We spend around 20% of our lives at work and so it makes sense to try and make that time enjoyable, challenging and rewarding. The key to any successful culture is trust — at Shaping Cloud we ask our clients and partners to trust us and so it is imperative that we replicate that trust internally. Flexible working policies mean that our people are able to work in the way that best suits them and their own family commitments. When you track progress by outcomes rather than hours at a desk it automatically changes people’s perceptions of work and the role it plays in their lives.

The next big pillar of our culture is honesty — things go wrong, people make mistakes, projects don’t go to plan — what’s important is how you respond. At Shaping Cloud we don’t hide from mistakes or failures, we embrace them. So much so, that we have a monthly award for staff called the “Howell-er of the month” named in honour of James Howells who threw away a hard-disk containing millions of pounds worth of bitcoin.

The last and some would say most important aspect of our culture is fun (or the pursuit of happiness). We believe that you can marry expert delivery and professionalism with a sense of enjoyment. Monthly team outings, staff barbecues and company off-sites are there to encourage our team to build the types of genuine friendships from which trust and honesty naturally flow.