Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Is Norwich a Happy City to Live and Work in?
A recent study by business psychologists found out that out of the whole of the UK, Norwich has the happiest employees.
The findings indicated that 77% of workers claimed to be satisfied in their employment. Personally, I don't think this comes as a surprise to the lucky residents of Norwich. The city has a relaxed, friendly vibe where people make time to stop for a chat, smile and seem quite content.
So what makes Norwich such a great place to work and why are employees happier in Norwich than anywhere else?
Lifestyle
Consider a considerably easier commute to work, through beautiful countryside and historic market towns, a range of leisure activities on your doorstep including stunning beaches, karting, horse and greyhound racing, water sports from yachting to rowing and housing costs which are well below the average – whether you decide to rent or buy. Norfolk has a beautiful coastline. From the cliff-lined beaches at Mundesley that are a haven for holiday makers to Hunstanton where you can watch the sunset over the sea. If you fancy the fun of the seaside, Great Yarmouth has plenty to offer like arcades, fun fairs and places to eat. Whichever part of Norfolk's coast you choose to walk along, you'll be treated to fantastic scenery, a taste of Norfolk life and plenty of wildlife. Also if you're a lover of heritage and culture, then Norwich has plenty of that too. For those of you who fancy a touch of culture, visit Norwich's Castle Museum or spend the day learning about local life throughout history at Stranger's Hall. If you're into art, take a visit to the Sainsbury's Centre where you'll find work by Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso and more. Nightlife in Norwich is also very varied, catch up with friends over a glass of whisky at The Ten Bells, try your hand at Karaoke at Bar X, get nostalgic with 90s tunes at The Waterfront or go for some cocktails at Gonzo's Tea Room.
Economy
Businesses across the region are benefiting from strong economic growth, which has delivered low unemployment. The latest research shows Norwich's economy performing better than the UK's key city-regions. Norfolk is also where many major private sector companies are based. Aviva has been here for over 200 years – this has led to large financial institutions developing a major presence in Norfolk including Marsh and Alan Boswell. Other premier brands based here include:
Abbot Fox is a young, fast-growing estate agency who likes to do things a bit differently. Their employees are motivated to make things happen for you, whether you're buying or selling. They offer helpful extras like free rides to viewings, longer opening hours, after-sales support and more. In just two years they've become the largest independent estate agent in the city and the second largest overall, simply by working hard, keeping their promises and winning valuable referrals from satisfied customers.
Thyngs are a company that connect everyday physical objects with digital services, easily accessed through a mobile device. Thyngs believe that physical, real world experiences are more exciting, rewarding and memorable than digital ones. Thyngs exists to make your real world experiences even better by seamlessly connecting them to your digital mobile life. Their aim is to make it easy for organisations to create digital and physical experiences for their users. It can be used by charities, small businesses, venue owners, shops, cafes, bars, and even marketing agencies. Founder and CEO of Thyngs, Neil Garner had the revelation that any physical object can become a Thyng – it just needs a Thyngs stycker to transform it.
Epos Now is an internet-based software provider specialising in the design and manufacture of EPOS, which encompasses features including reporting, stock control and customer relationship management for retail and hospitality businesses. Epos Now software can be operated from any device or platform with a web browser or by purchasing their IOS or Android app. Epos Now is the UK'S 13th fastest growing technology company and the fastest growing EPOS company in the UK.
Education
Norfolk is lucky to have not one but two universities. The Norwich University of the Arts specialises in design, arts, architecture and multimedia skills and has a growing reputation particularly in digital creativity. The University of East Anglia is rated amongst one of the best in the country and is world famous for its creative writing courses – and one of the many reasons Norwich is a UNESCO City of Literature. The UEA also has an excellent reputation in the global science community for its environmental research.
Better Connected
Norwich International Airport provides a gateway to Europe and the rest of the world via daily flights to Amsterdam, plus daily internal flights to Edinburgh, Manchester and Dublin. Rail travel around the UK is also easy, Norwich to London in as little as 1 hour and 40 minutes, Cambridge in under an hour and also direct train links to the Midlands.
Booming Digital Sector
Norwich has always enjoyed a spot of networking, but over the years there's been a big growth in new technology companies; the recent Tech Nation study stated a 21% growth between 2010 and 2014, and the digital businesses contribute £150m to the UK's economy. Some well-known digital networks in Norwich include SyncNorwich, SnycDevelopHER and Norfolk Developers. Norwich is also the home of #DigitalCity which exists to connect young people, students and parents to exciting digital businesses in their local area for the purpose of sharing ideas, knowledge and opportunities.
Norwich is also buzzing with Youtubers, including the famous Tanya Burr and Jim Chapman now married. Sam Chapman and Nicola Haste, better known as the Pixiwoos with their makeup tutorials. The duo who call themselves The Lean Machines post exercise, diet and lifestyle videos which are watched by nearly 300,000 subscribers and have been viewed over 15 million times. Beauty and lifestyle blogger Helen Anderson runs two YouTube channels with combined views of more than 50 million. Lucy and Lydia Connell are identical twins, and together they have amassed over 250,000 subscribers on YouTube. Jack Dean aka Jaack Maate is a Norwich-born comedian whose full-time job is making people laugh via YouTube videos. Also, Carly Rowena who is a personal trainer and fitness blogger and vlogger from Norwich who has earned over 330,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.
Growing up in Norwich may have made me biased, but the city is wonderful. Every corner of Norwich has its own character and charm, the people are friendly, the landscapes spectacular and you'll be hard pushed to find a nicer place.
There are many good things about working in Norwich; it's understandable why employees are happier here than anywhere else in the UK.
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Kyria Bush Jobhop.co.uk
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