One of the great things about the NAO is that ideas are encouraged. Employees at every level are given a forum on which to put forth ideas and have them subjected to constructive criticism from colleagues. Eventually they will be read by the Leadership Team who will then decide whether to reject the idea, accept or park it (i.e. pick up at a later date). Regardless of their decision, the Leadership Team will always provide an explanation.Ideas can actually be whatever you want and they range quite considerably in terms of topic and impact on the office. The fact that the NAO gives us this opportunity to contribute and lead innovation is unique I feel, and is really indicative of how one’s position in the organisation does not limit what one can do.
A few notable ideas that have met with approval include:
- More Power to Bloomberg
The Bloomberg idea was a request to add Bloomberg software on to our newer, faster and more powerful computers. The increased speed in terms of start and load times increased efficiency, and the idea has really helped the office work faster. - Use of Two Railcards
The railcard idea provoked lots of interesting debate, and its acceptance means that colleagues are now able to make use of the Two Together railcards. This has effectively allowed colleagues who travel together frequently to reduce their train journey costs by 1/3 – a huge saving and very apt for an organisation that prides itself on value for money.
As can be seen these ideas have really helped the office become more efficient, but not all of the ideas must necessarily have that end. A recent idea was to have Casual Fridays whereby we can dress up less formally at the end of the week. The idea got a really good reception with the result that I am typing this in my corduroys and polo shirt (while sipping a latte).
Overall the ideas forum has worked really well and I have been very fortunate to have seen many changes in the office which came from the forum. Talk of sports days for the office and access to live streams of interesting talks (NAO TV) have already sparked lots of debate and I for one will be very interested to see what happens. For now though, back to my latte before it gets cold!
Apply now – applications close 31 March
If you want to apply for our 2015 graduate training scheme, you can still do so until Tuesday, 31 March 2015. Head over to our graduate recruitment site for further information.
If you’ve got any questions around the application process, please leave a comment below. You can also contact our recruitment team by email, via our Facebook page, or on Twitter.