Welcome to the Vibrant Workplace Blog, the place where you can learn more about Verified Vibrant Workplaces that have proven their people most often:

• Have a Good or Great day at work
• Are Engaged with the work they do
• Think other jobseekers should work there too

This has been evidenced during our 12-week Vibrant Workplace Accelerator – a cultural optimisation programme we created to help companies become the best employers they can be and give confidence to jobseekers in where they’re taking a job.

Importantly, our analysis is backed by facts – coming directly from the majority of the workforce in these businesses via our employee experience platform, mooqi.

Energy Palpable as ‘Kinecx Energy’ Earns Vibrant Workplace Accreditation

As their name suggests, Kinecx Energy (formerly ‘firmus energy networks’) is a place where people thrive.

We have the unequivocal evidence to know that Kinecx cares about its people – because our insights come directly from the employees working there.

Our analysis revealed that Kinecx employees experienced an outstanding 18.2 times as many positive as negative days at work. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when colleagues genuinely care for each other, and when the organisation actively invests in their people.

When Kinecx began the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator, they defined a project purpose statement:

“We want to instil a renewed sense of purpose and direction for the organisation moving forward. We want people to have energy, passion and enthusiasm for their work, and be able to be immersed in what they are doing.

 

Overall, we want to be a great place to work; where people can thrive.”

Their results certainly showed that to be the case.

• Employee retention outlook increased by 5.95% in just 12 weeks, with 93.22% of the workforce intending to stay with the company.
• Employee Net Promoter Score rose from 43.6 (very good) to 55.9 (beyond excellent).
• Employee Engagement climbed to 84%, showing a workforce driven to make an impact.

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

For those unfamiliar with the ’employee net promoter score’ concept – it’s an acid test which reflects whether current employees would recommend others come and work in the company. It’s one that’s often calculated incorrectly – so for the avoidance of doubt, here’s how we do it.

Employees are asked how likely they are to recommend the company as a place to work, using a scale of 0 to 10.

• 0 – 6: Detractors
  These employees are unlikely to recommend the company and may speak negatively about their experience.

• 7 – 8: Passives
  These employees are neutral. They may be satisfied, but not strongly enough to actively recommend the company.

• 9 – 10: Promoters
  These employees are highly enthusiastic and compelled enough that they are likely to recommend the company to others.

The eNPS score is calculated by taking the percentage of Promoters and subtracting the percentage of Detractors. The result is a score between –100 and +100.

Anything over 50 is regarded excellent – Kinecx Energy finished with 55.9!

So, what’s life really like at Kinecx Energy? 

We spoke to CEO Niall Martindale and HR Manager Olga Pollock, who led the Vibrant Workplace project internally and guided the business to these results.

• For those who don’t know you yet, tell us about Kinecx Energy.

Niall: Kinecx Energy is responsible for building and maintaining the gas network which runs from Derry~Londonderry in the north west to Newry in the south east of Northern Ireland.

Our network is outside 200,000 homes and businesses, and 75,000 of these properties have already connected.

As well as continuing to connect homes and businesses to the many benefits of natural gas, we are working to introduce biomethane gas into our network to support Northern Ireland’s transition to a lower carbon future.

• What kinds of roles and career opportunities do you offer right now?

Niall: At our core, we are an engineering company, but we also offer careers in sales, marketing, finance, regulatory affairs, customer services and HR.

Olga: Beyond engineering and health & safety, there are opportunities in regulation, analytical and STEM-focused careers, as well as the “back office” roles in finance and HR that keep the business running.

• How would you describe the culture at Kinecx?

Niall: Authentic. It’s a busy environment, but we have incredible employee buy-in to the company’s values and vision.

As CEO, I strive to ensure everyone’s voice is heard, understood and respected. That creates the best platform for considered decisions and ensures employees feel valued.

Olga: Our culture came through clearly during the Accelerator. Staff reported 18.2 times as many positive as negative days at work. Not every day will be great, but the mooqi platform gave people a voice and the chance to act on quick, practical fixes.

For example, one department introduced a meeting etiquette so people only attended the parts relevant to them, while others created more cross-departmental meetings to improve communication.

• Why is workplace culture and employee experience such a priority for you?

Niall: People really are our most important asset. We work hard to maintain our physical network, so we must work just as hard to maintain and develop our employees. That enables an authentic, enriching culture which drives commercial success.

Olga: The success of the business depends on it. When people are engaged and have a positive experience of work, it directly impacts performance. The Accelerator gave us insights and a framework to address challenges quickly – and the changes, even small ones, had high impact.

• What made you decide to take part in the Vibrant Workplace Accelerator?

Niall: We had just gone through a major change, selling the retail arm of our business after 20 years. We wanted to recalibrate, get honest employee feedback, and identify any gaps or areas for improvement.

Olga: After the sale there was cultural uncertainty. The Accelerator gave us a framework to reconnect. Our all-staff away days at the start and end of the process really helped rebuild identity, strengthen relationships and, importantly, have a bit of craic together.

• Looking back now, was it worth taking part?

Niall: Definitely. We confirmed that we already had a healthy culture – but we also know complacency is the enemy of progress. We’ve moved from good to great, and now we’re aiming for exceptional.

Olga: Most definitely. It was the most inclusive cultural intervention we’ve ever done, with every single employee involved – whether in mooqi meetings or as Culture Catalysts. What surprised me most was the 77% daily participation rate. It showed real buy-in, even healthy competition, and gave us an actionable roadmap beyond the certificate.

• Our benchmarks are intentionally high – what do you think Kinecx does particularly well that helped you meet them?

Niall: Authenticity. We’re greater than the sum of our parts, and culture is our multiplier. That means onboarding carefully, taking robust probation decisions, encouraging open and sometimes challenging conversations – and doing it all with respect.

Olga: Leadership commitment was huge. Niall and the senior team genuinely want to create a workplace where people thrive. But equally, the process empowered staff to suggest improvements and take action themselves. That balance of top-down and bottom-up made all the difference.

• How does it feel to be recognised as a Verified Vibrant Workplace?

Niall: The certificate looks great on the wall, but the true value is the collective learning, skills, and drive for continuous improvement it represents. Verification isn’t the end – it’s a springboard.

Olga: It feels fantastic! The recognition is meaningful because it’s not easily achieved. But for us the real value was the roadmap of strategies we now have to keep improving. The verification was the icing on the cake.

• If a jobseeker sees that badge, what do you want them to understand?

Niall: If you’re aligned with our vision and open to authentic relationships, we’ll support your career and make sure you enjoy the journey.

Olga: It’s important jobseekers know this badge reflects the voice of our employees. It can’t be engineered. It means this is a place where people feel valued, supported and proud to work.

Now for the tricky ones!

• If your workplace culture was a person, who would it be or what would characterise it?

Niall: One word: Authentic.

Olga: Natasha Kaplinsky – warm, professional, and uplifting.

• What’s one small tradition or in-joke that makes people smile?

Olga: Food! Anything food-related and we’re in.

Niall: As Olga says, we all seem to love our food… there’s no occasion small enough for a sausage roll and tray-bake celebration.

• If you could give one piece of advice to another employer…

Niall: Lead with authenticity.

Olga: Do it for the right reasons – to genuinely improve culture, not just to get a plaque on the wall.

Hungry to Learn More About Kinecx Culture?

Good news – this blog is only scratching the surface.

Niall, Olga and their Culture Catalyst team will be showcased at our next Vibrant Workplace Forum on October 6th.

The Forum is the place where we bring together business professionals to learn how to create vibrant workplaces, and jobseekers who want to connect with them.

We have a maximum capacity for this event of 80 people, which we are fast approaching, so get your tickets here on Eventbrite while there are some remaining!

You’ll be able to meet Niall and Olga, hear the full story of how they built such a strong workplace culture, and ask your own questions.

In addition, we’ll have talks from:

• Barry Taylor (MD, MEGA) who will challenge outdated perceptions of “dirty factories” in ‘Manufacturing: Factories of Opportunity’ – and share MEGA’s vision for helping manufacturing and engineering firms thrive.
• Richard Kirk (CEO, Workplus) who will explore apprenticeships as ‘The Talent Pipeline Advantage’, and how they can solve skills shortages for good.

This was our last event, themed ‘Navigating the Culture Wars’:

If you don’t manage to get a ticket, follow the Vibrant Workplace Podcast on Spotify or YouTube as every Verified Vibrant Workplace gets featured in an exclusive episode!

If you are an employer who wants to be the best in your industry check out how we can help you here.

Or for jobseekers who want to work in a company where you know employees are looked after check this out.

Whether you’re an employer or jobseeker, if you want to be the first to know about our events, podcasts or Vibrant Workplace announcements – sign up to the mailing list at the bottom of this page!

Thanks for reading, I hope you found this article interesting, why not give it a share to help us grow this movement and together we can create a better working world?

Craig Thompson

Director, Vibrant