How Flexa helped Peak PEO attract 81% more aligned candidates by showcasing their work culture

The biggest hurdle wasn't finding people who valued flexibility - they're everywhere! It was convincing them that our approach was genuinely different from the sea of companies making empty promises about flexible working.

Let's be honest, the job market is flooded with organisations claiming to offer flexibility, while still expecting constant availability or measuring success by hours logged rather than outcomes delivered. 

Our challenge was cutting through that noise to reach people who had been burned before and were understandably skeptical. Showing these people that we'd built a structure specifically designed to empower individual working styles, not just as a reluctant pandemic response, was challenging. 

Proving that we walk the talk and have built a culture that enables the policies on paper to become part of our DNA sometimes felt impossible.

Showcasing our trust based work culture and our true flexible approach isn't just a recruitment strategy for us, it's critical to our business strategy. We can’t help clients build amazing remote teams when we haven't mastered it ourselves.

When we proudly share our approach, we're essentially sending out a beacon that attracts people who share our belief that work should adapt to life, not the other way around. 

The most brilliant and passionate people don't just want a job, they want purpose, balance and a place where their individuality is celebrated. When we are transparent about our people-first culture, we naturally draw in teammates who'll not only fit in, but will positively add to the culture we’re so proud of. 

Honestly, I saw the results of the 2024 Flexa awards, and thought “These companies sound like us!”. 

I went to the website and couldn’t believe what I was seeing, companies getting celebrated for their culture and working practices. 

We had always done all this behind closed doors, knowing we were doing something good. So seeing other companies celebrating and championing their EVPs in an inclusive community, seemed too good to be true. 

So I got in touch, took the initial survey, and here we are! We now get to celebrate being on those award lists for our culture and work from anywhere scheme. 

And the cherry on the top is that the Flexa-verified badge gives us credibility when we tell our story, proving that our employees really experience the culture and flexibility we have always aspired to deliver.

This was honestly exciting for us, hassle free, and fun. It was clearly explained, and everyone I’ve ever met at Flexa has been so friendly and supportive, so I knew we were in good hands. 

When we sent the survey out to the team, we got 100% participation and everyone got it completed in a day. Those results speak for themselves and show how easy and engaging the questionnaire is. 


I was nervous waiting for the results to come through, I thought we had a cool culture, but we had never put it to the test before. 

One of the Flexa team gave me a heads up that I would be delighted with the results and I was still blown away when they came through! It was a day to remember. 

Before we were Flexa-verified, we had two people apply for a job, and a year later we had 334.

In a world where nearly every company claims to offer flexibility, that third-party validation has been absolutely amazing for establishing trust with potential team members from the first touchpoint.

It's created a wonderful shortcut in our recruitment conversations. Instead of spending half our initial calls trying to convince skeptical candidates that yes, we really do operate a 4-day work week and yes, we genuinely support remote work, we can point to our Flexa verification and move straight to more meaningful discussions about the role and the candidate's aspirations.

The verification has also given us the confidence, and a fantastic platform, to share our approach to flexible working more widely. 

It's opened doors to speak at events, contribute to publications, and generally join important conversations about the future of work. These conversations are critical to inspire others to adopt progressive working practices, and it's great to be part of that dialogue.

Since becoming Flexa-verified, we've seen a significant increase in qualified applicants to our job postings, and importantly, they already understand and value our approach. 

This means we can spend more time during interviews really making sure we are a match made in heaven, vs. trying to tell our story and ensure candidates believe what we are saying. We recently posted a fixed term maternity cover role for an Operations Coordinator. This is a role we might have struggled to recruit for before, but we had an incredible number of applications and found ourselves with the opposite problem, in fact too many candidates we wanted to interview!

We've also seen that our recent hires have been so quick to onboard. By bringing in people who really fit well, they have been able to make an impact really quickly. It's hard to believe they have been with us less than a year when they already feel like part of the family!

The visibility has helped us recognise that our approach to flexibility is a genuine differentiator in the market. This realisation has inspired us to be bolder in highlighting our people-first approach. Rather than simply describing our flexible working model, we now confidently showcase it through real examples, team testimonials, and of course, our Flexa verification. 

We're openly talking about our 4-day work week, our asynchronous communication practices, and how we support team members to create their ideal work environment.

Perhaps most importantly, the increased visibility has reinforced our commitment to continuous improvement. As more eyes look to us as an example of flexible working done right, we feel an even greater responsibility to keep pushing boundaries, gathering feedback, and refining our approach. 

After all, true flexibility isn't a static destination—it's an ongoing journey of adaptation and growth as we learn what helps our team members thrive in both professional and personal lives.

Flexa isn't just a nice-to-have certification for us—it's becoming a cornerstone of our long-term employer branding strategy. We view our Flexa verification as a credential that reinforces our authentic commitment to true flexibility.

Our five-year vision includes building a diverse team of passionate professionals who are aligned with our "business for good" philosophy—precisely the kind of people who actively seek out Flexa-verified employers! 

And we can use the data we get through Flexa to ensure we stay at the fore-front of progressive working practices, always learning and evolving.

Simply put, Flexa has evolved from being just a certification to becoming a strategic partner in our mission to demonstrate that businesses can be both purpose-driven and successful. It's helping us attract the right people, validate our approach, and continuously improve—three essential ingredients for building the kind of authentic employer brand we're aiming for.

Of course! We've found a network where we feel like we belong, with significant business benefits. Why wouldn't we let our like-minded partners and contacts share in a good thing! What would I tell them?

They'll get great data to verify how employees experience their working practices, giving them insight on where improvements might be needed

They'll be able to stand out among a crowd of competitors merely claiming flexibility without verification

They’ll get access to a platform that attracts high-quality candidates who align with their company values. By showcasing what matters to us, such as work-life balance, we were able to connect with talent who share those priorities and want to thrive in our culture.

They'll get a great return on investment in terms of reduced recruitment and improved candidate quality

And lastly, they'll get to engage with the awesome team at Flexa who have been amazing to work with since the very first contact!