Case Study Oddballs

Students help OddBalls in top employer mission

OddBalls is a vibrant and distinctive underwear brand located in the North East of England. Louise weeks, a Northumbria University graduate and People & Culture Manager at OddBalls got in touch with the Business Clinic, seeking some support with defining and developing a compelling employer brand strategy, one that would clearly communicate who OddBalls are as an employer, what they stand for, and why talented individuals should want to work with them.

“As a growing business, attracting and retaining the right people is critical. I wanted the strategy to reflect our values, culture and ambitions and to help differentiate us in a really competitive recruitment landscape.”

To gauge current perception of OddBalls, the students conducted two surveys: one to get the views of Oddballs’ employees and another survey of the general adult public. They researched employee benefits currently offered, training and development opportunities, workplace culture and communication strategies.

The students’ recommendations included enhanced pension and sickness packages, additional flexible working times and hybrid working building on the current hybrid model OddBalls already operates (88% of Oddballs staff surveyed said hybrid working is important to them), enhanced holiday allowance and the offer of private healthcare for staff. The menu of options tabled also included training for managers and the recruitment of an external consultant who could support OddBalls with the growth of its team and organisational culture development.

On the communications side of the equation, the students suggested advanced social media and artificial intelligence training for staff, as well as a graduate scheme to attract and retain top talent, e-learning courses to build on existing knowledge and the use of external experts to deliver face-to-face training sessions and tailored, one-to-one support for employees.

Katie Simmonds, Student Project Leader, said: “Getting the employee offering right is critical for a business like OddBalls, which is operating in an ultra-competitive marketplace. It’s a dangerous threat to corporate reputation if you get your offering wrong and you lose talented people to a competitor who’s willing to offer more attractive terms and conditions. Our recommendations are designed to make it easier for OddBalls to attract and retain top talent, improve its reputation and cement its position as a great place to work.”