FATHER’S DAY 2023

“I’ve been broody for as long as I can remember, so finding out we were expecting, just over a year ago, was one of the most grounding and beautiful experiences of my life. At the time, I was self-employed. Both my partner and I realised that this would potentially cause added stress and financial uncertainty at a time when all we wanted to do was focus on our growing family.

STR Group had been on my radar for many years, as I had watched one of my best friends develop his career here and constantly sing its praises. A position came up at the perfect time, and I was ushered in for an interview.

Amelie arrived no more than a month after I started at STR, so I was still in my probation period and did not qualify for the amazing paternity package they offer. However, I was gifted extra paternity days, a gesture that I can’t thank them enough for, allowing me to spend those precious first days completely absorbed in the joys of becoming a father. They also sent a beautiful hamper; it was totally unexpected and felt so welcoming and thoughtful.

Thank you STR Group!”

“Being a Dad is the most important part of my life. My daughter means the world to me and she makes me so proud with the beautiful person she is growing up to be. My daughter was born within my first year of joining STR and although it was planned, it still happened a lot sooner than we expected! Right from the very start of my journey as a new parent, STR were always extremely supportive. We received a gift from the team to say congratulations and I recall getting some “new baby” tips from one of the owners when I brought my daughter in to meet the office! That just sums up the family vibe that you get when working at STR. The first couple of years as a parent can be really challenging when balancing a new job and spending time with a young family, it’s fantastic to see that since I have joined, STR has recognised this and now offers fantastic paternity benefits to supports dads as well mums after the birth of their children.

Fast forward and my daughter is now 9 years old, and I love that fact that STR allows me to be able to flex my work around important commitments to her, so that I can always be present for anything from a hospital appointment, to cheering her on at sports day or watching her Christmas nativity. Every parent wants to provide the very best for their children and a career at STR lets me feel in control of my own success and my earning potential to ensure that she never goes without!”

“Being a Dad is very special to me. My kids are my everything and my legacy. STR have enabled me to change my families’ circumstances, while carving a career in my chosen industry. The flexible working hours and working from home, gave me enough flexibility to ensure both my family and work received the attention they both require.

Nearly ten years on and I have the opportunity to relocate my family to Michigan and open up a whole new world of opportunities for the business and my children. Two things that changed my life forever; my children and STR.”

Being a Dad of 3 (with a bit of an age gap), I have teens and a young one at home which requires different needs! Whether that is being a taxi, Lego builder or “Daddy day care”…the flexibility we get at STR means that I can fulfil my Dad duties.

“When my older 2 were younger 12-15 years ago, I struggled to get out of the office to see the key school activities and rarely done the school run as flexibility wasn’t a word used back then. Now I take my youngest to school 2 days a week (which I love) and the flex is there for me to get to the key school activities, college open days (and even a University visit this year) so I don’t miss anything. On top of this is my football coaching which STR have always been brilliant with, so I finish slightly early on a Wednesday to train my football teams in the late afternoon and evenings…a great work life balance and one that I will always be grateful for at STR! Plus, the Summer trading hours finishing early on a Friday in the summer is just the best to take the pressure off the weekend jobs!”

“The biggest positive for me about working at STR as a Dad is the flexibility we enjoy. As part of a Management team where most people have preschool/school age children, there is complete empathy when you need to leave quickly to collect, ferry between places, or deal with the eleventh hour school club cancellation! Everyone is fully supportive and rallies round to cover each other, as we know it will probably be us asking the same favour next week!”

“I’m an extremely proud father of 5! My eldest, the trail-blazer is Yasmin. She’s 25 and our birth child. I also have Faisal (18), Zarah (15), Raif (9) and Noah (7). We adopted our 4 youngest over the last 18 years. Whilst all my children are loved equally, they each have completely different personalities!

I love spending time with them either at football or socially with the older ones. STR has provided me with the opportunity to have a large family and all that comes with it, for example the almost continuous pick-ups and drop-offs – I’m definitely Taxi Dad.

I have the flexibility to be able to spend time with them when they need it, with adoption leave through to hospital and care support provided by STR. This wouldn’t have been available at many other companies. I am thankful to our Board, my business partners, and the team here that make this possible.”

“I have been incredibly surprised at just how generous STR’s paternity cover is! Not only are they giving me an additional 1-week fully paid leave on top of my statutory cover, I am also provided a further 2-weeks fully paid leave to take within the first 12 months of my return to work! With my Fiancée being self-employed, this has given us a huge amount of flexibility and really allowed us to plan ahead!

And if that wasn’t enough, for the first 12 months following the birth, I will be given reduced working hours, allowing me to spend more time with my baby, as well as a ‘baby bonus’, enhancing my monthly pay packets, which will really help minimise any potential financial stress!

Coupled with the flexible working that is already provided and how supported I feel by my Operations Director and the Board, I could not be more thankful!”

Being a dad of two young boys is an exhilarating and sometimes exhausting adventure. The house is always buzzing with energy, curiosity, and a never-ending sense of wonder. It’s a rewarding role to play, teaching them both the importance of life lessons and helping them discover their individual identities. I am beyond proud of my two boys, despite the challenges, my heart is full of immense happiness and a new found sense of purpose.

Working for STR has been massively beneficial throughout this journey, as the business truly understands the challenges a new mother or father faces. They introduced a fantastic baby bonus, which includes receiving a 0-6months gift box, flexible working hours and 12 months of an uplift in pay. This has played a huge part in allowing me to be flexible and available to help my wife throughout, whenever needed. It also means I get to see them grow, develop and hit milestone achievements, which I might have missed without the backing of such a great business.

“As a father of three, being with an employer that supports a great working life balance is imperative. My youngest son, and apple of my eye (until he realises I’m not actually that funny, and decides he’s far too cool to spend time with Dad) is not quite 2 years old. Being able to do drop-offs and pick-ups from nursery every day adds real value to my life and is never an issue due to the culture of the business I’m fortunate enough to be a part of.

As any parent of a young child will know, the regular bugs, temperatures and knocks that they all too regularly get, means that I often need to leave the office early to look after him at home, or simply work from home to support with his care and STR are always completely supportive of this with a real ‘family first’ ethos.  Being a parent can be stressful, so working with a team that understands, recognises and values this dynamic so genuinely makes a world of difference.

In addition, the career opportunities and earning potential of a career in recruitment has enabled me to give all three of my boys the standard of life that I hoped so I am so appreciative of working within this great company.”

“I believe that being a dad is the ultimate privilege that can be bestowed on a man! So when I found out this was going to happen to me for the first time in 2018, I was both thrilled but at the same time nervous. The thought that I was going to have to be responsible for bringing and nurturing a new life into the world was enormous. Fast forward to today, and I am now the proud father of 2 fantastic children.

Working at STR with the benefits in place to support new dads with a generous paternity package. Reduced hours for the first year and flexible working allows me to ensure I can always be around when my children need me the most.

Working at STR has provided me with the opportunity to carve out a successful and lucrative career in recruitment meaning I am able to provide for my children and ensure they never go without.

Thank you STR!”