Morris, who drove the company's Family Leave Policy update