By Vicky Charalambous, Kiki Kallis, Eliana Hadjichristodoulou – CARDET
In March 2025, our HR team set out to do more than support employees’ mental health we wanted everybody involved. We ran an all-staff interactive webinar introducing the Five Essentials for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being.
What We Did:
Impact:
A deeper sense of trust, inclusion, and purpose across teams
By Maria Georgiou – GRS Recruitment
At GRS Recruitment, our mission has always gone beyond matching candidates to vacancies, we aim to transform careers, empower businesses, and build lasting professional relationships. Over the years, our HR function has evolved from a traditional support role into a strategic driver of change, innovation, and wellbeing within our organisation.
Impact:
Recognising the changing needs of our team post-pandemic, we introduced a flexible hybrid work model designed around trust, accountability, and autonomy. Far from reducing performance, this approach increased employee satisfaction, improved retention, and led to a measurable uptick in productivity. By listening to our people and responding with empathy, we created a culture where trust is not just a word, it’s the foundation of how we work.
HR lead the charge in launching a wellbeing programme that includes monthly wellness check-ins, optional mental health support, and quarterly team-building events that focus not only on connection but also on mindfulness and stress relief. This initiative not only boosted morale but significantly reduced burnout-related absenteeism.
Our HR team may be small, but the impact is wide-reaching, from our internal culture to the candidates we support and the community we serve. This is HR not just as a function, but as a force for good; human, responsive, and future-focused.”
By Unicars HR Team
In a business world often fixated on productivity, we chose a different path. Since collaboration and employee development are not only integral parts of our culture but also fundamental pillars of our success, we took a meaningful pause to reconnect with our people. Unicars Fun Day was a full-day outing, held on a working day, during which we closed all workshops, showrooms, and offices. This initiative was a conscious and strategic decision designed to ensure the participation of all our 200 employees.
Ιmpact:
The impact of time spent in nature, team-building activities, and bonding over a celebratory meal was palpable: a surge of energy, renewed commitment to our values, a stronger culture, deeper interpersonal bonds, enhanced confidence and improved cross-functional collaboration. Managers reported that colleagues who rarely interacted were now sharing ideas and working with a sense of purpose.
Since recognizing the issue and taking meaningful action, our internal engagement survey showed a 12% uplift in employees reporting a strong sense of camaraderie, with 90% of respondents now viewing the company as an exceptional employer.
Beyond metrics, though, something deeper changed how our people felt seen, valued, and genuinely connected. They brought that energy back into the workplace. Where some may have seen a cost in closing for a day, we saw a long-term gain in loyalty, resilience, and productivity. Fun Day didn’t just lift spirits, it strengthened our business from the inside out.
By Sophia Mortaga – SMO Talent Solutions Ltd
When my recruitment company was growing, I hired my first employee based not on years of experience, but on her genuine hunger to learn, grow, and make an impact. From her very first day, I used the approach of trust- first development. I gave her complete autonomy over client relationships and business development. No gradual introduction of responsibilities. Just trust, paired with clear expectations and unwavering support.
This approach addressed something I’ve witnessed across countless organizations, young professionals being systematically underutilized because we confuse experience with capability. Too often, we create what I call the waiting room effect: talented people sitting on the sidelines, watching opportunities pass by while they wait for permission to contribute meaningfully.
Within three months, something remarkable happened. My young colleague didn’t just meet expectations, she independently secured a major new client for our company. She approached that relationship with fresh perspective, authentic enthusiasm, and innovative solutions that came naturally from feeling genuinely trusted and valued.
The transformation went beyond individual success. By establishing trust as our foundation rather than our finish line, we created an environment where innovation and excellence became natural expressions of ownership rather than responses to oversight.
Impact:
When you truly invest in young talent, the returns extend far beyond what any spreadsheet can capture.
Personal transformation happened first. My colleague approaches every challenge with the intensity of someone who knows her contributions matter. She doesn’t ask permission to innovate, she innovates and then shares her insights. This isn’t recklessness; it’s the confidence that comes from knowing you’re trusted to think, not just execute.
Business success followed naturally. That new client she brought in proved something important: when young professionals don’t have to constantly prove themselves worthy of trust, they can focus their energy on what they do best. Their natural comfort with technology, fresh perspectives, and genuine communication style become real competitive advantages. Our client conversations feel like actual partnerships instead of rehearsed sales pitches.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s what really excites me about this: every young professional who experiences genuine trust and autonomy takes that expectation with them throughout their career. They become the managers and leaders who will create tomorrow’s workplace culture. We’re not just developing individual careers, we’re investing in people who will shape how the next generation gets treated.
This whole experience reminded me why I’m passionate about HR work. We get to unlock human potential in ways that change both individual lives and entire organizations. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it.
By Eleni Vassiliou, Head of Human Capital – PWC Cyprus
PwC Cyprus has launched a groundbreaking suite of paid-leave policies, supporting employees during significant reproductive health events, effective since March 2025. These initiatives align with the firm’s commitment to a human-centric and inclusive workplace:
Fertility Treatment Assistance: Women undergoing IVF, IUI, or egg freezing receive substantial paid leave, while their partners are granted time off for support.
Support for Premature Births: Women experiencing premature births receive full maternity leave plus additional paid weeks based on the time of birth; partners are eligible for full paternity leave plus up to three extra weeks of additional paternity leave.
Miscarriage and Stillbirth Support: A Miscarriage Leave policy offers women paid leave determined by pregnancy stage at loss. Partners are also considered, reflecting the need for shared support. For stillbirths from the 24th week of pregnancy, fully paid voluntary maternity leave is provided in addition to leave for partners.
These policies are integral to PwC’s “Inclusion First” strategy, fostering a culture where all employees can thrive. Through this compassionate approach, PwC Cyprus aims to enhance its culture of belonging, providing support during vulnerable life events. Anna Loizou, Partner and Chief People Officer, articulated PwC’s vision: “We aim to continuously build on practices that support our people. Family creation or expansion is significantly challenging. With these policies, PwC Cyprus not only enhances employee wellbeing but also sets a benchmark for best practices in modern family life.”
Impact:
As a result of implementing these pioneering leave policies, we observed significant appreciation from our employees, many expressing pride in working for a firm that prioritizes personal and family needs. Notably, the demand for these leaves surpassed expectations, underscoring the crucial need for such supportive measures. This response clearly highlights the positive impact of our efforts to create an inclusive and compassionate workplace. Looking ahead, we anticipate that colleagues will feel an increased sense of inclusion and belonging, and recognition that PwC Cyprus genuinely values and cares for their family needs. These changes strengthen our culture of belonging but also set a benchmark for best practices in employee wellbeing and support in our firm and in the industry. Through these initiatives, we reaffirm our commitment to nurturing a workplace where everyone feels empowered and respected, cementing PwC Cyprus as a leader in cultivating an inclusive and people-centric environment.
By Chrysovalanto Christoforou, HR Department – UCLAN Cyprus
At UCLan Cyprus, we believe that supporting our people means recognising the full scope of their lives, including their roles as parents. To this end, our HR team launched “Bring Your Child to Work Day,” a people-first initiative aimed at fostering belonging, appreciation, and community.
Inspired by conversations with staff about the difficulties of balancing work and childcare—particularly during school holidays—the initiative was created as a practical, compassionate response. Held twice a year during the Christmas and Easter school breaks, the program invites employees’ children to campus for a full day of engaging and relevant activities. These take place on the last working days before the university’s full campus closure, ensuring a smooth transition into the holidays. Activities include guided tours of university departments, creative workshops, storytelling sessions, educational games, and role-playing experiences like “If I Were the CEO.” All activities are supervised by trained facilitators, allowing parents to focus on their work, stress-free.
Impact:
The initiative had an important impact on employee engagement and organisational culture. Staff expressed feeling more appreciated and supported, especially working parents. It encouraged dialogue around family-friendly practices and led to deeper discussions about flexible work and wellbeing policies. Our staff and their children connected through personal stories and shared moments. Children left with a new sense of curiosity and admiration for their parents’ roles, creating lasting memories. Internally, it reinforced a strong sense of belonging and trust within teams. Ultimately, “Bring Your Child to Work Day” showcased how HR can lead with heart—transforming everyday workspaces into inclusive, meaningful environments where people feel seen and supported as individuals, not just professionals.
By Κaterina Andreou – HR Innovate
As often happens, we have candidates referred to us by colleagues/friends/family, all of whom believe said candidate is in need of a better workplace or career.
In particular though, we are drawn to and try harder to assist our vulnerable minorities within our candidate pools. Those with either a disability, those who have been victim of a toxic workplace and have been bullied or discriminated against. Those with debilitating illnesses that might be invisible conditions such as MS for example but which nonetheless require care and attention in work related matters.
Whatever the vulnerability, such candidates match specific employers. The specific employers are the human-centric, inclusive and dare I say, kind work places. Where leadership and management support an agenda of inclusion and fair treatment and encourage a team and human centric culture.
On this occasion we met a female candidate who suffered extreme bullying in the form of harassment, humiliation, shouting and name calling over the best part of a year and had become quite seriously depressed and distressed. We were able to not only match her with one of our best clients and poach her out of this work environment, but we placed her at one of the most inclusive employers we work with.
Impact:
Within a month of working with them, this young woman was transformed into an assertive, calm and happy person again. Within a year she was promoted, had a salary increase and is on her way to a rewarding career.
