Employee ownership was one of the best moves we've ever made (you should do it, too!)
"A company is only as good as its people"
A phrase many businesses throw around, but back in May 2023, we decided to truly put our money where our mouth is. We transitioned Clean Digital to a 100% employee-owned model.
Three years on, we can safely say it’s one of the best business decisions we’ve made.
Moving to employee ownership (EO) hasn't just been a structural change behind the scenes; it has completely transformed how we work, collaborate, and grow.
Ever wondered what the EO journey actually looks like? Or, are you considering it for your own business?
Here is a look at our story so far.
Our journey so far
Transitioning to EO doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a learning curve, but the milestones we’ve hit along the way have made every bit of effort worth it.
1. Redefining who we are
As soon as we became employee-owned, we brought the whole team together to rewrite our company values. If we were all going to think like owners, we needed a collective compass. Together, we built our four pillars:
Be Leaders: Thinking like owners, driving thought leadership, and taking initiative.
Have Passion: Bringing enthusiasm to everything we do.
Be Curious: Staying proactive and solution-oriented (further empowering our Data team to build incredible custom tools like ROVER, SignalPulse, and BrandGuard).
Bring Value: Making our time count for both our clients and the agency.
2. Giving everyone a voice (and a vote!)
We established a brilliant governance structure featuring a Board of Directors alongside elected Trustee Directors who rotate every two years to keep ideas fresh. To make sure every team member, regardless of seniority, could comfortably voice ideas or ask questions, we held one-to-one sessions and created dedicated channels for open discussion. Today, our regular trustee meetings are highly collaborative, incredibly efficient, and genuinely shape our future.
3. Rewriting the hiring process
With employee ownership, the stakes for hiring are high. We want people who truly align with our collaborative culture. To solve this, we involve as much of the team as possible in the recruitment process.
4. Award wins and nominations
In 2025, we won not one but two awards at the UK Culture Awards: "Best Agency to Work For" and "Best Culture Transformation Initiative" - both directly attributed to our shift to employee ownership! We were also named a finalist for the "Employer of the Year" award at the ECC Business Awards 2026.
The perks of shared success
When the company does well, everyone benefits. Because we’ve managed to grow our business while keeping our close-knit team incredibly efficient, we’ve been able to reinvest heavily in our people.
Here are just a few things we’ve introduced since becoming employee-owned:
Regular Profit Shares: Rewarding the team’s hard work with a direct stake in our financial success.
Enhanced Leave: We introduced a Buy/Sell holiday scheme, increased our overall annual leave, and enhanced our Parental Leave policies.
Health, Wellness & Lifestyle: Alongside our Private Health Insurance via Vitality, we’ve introduced a dedicated "Wellness Hour" for personal activities, and a Cycle2Work scheme.
Office Flexibility: Got a gig straight after work? Want to get to that early yoga class? No problem. Keeping our core hours during the middle of the day, we introduced more wiggle room for late starts and early finishes to improve work/life balance!
Why we recommend employee ownership
If you’re a business owner weighing up the future of your company, or a team member wondering if EO is right for your workplace, here is our advice: do it.
Traditional agency structures can sometimes feel rigid, but EO aligns everyone’s goals. We’ve maintained an incredibly high staff retention rate (our very first employee is still with us over a decade later!), successfully navigated major industry shifts in AI, expanded our client base, and even picked up some amazing industry recognition.
Employee ownership creates an environment of trust, transparency, and shared ambition. When you empower your team to think like owners, they don't just help the business grow - they build a workplace they actually enjoy coming to every day.
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FAQs
What actually changes for clients when an agency becomes employee-owned?
On a day-to-day level, the exceptional service stays the same - but the mindset elevates. Because every team member literally has a stake in the business, they think and act like business owners. This naturally drives higher motivation, proactive problem-solving, and a deeply personal investment in our clients' success.
How does decision-making work with a team of "owners"?
It’s collaborative but structured. We are governed by a Board of Directors working alongside elected Trustee Directors who rotate every two years. Through quarterly trustee meetings and open communication channels, we make sure every voice is heard on big-picture decisions without slowing down our agile, day-to-day operations.
What is your number one tip for companies considering the transition to EO?
Get your team involved early. Transitioning to EO is a learning curve, but actively shaping our company values and decision-making processes together from day one is what gave us our strong foundation. Focus on open communication and trust, and the rest will follow.
