Listen Hear Hidden Hearing company magazine

A note from Richard

It was great to see so many of you at the Area meetings. We were obviously disappointed that some were unable to make it and hope that you are fully recovered.

The key messages for this year are that:

• Against a backdrop of challenging economic conditions, we are positioned to grow as we have the resources to do so and key matters we are focussing on are ones where we have room for significant improvement in comparison with our peers.

• We have more dispensers than we have ever had before and a marketing team that is delivering all that we are asking of them.

• We strive to always be the Modern Hearing Care Expert and we all need to focus on delivering ever better “modern” hearing care to all our customers with all the nuances that go with that in terms of ever better support for customers:

– For dispensers, this means reflecting on your consultation and considering what changes you can trial to see if they improve your success

– For BCs, as heralded by the new bonus scheme, this is about making sure the most important tasks are what you focus on:

• improving the “show rate”

• improving the “support attended”

• improving the phone answer rate; and

• minimising the number of rescheduled appointments

• For all, focussing on how we can grow the number of self-generated appointments

• For the wider support teams (including teleappointers, our wax team and all others), you will have a wide variety of objectives all focussed on making the business more successful – helping more people hear better (you should each be aware of how what you do on a day-to-day basis helps achieve this but if anyone is uncertain please do discuss with your manager).

During this period when we are considering our objectives for the year, please concentrate on discussing and agreeing what steps you are going to change in your routine that should bring about improvements – not just an expectation of improving a specific KPI, although that is obviously the end objective. We are encouraging frequent regular feedback on objectives this year and this gives you an opportunity to discuss what you have tried and adjust if it is not working for you.

Remember, working on improving by using existing strengths has been shown to be a far more effective way of making progress than trying to simply address weaknesses. Our management team will also continue to make HH a better place to work focussing on engagement, diversity and inclusion

I am looking forward to hearing of and celebrating many successes during the coming year and I want to start by congratulating Jude Mee, Jerry Eldridge, Jen Canham, Bob Newport and Andrew Wilkinson each of whom joined a cohort of trainee dispensers 20 years ago next week. I hope that we can look back in 20 years and find similar success in our current Cohorts 14 and 15 who are just starting out with us.

Best wishes for a strong start to 2023 and an excellent year for all of us.

Richard Boyd Managing Director

PS Don’t forget to help build our brand by getting great Trustpilot reviews, collecting email addresses and finding fantastic case studies.

Branch visits

Some of the Support Centre team have recently been on clinic visits. Read more about how they got on...

“I had a really enjoyable day at Tunbridge Wells and would like to thank Richard and Alyson for the warm welcome. It was fantastic to see customers having their hearing tests and I even had my own hearing checked! I found this really useful as I now have an understanding of what our customers experience.

The service provided by Richard and Alyson was so detailed and professional, it made me feel really proud to be part of Hidden Hearing.”

Karen O’Brien Accounts Payable & Oneplan Manager

“In October I went to visit the Canterbury branch. It really helped me to understand what goes on in our branches day to day. I got to see a new customer trying hearing aids for the first time and seeing the difference it made to not only his hearing but his whole demeaner was amazing. The team in Canterbury were so welcoming and I really recommend the experience.”

Aimee Gaffoor Purchase Ledger Administrator

Staff message board

CONGRATULATIONS

This week is filled with many long-service awards, one being Tony Vaughan who is celebrating 30 years with Hidden Hearing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just wanted to drop you all a little thank you for all your hard work and efforts during the past year supporting the areas to help all those patients hear better and making us proud in the process.

We are looking forward to working with you all in 2023!

– Jenny, Jude & Carol

DALTON HOUSE TRAINING ACADEMY –SUCCESS IN A NEW ERA

We are delighted to announce that the current team of trainees have successfully completed their first assessments to become Assistant Practitioners and will start providing service and maintenance support to our existing customers from January. This is a modification to the training programme that allows trainees to gain three months’ field service experience and work a little closer to home after an initial 11 week training block.

The new approach to structuring the training allows another team of trainees, Cohort 15, to start their programme on January 9th. The new era of training delivers the course in smaller, bite-size pieces making learning a little easier for many trainees.

We’ll see Cohort 12 register with the HCPC in the spring and October will bring another opportunity for anyone looking for career progression to become a Hearing Aid Dispenser, possibly through a recognised apprenticeship scheme. Watch this space for more apprenticeship updates throughout 2023.

ABERDEEN REOPENED

Newly re-furbished Aberdeen opened on 21st December 2022. Here are Donna Goldie and Pamela Knowles enjoying their newly refurbished branch.

General business update from Geoff

After a turbulent year, the final quarter of 2022 was no different. October brought a stronger sales performance which was followed by a best-ever sales month in November when we achieved over £6m in sales. Indeed, we had hopes of overtaking the full year 2021 sales in December but sadly a combination of customer and staff sickness, exacerbated by extra dispenser holidays, who were catching up on COVID carry-forward, meant we fell short at the final furlong. Nevertheless to achieve sales within half a million of 2021’s result, which itself was boosted by a release of pent up demand for hearing aids after the lockdown, was an admirable performance.

So, at the start of 2023, we are very well positioned to start growing sales again. We have stronger dispenser headcount than we did a year ago which should see us start to outperform last year as the months go by. The recent round of team meetings was extremely well received by everybody and my intuition is that there is a “spring” in everyone’s step, even though it’s only January!

Further grounds for optimism for this year is the steadily improving performance of the ECP team. Both the direct revenue and referred aid sales revenue have increased consistently over the last six months and we look forward to that growth continuing into 2023.

On behalf of all the sales teams, I’d like to thank everyone who does such a great job in supporting us and we look forward to bringing success to the company in this coming year.

Geoff Soar Sales Operations Director

Estates update

New branch in Temple Fortune

We recently said goodbye to our Finchley branch and relocated to Temple Fortune, North London, which is an excellent location for Hidden Hearing.

2022 comes to a close with three new clinics –St Albans, Temple Fortune and a completely new location, Kingston upon Hull. Plus, significant investment in 19 refurbished clinics. Early 2023, we will be opening a clinic in Halifax.

Our Hearing Dog Luna at 18 months

We’re sponsoring a hearing dog, Luna, through her training as part of our partnership with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Here’s how she’s been getting on…

Luna successfully passed her Puppy Three Star in June. As a reminder, this is the stage where Luna’s training is focused on building on what she has already learnt in ‘primary school’ (Puppy Two Star). She knows what behaviour is expected of her and she is now given the opportunity to make the correct choices, rather than being told what to do.

She then moved onto her Puppy Four Star training which is when she moved to her new volunteer in High Wycombe. This stage of Luna’s training is where she has learnt how to alert others to sounds like the doorbell, telephone and the fire alarm, which will make a huge difference to her eventual deaf partner’s life.

“Soundwork is Luna’s main priority now; she seems to really enjoy it and is very enthusiastic”

“Soundwork is Luna’s main priority now; she seems to really enjoy it and is very enthusiastic”

This is the soundwork part of her training and final stage before the qualifying assessment to become a fully accredited hearing dog. Luna has already been matched to her deaf partner and during Puppy Four Star, Luna’s training team will have begun to personalise her training to the circumstances of her new partner.

Luna has just passed her Puppy Four Star award and will soon take her final training assessments but as she is moving to a new trainer to complete this, she’ll be given some adjustment time to allow them to get to know each other.

Luna’s current trainer says: “Luna is a very affectionate, sweet girl. She loves going to the park and playing with a ball and other dogs. She is a pleasure to teach, and I love working with her.

“She still needs to improve on not getting excited about bikes and joggers, Luna seems to want to run alongside them. We are starting to make progress with this, but she still needs to work on it.

“Soundwork is Luna’s main priority now; she seems to really enjoy it and is very enthusiastic however, she needs to learn to respond to the sounds consistently and discriminate between the sounds.”

Good luck, Luna, as you get to know your new trainer and work towards your final training assessments to become a fully accredited hearing dog. We look forward to keeping you posted on her progress as she reaches her second birthday in June.

Wax update from Jules:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The wax team have had a busy year continuing to grow our wax business. Thank you all for your help and support in booking appointments for us, between the ECPs’ continuous canvassing, the TA team, our BC team and our marketing team, our diaries have become busier.

Our first full year of trading has given us some challenges along the way, but I am incredibly proud of the contribution the team have made to our business. Despite largely COVID-related unplanned absences, and thanks to the flexibility of the ECP team, we have done our very best not to let patients down, and, in the main, have been able to cover most clinics affected by COVID.

wax appointments were booked with an home visits contributing

of our patients have needed more than one appointment to remove the wax as it has not been treated correctly with Earol

patients came back to us due to the team being more proactive in rebooking treatments which generated £207,675 patients seen by ECPs have been referred to HADs, with 2,995 classed as an eligible referral, and a 75% show rate

Despite our price increase, I am confident we remain competitively priced for the exceptional service and clinical excellence we deliver. Trustpilot reviews continue to come thick and fast, most of them talking about the thoroughness of our consultation and the quality of service we provide. More and more patients are preferring to come back to us rather than going back to their previous provider of wax removal.

We continue to write to GPs where we have successfully removed wax for their patients, the good news is that more and more GPs are referring their patients to us.

Looking ahead to 2023, we have a tough challenge ahead. Budget has been set for us to deliver £2,257,900 in direct revenue and referral revenue from aid sales of £2,319,801.

The key to achieving our goals for this year: we need a minimum of eight wax appointments per clinic per day. We need to continue to work with the branch teams to make sure we are seeing everyone who has (or thinks they have) wax, rather than referring them elsewhere.

We know that many patients who have purchased aids from our competitors, and who have then come to see us for wax removal have been so impressed with the service they have received from us that they have decided to come to Hidden Hearing for all their hearing health needs.

I hope we can continue to work together to bring more and more business to our company, whether it’s purely for wax removal, or for patients needing full diagnostic hearing tests.

I hope you all have a successful 2023!

The referral trial is well underway, and we are referring patients over the age of 55 straight to HADs for a full diagnostic test.

As a reminder, this is what the ECPs participating in the trial will be doing:

Prior to the wax removal

The ECP will explain what will happen during the consultation, conduct a case history and prepare all the consent forms needed, demonstrate the suction unit, explain the Tympa Cloud and ENT referrals/advice, and will explain that we capture the images and video footage pre- and post-treatment.

The ECP will also advise the patient: “Your consultation includes an appointment with our Audiologist for a hearing test as part of our wellness program, I will explain more about this at the end and book the appointment for you.”

Once the wax has been removed

“Mr Jones, we have removed all of the wax from your ears and have seen everything appears to be healthy and normal. We recommend you use Earol once a week to prevent further build of wax, a complimentary bottle is included with your complimentary hearing assessment which I will book for now as part of our wellness programme.

As I mentioned earlier, as part of our wellness programme, we advise all patients over the age of 55 to have a full hearing test once a year. (Dispenser name) is available on (Day/Time), I can book that appointment for you now and you can collect your complimentary bottle of Earol at your appointment.”

If patient says they can get tested with their existing company “That’s fine, we know that we do a number of tests that other companies don’t do, the important thing is that you do have regular hearing tests.”

The ECPs have already been briefed about support, have been asked to ensure they annotate DM with information about the conversation they had relating to support. I have included what they currently say below and will reiterate this again with them next week.

“Experience has shown, Mr Jones, that we get far more information if those closest to the patient also attends, in addition we need a familiar voice as part of the test. When can you and your spouse make it?”

Patient says they can’t bring someone: ““Because this will give our dispenser invaluable information, he or she will reschedule but I will book it and ask him/her to ring you.”

Pulse 2023

On 7th February 2023, you will receive an email invitation from Gallup with the information you need to take an employee engagement survey (Pulse).

• The survey will be available online

• It will take five to ten minutes to complete.

• Employee engagement is measured by responses employees give to each of the 12 items on a five-point scale, where 1 is “strongly disagree” and 5 is “strongly agree.”

• Your opinion is valued. It is also secure.

• Results will be reported for each workgroup, and individual results will not be shared.

If you are new to the organisation, i.e. have joined since February 2022, you will shortly be invited to a short Teams session where we will give you more information about Pulse and its importance. Your management team will have also talked to you about Pulse at the Area Meeting and you will also have seen the video on the link below:

Every employee contributes to the team’s and organisation’s engagement. Your opinions and participation in the survey are vital. The engagement data help provide a focus for working to improve engagement.

How Pulse works

To grow, advance and provide the services our customers expect, we need people engaged and working together, with each person using his or her strengths to complement one another. Our ability to achieve excellence and get the most out of our potential as an organisation connects to the extent to which we build and nurture an environment of collaboration and engagement

Our goal as an organisation is to foster a working environment that:

• enables consistent levels of high performance

• is innovative and drives efficiency

• intentionally works to build supportive relationships

• values and focuses on creating engaging, productive and thriving teams

The process of managing and improving the workplace is challenging, but we are committed to it and to making employee engagement a priority.

We place our and our customers at the heart of everything we do employees

We define engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and who contribute to their organisation in a positive manner. Engaged employees believe that their basic workplace needs are met and that they have a chance to contribute, experience a sense of belonging and enjoy opportunities to learn and grow. Think of employee engagement as an unwritten social contract among employee, team and employer.

So how do we measure employee engagement at Hidden Hearing?

To help us measure the state of our work environment and teams, Demant have partnered with Gallup. Gallup researchers examined employees’ productive motivations on the job to aid in building a measurement tool that would help high-performance managers. The intent behind Gallup’s initial research was to determine what high-performing teams do differently and to identify what in the workplace links to business outcomes. Gallup’s initial study included one million employee and manager interviews in its database and hundreds of questions. Gallup has now studied more than 25 million responses to these questions in 195 countries and 70 languages.

These items are:

• backed by rigorous science

• linked to integral business performance outcomes

• actionable at the local level.

• First, they were looking for evidence to explain why some teams were high performing and others were not.

• Second, they were looking for items that linked directly to key performance indicators or business outcomes.

• Third, they were looking for items that were actionable at the local level. The goal was to find what really mattered to employees and teams and determine what employees, managers and teams could control.

The research revealed 12 elements that fit these criteria – behind each of the 12 items lies a fundamental element that employees and teams need to be successful.

What the 12 elements of engagement tell us is that employees need focus, they need to be free from stress by having the right materials and equipment to do their jobs, they want to be cared about as people, and they want to be valued, appreciated, heard, trusted, and challenged.

See overleaf for a brief guide to the 12 Elements of Engagement

Gallup researchers identified three criteria when testing the items:

A Guide to The 12 Elements of Engagement

Q1: I know what is expected of me at work

Clarity of expectations – perhaps the most basic of employee needs in the workplace

– is critical to performance. “Knowing what’s expected” is more than a job description. It is a detailed understanding of how each employee’s activities relate to what everyone else is asked to do, and how those expectations change when circumstances change.

Q2: I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right

When managers ask employees to accomplish a goal but do not provide them with the necessary resources, credibility is lost. Great managers identify the needs of each person in relation to the outcomes they are attempting to achieve, and then postition resources accordingly. One of the strongest predictors of customer engagement, this element also predicts employee retention, safety and productivity.

Q3: At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day

The most powerful benefit a manager can provide is to place his or her employees in jobs that allow them to use the best of their natural selves – their talents – as well as their skills and knowledge in order to build and apply strengths.

Q4: In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work

The key to effective recognition is that it is honest and based on outcomes that are measureable. The answer to “How much recognition?” is once

every seven days. Succeeding in this element is about creating a culture of appreciation. All team members, supervisors and leaders should be involved in and responsible for this. Employees who do not feel adequately recognised are twice as likely to say they will leave their company in the next year.

Q5: My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person

A productive workplace is one in which people feel safe – safe enough to experiment, to challenge, to share information and to support each other, and in which team members are prepared to give the manager and the organisation the “benefit of the doubt.” None of this can happen if team members do not feel cared about. Relationships are the glue that holds great workplaces together.

Q6: There is someone at work who encourages my development

In the case of this element, “development” does not mean “promotion.” Encouraging development starts with an understanding of an employee’s unique combination of skills, knowledge and talents, and it requires commitment – from both the manager and the employee.

Q7: At work, my opinions seem to count Gallup’s extensive research of successful workgroups has found no significant relationship between compensation and employee engagement or productivity. However, having employees feel that their “opinions count” does correlate to these outcomes. Managers who

value an individual’s opinion will benefit more than managers who establish a salary or “price” relationship between an employee and the organisation. Team members who give this item high scores feel they have access to channels of communication across different levels or divisions of the organisation, and their managers work to maintain those channels.

Q8: The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important

Employees want to believe in what their organisation strives to accomplish. This element measures how well an individual identifies with his or her company’s mission. Excellence occurs when people are deeply attached to a sense of purpose in their lives. This element focuses on maximising individual and group contributions by appealing to employees’ larger sense of purpose and mission.

Q9: My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work

This element involves a keen awareness of work standards and of team members’ performance. However, adherence to high standards cannot be forced; it must be developed and arranged by a talented manager. The best managers foster in their teams an environment of honest and complete communication, an understanding of each other’s work and respect for each other’s efforts and results.

Q10: I have a best friend at work Gallup’s research indicates that workpplaces in which employees report having a “best friend”

are safer and more efficient than workplaces with fewer best friends. People would rather build bridges than walls around themselves. This element deals with optimising group contributions by enhancing the quality of relationships between employees in the workplace, in turn nurturing trust and emotional loyalty.

Q11: In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress Formal performance appraisals and progress discussions are related, but not synonymous. What is important to employees and to the business is that employees understand how they are doing and where their work is leading. In some ways, this element is a long-term complement to the fourth element of engagement, which focuses on more immediate “recognition and praise.” When both the manager and the employee truly excel, they can work together to position the employee to make his or her greatest contribution to the organisation.

Q12: This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow The need to learn and grow is a natural human instinct. This element measures the degree to which an employee feels he or she is given learning and growth opportunities, such as more efficient ways to do his or her job. The best managers know an organisation’s growth depends on employees’ capacity to learn. The best teams are never quite satisfied with current ways of doing things. They always strive to find better, more efficient and more innovative ways to work.

EuroTrak Survey Results

BIHIMA has announced the results

of its EuroTrak survey into hearing aid use, which it publishes every three to four years.

In the report, 95% of hearing aid users responding to the survey said their device improved their quality of life at home and work (at least some of the time), and 66% of respondents wished they’d acted sooner to address their hearing problems.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the findings:

of hearing aid owners say their hearing aid works as well as or better than expected.

of hearing aid owners who are in work state that their hearing aids are useful for their job.

Question example:

[Hearing aid owners, with their first hearing aid] Thinking back to before you acquired your first hearing aid, how many years had passed since you became aware of your hearing loss until you acquired a hearing aid?

Click for the full report

of the hearing aids owned by the survey respondents were acquired in 2019 or later.

Hearing aid owners have a lower risk of being depressed compared to impaired non-owners with comparable hearing loss.

Remote fitting

of hearing aid owners have already used remote fitting

have at least heard of it

have never heard of it

Helpful HR Webinars

During 2022, we ran three webinars for employees:

1. Cost of Living

2. Over 50s Financial Education

3. Why menopause matters in the workplace

All three webinars were very well attended, and the feedback was excellent. The links to the first two webinars are available on Connect, so if you missed them or fancy refreshing your memory, please access them. Due to the more sensitive nature of the third webinar, we decided not to record it and will be running it again soon for those of you on the waiting list.

We would like to run further webinars in 2023 and would like to hear from you on topics you would be interested in exploring further. Please email Jacquie at JQHR@hiddenhearing.co.uk with your suggestions.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIFEWORKS

Don’t forget that all Hidden Hearing employees have access to LifeWorks, who have some great articles, videos, podcasts, toolkits and audio tips. Here is a selection of the podcasts that are currently available:

LIFE

BEING A STRAIGHT ALLY

Maybe the world from an LGBTQ+ point of view is an unknown for you, and you want to hear a witness account from someone smart and sympathetic. Manny Fuentes patiently answers questions here in this entertaining and engaging interview.

35 mins

Username: hiddenhearing

Password: lifeworks

For confidential advice and support, contact us on: 0800 169 1920

FINDING A NEW FAITH COMMUNITY IN A NEW AREA

Finding a New Faith Community in a New Area –Client care consultant Trudy Cretsinger talks about the challenges of finding and settling into a new faith group when moving to a new area. 7 mins Find

HOW EMPATHY HELPS SOCIAL JUSTICE: PROMOTING ANTI-RACISM AND INTERSECTIONALITY

Learning how social categories are intertwined can help us have more empathy for those that have different experiences.

12 mins

NEURODIVERSITY: UNLOCK THE POWER

Learn about how to thrive with neurodiversity. 15 mins

MONEY WORK

THE EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR END OF LIFE

Melanie Hardie is a certified financial planner, and an accredited financial counsellor at LifeWorks. She talks about why many of us avoid the subject of money with our loved ones, and how we can get started.

8 mins

Find out more

HEALTH

EATING WELL: PLANNING HEALTHY MEALS

Master Certified Health Education Specialist Wendy McLaughlin answers six questions on how you can plan healthy meals even while facing difficult circumstances.

6 parts Find out more

HOW CAN YOU REGAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE AFTER HARSH CRITICISM AT WORK?

Trudy Cretsinger talks about how you can avoid letting critical remarks shake your confidence.

Find out more

HOW RAISING OUR AWARENESS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY CREATES A THRIVING WORKPLACE

Content marketing manager Ryan Connelly talks about how useful it is to become more perceptive to raise our awareness of LGBTQ+ matters.

30 mins

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CAREER

Client care counsellor Ratina Rich talks about the kind of help that’s available for anybody that is looking to develop their careers. 12 mins

Find out more Find out more

MENTAL HEALTH

DEALING WITH ANXIETY

This podcast sets out the common causes and forms of anxiety, and the treatments available. 5 mins

DEPRESSION

The common forms of depression, and the successful treatments that are available to tackle the condition.

8 mins

FIVE TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS

This short podcast explains some easy techniques to reduce stress.

5 mins

GETTING HELP FOR PROBLEM GAMBLING

Robby Fuqua talks about the similarities there are in people with behavioural and substance addictions, and the strategies there are to help them.

1 hour

Username: hiddenhearing

Password: lifeworks

For confidential advice and support, contact us on: 0800 169 1920

HELPING CHILDREN BUILD A POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE

Jaime Creeth looks at how parents and guardians can help children build a positive self-image. 20 mins

INCORPORATING CALMNESS INTO EVERYDAY LIFE

How to access peace of mind wherever you are. 18 mins

QUICK TIPS FOR COPING WITH ANXIETY

A short podcast setting out some easy techniques to reduce anxiety. 3 mins

SOCIAL MEDIA AND WELLBEING

A series where Dr Ysabel talks about how we can benefit the most from social media and avoid the harm it can cause.

11 parts

Find out more

SUPPORTING SOMEBODY LIVING WITH A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE

Clinical director Patrick Williams talks about how we can help somebody close to us who we suspect may be dealing with a mental health issue.

5 mins

Find out more

OTHER TOOLKITS THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON LIFEWORKS

Bringing up a child with special needs

Keeping kids safe online

Working parents

Chronic pain

Health & wellbeing

Mental health

Sleep health

Change and resilience

Carers

New baby or adoption

Addiction and recovery

Covid

Depression

Managing a health condition

Neurodiversity

Stress management

Midlife and retirement

Divorce

Grief and loss

Relationship changes

Anxiety

Burnout

Eating disorders

Managing menopause

New normal after the pandemic

Suicide prevention

Becoming you

Mindfulness

Our Values

This newsletter will continue to be published quarterly which gives us four editions in 2023! As we have four values, we thought it’d be a great opportunity to feature one of the values in each of the editions.

Our culture and the ‘way we do things at Hidden Hearing’ are best described through our shared values. All employees attend a session to explore how we live these values in Hidden Hearing and how these values are enacted in the daily working lives of our employees.

Trust is the first of the values we are going to feature and is in fact the foundation of the rest of the values and everything that we do.

So what do we mean by trust?

Trust in the workplace means employees enjoy a culture of honesty, psychological safety, and mutual respect. They’re proud of where they work and are more willing to go above and beyond for the organisation.

Trust in the workplace also helps employees feel secure in their jobs and, in turn, reduces turnover.

Without trust it would be very difficult to see any of the other values i.e. a can-do attitude, innovative solutions and teamwork.

There are many words and phrases that we associate with trust, here are a few examples:

• reliability

• to place confidence in

• to be able to depend upon

• to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of: BELIEVE

• to hope or expect confidently

• to commit or place in one’s care or keeping: ENTRUST

Trust isn’t just a nice thing to have in a team or working relationship, it is central to effective organisational performance.

So what happens when trust breaks down? Low trust teams tend to:

• fall apart when faced with a challenge or difficulty

• be unwilling to freely and candidly share views

• Engage in gossip; cliques and factions form

• respond poorly to change

• not take innovative risks

• avoid any form of conflict

• treat communication as a low priority

• not share a common vision and lack alignment on the team’s mission.

Without trust it would be very difficult to see any of the other values i.e. a can-do attitude, innovative solutions and teamwork.

Trust doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s part of a relationship-orientated culture. It comes from creating opportunities to meet informally and regularly, and from having open and honest dialogue. It also comes from having regular and consistent communication and standards, having the backs of your teammates, trusting others and tackling difficult topics.

A high-trust team is critical to productivity, performance and effectiveness within an organisation. Teams high in trust are flexible and resilient in the face of controversy and challenge because the members support each other and openly share their ideas, concerns, and beliefs in order to achieve the best possible outcome for the team. They know each other’s capabilities and count on each other to deliver. Agreements in the room are genuine and openly supported and acted upon by the team members.

“I was recently involved in a customer complaint that had been going on for some time. By listening to everything that had happened and finding out more, I was able to build up trust with the customer so that I could help them to get their problems resolved. We got the problem sorted and kept the customer which wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t got them to trust me.”

“We have to have trust in our customers as much as they have to trust in us – we are in their homes and need to be able to trust that they will do the right thing by us as well as us doing the right thing by them.”

“On my first day in branch, I was given a set of keys for the building which made me feel trusted. I didn’t expect that to happen so quickly.”

“I felt trusted from day one. I walked away from my first few days at Hidden Hearing with thousands of pounds of IT kit, test equipment and a new car! I know these are the things I need to do my job, but I felt the company showed trust in me right from the beginning.”

“There is a high level of trust within our team –recently one of my colleagues did a fitting for me when I was unable to, I knew that I could trust them to do the job exactly as if I were doing it.”

“The most important thing is to do what you say you will do. I’ve found that even if I can’t solve a problem calling the customer back when I said I would (even if I have no news for them) means they trust that I am working on their problem for them.”

And a lovely letter from the grateful family of a customer:

“Dear Hidden Hearing,

I just wanted to take the time to personally bring to your attention one of your employees. Mr Nicolo Grano, he has recently attended to my mum at home testing her hearing and providing her with new aids.

My mum is 91 and suffers with dementia, his approach towards her was amazing. He has a very caring attitude along with empathy for my mum’s problems. He spent a long time testing her hearing and explaining to me and my brother why her existing hearing aid was no longer fit for purpose. Nicolo offered a range of alternatives; at no time did he pressure my mum or us into accepting a more expensive item just for the sake of a sale. The solution he suggested and recommended has transformed my mum’s hearing.

This has all been achieved within a week of his first appointment which is incredible service. The difference made to my mum and her ability to engage with her family is just amazing and wonderful.

He really does your company a great credit and it’s a big reassurance to older customers to have such a friendly caring person come visit them, I will certainly be telling my friends in similar circumstances about the great service from Hidden Hearing and in particular Nicolo.”

In the Q2 edition, we will feature the value ‘Teamwork’ and we would love to hear from you with examples of great teamwork in Hidden Hearing. If you have a good example, please share it with me: jqhr@hiddenhearing.co.uk.

Here are some comments from our employees about how they see the value of trust enacted on a daily basis at Hidden Hearing:

HR Team – who’s who?

We want to give you more insight into the hard work that each individual department and team do across the company. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand exactly what other departments do on a day-to-day basis.

This month, we’re focusing on the HR Team.

JACQUIE HARRIS

HEAD OF HR

How long I have been working at HH: 4 years.

About me: I like all things musical – listening to it, playing it, singing along to it (albeit badly!) and attending gigs/concerts. I also love looking after my grandson, Freddie, and walking my puppy, Humphrey!

What I do: I lead the HR team in the delivery of Group and UK ‘Best Practice’, balancing support with compliance, maximising employee satisfaction, increasing performance and morale, while minimising churn, in a way that is consistent with the brand and ‘employer of choice’ standing.

How I can help: I am very fortunate to be supported by an excellent team, who are based either at Support Centre or in the areas within which they work. After your line manager, they are your next point of contact. Having said that, I am always happy to hear from you with suggestions or queries relating to your employment or the employee experience at Hidden Hearing.

How to contact me: Give me a call on 07971133403 or alternatively email me at JQHR@hiddenhearing.co.uk

DANNI RANDALL

HR COORDINATOR

How long I have been working at HH: 2 years, 2 months.

About me: I’m a crazy cat lady! I also love F1, music (especially my beloved Foo Fighters!), crafts and gardening. I’m usually found wearing a dress to match the season/occasion, especially at Halloween or Christmas…

What I do: I organise the inductions for our new starters, work with Stacey to onboard and offboard colleagues and process amendments to contracts, reporting, compliance (DBS, Right to Work and referencing as well as HCPC and BSHAA), prep and support for Pulse and Development Dialogue projects (within the team and with our Danish/Global colleagues), process improvement, HR system maintenance and general HR queries and support.

How I can help: If you have any queries (about the above), then please get in touch and I will do my best to support or will find someone that can!!

How to contact me: HR@hiddenhearing.co.uk

STACEY FORDHAM

HR ADMINISTRATOR

How long I have been working at HH: 5 months.

About me: I am married to a very lucky man (I remind him often!) with two children, two cats and a grumpy tortoise! Outside of work, I am mostly mum’s taxi but as a family we enjoy film nights and going camping.

What I do: Onboarding of new starters joining HH, offboarding leavers, amendments to contracts, DBS applications, general HR support to the team.

How I can help: Anything relating to new starters or leavers, help with DBS applications, general HR queries – I can always point you in the right direction.

How to contact me: HR@hiddenhearing.co.uk

ROSA ROBB

HRBP SE AND S&W

How long I have been working at HH: 8 months.

About me: I live with my husband Dan and daughter Sophia in Berkshire. I am a Teapigs fanatic, and in my spare time I enjoy listening to indie music and being with my playful 7-year-old Maine Coon cat, Betsy Blue.

What I do: I support managers with workforce planning, recruitment and performance management/development, and employees across the southern region with general HR enquiries relating to their employment and wellbeing e.g. contract changes, wellbeing, sickness etc.

How to contact me: RSRB@hiddenhearing.co.uk

MARK GREEN HRBP ANGLIA AND SCOTLAND AND TELE-APPOINTING TEAMS

How long I have been working at HH: 3 years.

About me: I enjoy watching football and am a Nottingham Forest supporter. I play golf (poorly!) and enjoy DIY projects and car maintenance.

What I do: I provide regional HR support to the Anglia, Scotland and Tele-appointing teams. It’s a varied role with focus on recruitment, absence management, data analysis and general employee relations work.

How I can help: It’s my role to advise local management teams, as well as all employees, on anything they need support with and to ensure we operate in a fair and consistent way.

How to contact me: MRNG@hiddenhearing.co.uk

SARAH PARSONAGE

HRBP FOR NORTH EAST, NORTH WEST AND LEEDS/DUNDEE TAs

How long I have been working at HH: 3 years.

About me: I’m a family person – mum of twin boys. Big fan of my cat, Simba. Busy life, love cooking, shopping, football (watching it not playing it), socialising and a good chat (my colleagues say I talk a lot).

What I do: The HRBP team are responsible for advice and support for all HR matters – from the moment someone applies to join HH to the moment they leave.

How I can help: Advice and guidance on employment, wellbeing support, the list is quite long. Always happy to help.

How to contact me: You can reach me on email here: SAPG@hiddenhearing.co.uk, Teams chat or call me.

VICKY REDFERN RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR

How long I have been working at HH: 1 year, 2 months.

About me: I am dog obsessed, my hobby is walking my dog Bruno and taking him to different types of training classes. This year, I moved into my first home which was a massive achievement. I love going out for dinner and going on a good shopping trip! I also discovered this year I am very competitive when it comes to a game of mini golf with the HR team!

What I do: I support the business with all things recruitment. Filling all job roles across the business from supporting the team with dispenser recruitment to branch coordinators, tele-appointers and any roles at the Support Centre. I create job adverts, shortlist candidates, arrange interviews and the best part is making the job offer to candidates to join Hidden Hearing.

JUDI ARNOLD HR BUSINESS ADVISOR

How long I have been working at HH: 4.5 years.

About me: Keen on the outdoors, often found walking the muddy woods with a range of dogs. Love the sun and the snow (not keen on the weathers in between!).

What I do: Essentially, I support the managers and staff at Support Centre with a wide range of ‘people’ things. That includes recruitment, induction, performance management, sickness absence management, maternity leave, paternity leave… I’m also involved in some of the training that goes on across Hidden Hearing, building e-learning, delivering sessions like Meet Your Colleagues and Company Values and I am one of the Insights practitioners.

How to contact me: JDAR@hiddenhearing.co.uk, 07583105616, Teams chat, or pop by the 3rd floor in Support Centre.

Dry January

Six strategies to tackle the month

Click

In January 2022, Insider health correspondent Anna Medaris traded high ABV beers for surprisingly satisfying alcohol-free substitutes.

Read her journey via the link above.

I tried Dry January for the first time last year. I didn’t drink for 30 days straight for the first time in years thanks to these 6 strategies.

by Anna Medaris

After a decade of frequent drinking, I finally decided to commit to Dry January in 2022. I wanted to interrupt my near-daily beer habit, sleep better, lose bloat, improve my workouts, wake up fresh, and just conquer a new challenge.

I succeeded, but my success wasn’t down to luck or grit or stellar self-control. I credit it to the systems I had in place before I began. Here’s my advice for first-time teetotallers in 2023.

Identify your why – what’s your motivation?

Find a community – don’t do it alone, there’s plenty of support online

Be vocal about your commitment – tell friends and family you’re doing Dry January

Try out alternatives – try no-alcohol alternatives

Be patient as your body adjusts – depending how much you normally drink, you may find changes to your sleep pattern, feel hungry, be cranky or sad, you may even gain weight.

Don’t let a slip-up derail your entire month – so if you do slip up get curious, not judge-y. What triggered you to drink? Did it feel and taste as good as you anticipated? Was it worth it the next day? Journal about it and make a more informed decision next time.

Trustpilot wall of praise

In August, our Trustpilot hit 4.8 out of 5 for the first which is a fantastic testament to the service we provide. However, our rating is currently flicking between 4.7 so please do encourage happy customers to leave

Here are some of the reviews from very satisfied customers:

The staff at Hidden Hearing are always very helpful and kind.

I was very impressed by the meeting I had with Michelle Penna. I am currently trying out new hearing aids and Michelle actually visited my house to adjust the aids. A first-class service.

I saw Linda in Bromley and she clearly loves her job and is very good at it! She was enthusiastic, very professional, explaining everything, and gentle with the procedure too. Thanks!

Tahmina is skilled and talented, a highly efficient service. Excellent.

praise

time, provide.

4.7 and 4.8 leave a review!

customers:

Rated ‘Excellent’

Chris Morgan your hearing dispenser is a very helpful man to deal with, friendly, and makes you feel at ease from start to finish. Thank you all very much.

Excellent service and attention to client detail from Pamela at the Finchley branch.

skilled talented, providing efficient Excellent.

Shaun the audiologist was superb, very caring and knowledgeable.

I was extremely nervous for this appointment as I am with all medical appointments but luckily, I had the lovely Diane Dorr who was just great! Couldn’t recommend her more!

Support Centre at Christmas