The HR world might be racing towards automation, but for Sarah Bennett, it all starts with people. As CIO and HR lead at digital consultancy Mercator Digital, she’s had a front-row seat to the tech transformation reshaping workplaces. But she’s firmly grounded in the belief that no tool should replace what makes work truly meaningful: connection, care and culture.
In this edition of The Big Interview, Sarah talks to us from her home in East Sussex about everything from balancing innovation with empathy to building a workplace where everyone, whether remote or on-site, feels like they belong. With more than 15 years at Mercator — starting out doing everything from admin to ordering stationery — Sarah’s journey is a testament to growing with a business and shaping its values from the inside out.
Sarah shares how her team is handling DEI rollbacks, what hybrid working really looks like when you prioritise wellbeing and why sometimes the best way to bring people together is through a game of lawn bowls — an honest, refreshing conversation about what it takes to keep HR human in a fast-moving, digital-first world.
As CIO overseeing HR at Mercator Digital, how do you balance technological innovation with human-centric HR practices to enhance employee engagement?
For me, I see human first, technology second. Technology is only appropriate if it makes life for an employee easier and helps the business improve things further. If it’s just replacing real human interaction for the sake of it, then it’s not really helping anyone.
At Mercator Digital, we’re a very people-centric business with a big emphasis on talking and communicating. One of the five pillars of our company strategy is devoted entirely to people. It’s built around a few key ideas where we want people to say, “I want to work for Mercator” and, once they’re here, “I love working for Mercator”. And from a client’s point of view, “The people at Mercator are the best”.
We work really hard to make sure these phrases ring true and any tech we bring in has to support that — not take away from it. When you’re that focused on people and making their experience a good one, high employee engagement tends to follow naturally.
With your global presence, what strategies have you implemented to ensure consistent and effective communication across diverse teams?
We use Microsoft Teams a lot, which has really helped improve communication across the board. It keeps everyone connected, no matter where they’re based.
But we also understand that what works in one country doesn’t always work in another. People in the US often want different things than those in the UK, for example. Any new plans or strategies get discussed between teams in different regions so we can tweak things if needed. But ultimately, the goal is for someone in the US to feel like they’re having the same kind of experience as someone in the UK — even if some of the details are different.
For instance, we know our US team isn’t likely to use the same amount of holiday time as the UK team so, we’ll look at offering other benefits instead. We aim to keep things as consistent as possible, but we’re also realistic and focus on getting the balance right.
Given the recent rollbacks of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in some organisations, how is Mercator maintaining its commitment to an inclusive workplace culture?
We’ve ignored the rollbacks, stuck to our strategy to ensure everyone is included and will continue to do what is right, no matter what is currently popular or unpopular.
Sometimes it’s little things you can implement which help. For example we’ve set up a reflection room in our London office, which can be used for anyone needing a quieter environment. This has been great for those needing a break from the buzz of the main office or for those needing a place to worship — we’ve added directional markings on the floor to support prayer.
We’ve also put a lot of thought into making our social events as inclusive as possible. We try to pick activities that level the playing field — for instance, games or sports that most people haven’t tried before, like lawn bowls — so no one feels left out because they’re not super sporty or experienced. We’ve done things like board game nights, and we mix up the format too — some events are online, some in the office and some at external venues.
On a more strategic level, we’re measuring, monitoring and aiming to improve our gender pay gap in line with reporting requirements for larger companies, even though we’re not required to do this as an SME. We’re also tracking our ethnicity pay gap so we can spot where change is needed and take action. Plus, we’re continuing to work with external organisations and VCSEs to build our understanding and figure out how we can do more to support diversity across the business. It’s a work in progress, but we’re committed to making it better.
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote and hybrid work models. How has Mercator adapted its policies to support these changes while maintaining productivity and employee wellbeing?
Most people at Mercator Digital work on a hybrid model, and some are fully remote, so making sure everyone feels part of things, no matter where they’re based, is a big priority for us.
We run loads of social events, some in person, some online; we have a “coffee break” chat on Teams where people can drop in for a bit of general chit-chat, no work talk needed, just a chance to connect; then there’s our dedicated community team, whose whole job is to make sure everyone feels listened to and included. They regularly call team members for a catch-up, and it’s all pretty relaxed; some talk about work, others personal matters.
The staff are in control of what they want to talk about and the level of detail they go int; there’s no pressure. We also find this helps to escalate any issues very early on before they become a big problem. We also have an Engagement team who look after the project and client work. If someone’s having a tough time with a project or needs support, they’re the go-to. I think between the Engagement and Community teams, we’ve built a really strong support network.
We’ve ignored THE DEI rollbacks and stuck to our strategy to ensure everyone is included
Continuous learning is vital in the fast-changing tech industry. What has Mercator Digital introduced to promote upskilling and professional development among employees?
We have a training budget set at 5% of each person’s salary every year. This is not for training we ask people to do, which is covered separately, but purely for whatever the employee wants to learn or explore. They can use it to go deeper into their current role, broaden their skills, or even head in a completely new direction.
In fact, we’ve had someone move from being a content designer to an interaction designer through this. It can also be used for developing soft skills or diving into areas they’re passionate about, like neurodiversity or carbon reduction.
As AI and automation become more prevalent, how are you preparing your workforce for the evolving demands of the digital landscape?
As a digital consultancy, our employees are more aware than anyone of the digital landscape and they love to bring in new ideas. Our biggest challenge is trying to contain their enthusiasm and ensure they still follow the protocol for the introduction of new systems, making sure for example, they understand ethical and secure use of generative AI.
Employee wellbeing and mental health have gained increased attention in recent times. What measures has Mercator implemented to support the holistic health of its employees?
Being 1st for Wellbeing for Best Place to Work in 2024, I like to think this is an area we really do excel in.
As well as our Employee Assistance Programme and our Community team, as mentioned above, our house teams is something that really stands out for me. We have three houses and they each compete against each other in games, sports or activities — online and in person — to raise money for their chosen charity, which is personal to that house and nominated by house members each year.
Houses are mixed in terms of which department employees work in, what level they are at — from C-Suite down to first job — which creates a great sense of camaraderie and fun, as well as helping people raise funds for things they’re passionate about or that are close to their hearts. It offers a real sense of belonging and mixes people that otherwise might not work together, but who might have things in common in other respects.
We also have multiple mental health first aiders; run lunch ‘n’ learn sessions on healthy eating, mindfulness etc; offer two volunteering days per employee per year, which allows employees to volunteer for things they feel passionate about, not just what Mercator feels passionate about; and we run a monthly salute, where employees are nominated by peers, seniors or sometimes clients for a salute in recognition of something they have done.
We really encourage people to get involved in things they care about, like giving talks at universities, running sessions at schools or taking part in events like Women in Tech. If it’s something that means something to them, we want to support that.
We also try to keep things as flat as possible in terms of structure. Everyone’s door is open, so people feel comfortable asking questions, giving feedback, or just having a chat. It’s really important to us that everyone feels heard, no matter their role or level.
With the growing importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors, how do you integrate sustainability and social responsibility into you HR policies?
We work on these areas on a “by design” basis rather than an “add-on”. For us, policies need to be built from scratch with ESG factors in mind.
How do you approach talent acquisition to attract top-tier professionals in a competitive market? What are your main offerings?
We offer competitive salary rates and a great benefits package, which includes a pension paid over and above the required amount, maternity/paternity/parental leave paid over and above the required amount, a training budget to carry out training of their choice, volunteering days and electric car/cycle to work schemes. We also offer flexibility with regards to family needs, a clear ability to grow/progress in the company, and your birthday is an extra day off.
In terms of the company itself, our clients and projects are a big pull –- in general, employees want to work on projects either because they’re ground breaking or complex, or because they are really meaningful. We have the benefit of being able to offer both.
Sharing the growth of the company to date, our journey and where we want to head to are also appealing, I think. Employees then know, as soon as they start, if it’s a journey they also want to be on.
rewards don’t always have to be about money. Sometimes it’s just about knowing what will genuinely mean something to someone
What role does technology play in enhancing HR operations at Mercator, and are there any recent innovations you’ve found particularly effective?
As of now, we’re on a journey with HR technology. Having come from being very small — and still sitting in the SME category today — we’ve worked with simpler systems but are now looking to get more from them and will be changing in the future.
In 2020/2021, we had our own bespoke timesheet and self-bill system built that subcontractors and permanent staff use to log time on projects. It was based around making life as simple as possible for the person entering time worked and generating all the required information instantly for the accounts department, dramatically reducing time spent chasing data entry or missing documentation. We’ve been able to adapt this as we’ve grown and have added different reports and functions to it.
How do you measure and improve employee satisfaction and retention, particularly when designing benefits packages that really align with employees’ needs and expectations?
We carry out the Great Place to Work survey. It’s a detailed questionnaire that helps us understand whether we have got things right, and we can even add a few of our own questions if there is an area we want to know about. This year we were awarded 3rd Best Workplace in the UK — Medium category.
As mentioned, we have an open door policy at all levels, while our Community team setup means if things aren’t working — or if they’re working well — it’s fed back pretty quickly.
What are the most important factors in effectively rewarding employees, and how can organisations ensure they’re providing benefits that genuinely meet their needs in the current work environment? What do workers want?
The biggest thing is listening and being open to ideas that come from employees themselves. They’re the ones who know what they need and what actually works for them.
It’s also important to monitor uptake of voluntary schemes and be prepared to change direction if something isn’t as popular as you thought.
Setting out the company values right from the start helps too. If you stick with those values, people know straight away if it’s the kind of place they want to be. Then, once they’re in, you’ve got to bring them along on the journey — don’t leave them out in the cold.
Finally, it’s important to remember that rewards don’t always have to be about money. Sometimes it’s just about knowing what will genuinely mean something to someone, whether that’s flexibility, recognition or support in something they care about. It’s the personal touches that really count.
AND FINALLY, how do you see HR evolving over the next five years?
I think it’s going to be a pretty hard juggling act. I imagine that the companies that have the best people strategies will be able to retain the best talent. The workforce is changing and any thriving business needs to stay ahead of the curve and value each employee for the individual contribution they make.