An employee motivation specialist has gone global with her advice to businesses on how to keep their staff motivated and engaged.

Cassandra Andrews works with firms across East Anglia to help them ensure their employees remain committed and inspired. She has warned that now is a peak time for staff resignations, as people become disillusioned with their companies because of Covid.

And her work in these trying times has gained her attention from across the Atlantic with a recent trip to America seeing Norfolk-based Ms Andrews work with the likes of Harvard.

Ms Andrews said: “Never before has the engagement of employees been so crucial. Covid has reminded us all that people are our most valuable asset but motivating them, particularly in these turbulent times, can be challenging.

“Too often organisations put in broad-brush mechanics, failing to realise that every human is wired differently and therefore have different motivators. My role is to root out what is important to every member of the team, how they wish to be managed, recognised and rewarded, so that individuals genuinely do feel empowered and love their job."

Ms Andrews works with businesses across Suffolk and Norfolk but has since widened the net to the likes of Boston, in the US.

She said: “I’ve just returned from an American trip to help a number of my clients including the leadership team at Harvard University. Back in my beloved East Anglia I've also started working with the Holkham Estate.

“I guess with 3,200 miles separating the two, it might be said there’s not much in common between Harvard and the likes of Holkham and Halesworth, but I find their passionate people extremely similar.

"They truly understand the importance of a motivated team and are working hard to ensure every individual’s motivators are well nourished, therefore building a solid foundation for engaged employees and happier customers.

“Talking to many business leaders in both the US and UK there has been a real sense of bemusement this year. Last began with mass layoffs but now employees are quitting and creating real challenges around staffing levels.

“Of course there’s no easy fix but we’ve all seen the studies for many years that show individuals wish to be treated as such. We must respond to this and offer them the type of workplace experience they crave."