How Berwickshire Housing Association strengthened its culture and engagement with employee voice
Berwickshire Housing Association partnered with Hive to amplify employee engagement, foster a thriving culture, and embed core values into everyday operations.
Housing Association
50 - 100 Employees
The overview
Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA) faced a leadership change, and turned to Hive to gather honest feedback through engagement surveys and to embed core values with Hive Fives’ peer-to-peer recognition. This partnership is allowing BHA to make data-driven improvements, strengthen employee trust, boost engagement, and ensure staff feel valued and heard.
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What brought them to Hive
The turning point for BHA came when a new Chief Executive took the helm, and Lynne Bryce, People and Culture Lead at BHA, saw her role in leading people and culture evolve. Chief Executive, Michelle Meldrum, and Lynne knew BHA needed a more strategic focus on people and culture—something more than just HR functions. The goal was simple: create a culture where employees could truly thrive through boosting engagement and collecting their feedback.
In their search for a platform to support this shift, they considered various options but were drawn to Hive because of its people-centric approach and the tools it offered to understand employee feedback at a deeper level. Michelle, the Chief Executive, had heard of Hive through recommendations, which made the decision easier.
“The People Science offering was attractive, and the support with interpreting the results is exactly what we needed. I loved the idea of Hive Fives as a way to reinforce our values.” – Lynne Bryce – People and Culture Lead
Gathering honest feedback and driving change
Before partnering with Hive, BHA lacked a consistent, reliable way to track employee engagement beyond occasional surveys or exit interviews. But with Hive’s engagement surveys, BHA is able to run regular, confidential surveys that give employees a platform to voice their thoughts without fear of repercussions.
“We knew we wanted to get honest feedback—something confidential that would allow people to really speak their minds without worrying about the small size of our organisation,” Lynne said. These surveys have been instrumental in identifying areas where BHA could improve, and the results have led to tangible actions.
The first survey revealed strong scores across the board, but the second survey highlighted areas for improvement – which was exactly what they wanted.
“The lowest scoring questions have really helped us focus on what matters,” Lynne explained. For example, the survey results highlighted a need for greater clarity around roles and processes. In response, BHA revamped its performance management framework to set clearer expectations for staff and began rolling out “toolkits” to provide additional guidance.
While these changes are still being introduced, they’re expected to not only support employees’ growth and confidence but also foster better alignment and efficiency across the organisation over time.
Employees have responded positively to these surveys, with response rates consistently high at over 80% —high engagement for an organisation of BHA’s size. “The high response rate is a testament to the trust our employees have in Hive. They know their voices will be heard.”
They’re also seeing impressive employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS) of +20, indicating strong staff satisfaction and a high likelihood that employees would recommend the organisation as a great place to work.
Getting to the heart of employee sentiment with key drivers
One of the things Berwickshire Housing Association really loved about Hive was the People Science approach.
They used key drivers to understand what was truly driving engagement within their organisation. It wasn’t just about looking at the survey scores; it was about digging deeper into the reasons behind them. “What we really appreciated was being able to see the why behind the numbers,” Lynne said. This approach helped BHA focus on the key issues and themes that were most impactful to their staff, ensuring they addressed the factors that mattered most for engagement.
A big part of that was the support they received from Georgie, Lead People Scientist at Hive. “Georgie is fabulous. She gave us clarity on what our survey data was actually telling us.” Thanks to Georgie’s insights, BHA was able to address key concerns and make meaningful changes to improve trust and communication within the team.
Reinforcing core values through peer recognition
A key feature that resonated deeply with Lynne was Hive Fives, a peer-to-peer recognition tool that helped BHA embed their newly refreshed values across the organisation.
“It fills my heart with joy reading through Hive Fives. Seeing everyone supporting each other and living our values—it’s just amazing.”
The simple yet powerful action of giving a Hive Five, where employees select a value when recognising a colleague, has become a central part of BHA’s culture. In just over a year since launch, over 2,000 Hive Fives have been exchanged among BHA’s 52 employees.
The frequency and enthusiasm for these recognitions show how deeply the values are now embedded in the daily work of every team member. “When giving a Hive Five, employees have to choose a value—it helps everyone really connect with our core principles,” Lynne explained.
The success of Hive Fives has allowed employees to celebrate each other’s contributions and stay focused on BHA’s core mission. “It’s been incredible to see how much people have embraced it. It’s helping motivate people. Employees are now using their Fridays to reflect on their week and send Hive Fives to colleagues who have supported them.”
Looking ahead
With Hive’s engagement surveys and Hive Fives, BHA has been able to make data-driven improvements and empower employees to actively live out the organisation’s values. The platform has become a trusted tool for understanding employee sentiment and guiding decision-making.
Lynne sees Hive as an essential partner for the future: “I would hate to change now. Hive is the right platform for us. We’ve had such a positive experience, and our people trust it.” With ongoing support from Hive, BHA plans to continue its focus on employee engagement and values, using the insights from Hive to stay aligned with its mission and attract top talent.
Who is Berwickshire Housing Association
Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA) is a Scottish charity and social housing provider based in the Scottish Borders. They offer affordable homes, manage repairs, and provide various community services, such as support for independent living. They focus on engaging with residents, improving living conditions, and enhancing the local community through initiatives like their BeFriend service and development projects.
