State of Engagement 2026 Report |
Download report
.avif)
An internal and external communication strategy has been developed over the last 4 years, which includes: Nine staff conferences which have been used to good effect to foster the creation of a positive and supportive culture where all staff work closely and effectively together in the best interests of learners and employers. One to one and team meetings which are used to reinforce key messages, along with electronic communication tools. A PDR and 360 process which has been embedded into the staff development process, and provides support and progression to all staff. A weekly bulletin which is emailed to all staff giving updates on activity from managers around the business. Facebook and Twitter pages which are used to detail current vacancies, industry and company information. The Facebook page is full of useful information and resources such as electronic versions of company leaflets, videos, and a national vacancy map.
Self assessment is an essential part of their continuous improvement. This process allows all departments and teams to analyse their strengths, areas for improvements and their satisfactory areas, through effective monitoring and on-going self assessment. All staff are fully engaged in this process and the outcome helps to focus on improvement across the business and to raise the standard and quality of training provision. A full self assessment process is completed once every year, with a formal review every 6 months, which is documented in a full report. This is also supported by a Quality Improvement Plan, which details all key improvement areas and documents the progress of key activities and actions. This plan is reviewed on a monthly basis and updated accordingly. Self assessment is a key part of their business culture and everyday approach.
The company combine their second conference of the year with the Christmas party. At this event all staff and their partners are invited to attend, as a thank you for their part in the organisation's success throughout the year. They also provide staff with an additional day's holiday, following the conference and party. On the 21st December 2011 a party was held where 252 staff and partners enjoyed a Christmas Dinner followed by a live band and dancing. The whole event is fully expensed by the company, including hotel arrangements, travel, food and drink. Feedback from the conferences and parties are always excellent and continue to build on the ‘family' vibe running across all departments and teams.
Paramjit is a very warm, approachable and visible leader. He is on first name terms with all Qedis' people (and their families, too!), frequently posts updates on their internal social networking site to let them know what he is up to, and uses their employee action days for sharing and communicating messages that in other firms would be restricted to the leadership team only. He sits alongside everyone in the office, and invites all new employees to shadow him for a day as part of their induction. He has found a way to infuse his style into the organisation without creating any form of leader-worship culture, he's incredibly humble yet has the respect of everyone and he encourages this behaviour in others . Paramjit gets the best out of his people through encouraging their input to and ownership of important company initiatives, displaying a great deal of confidence and trust, not only in those more senior within the company, but right down to the newest intern. He is also very open with his plans for the future of Qedis, actively encouraging everyone to think about the role they would like to play in shaping the organisation: as shareholders they all own a part of it. Above all, Paramjit is truly passionate about Qedis, and it shows! He likes to be ‘hands on' and is involved in client delivery, recruitment and the day-to-day running of the business as well as the strategic aspects of his leadership role.
Personal and professional development is a high priority at qedis. They have a fair, rigorous and development-focused performance management process; with performance feedback after each project, and formally twice a year. The Aqademy training pathway has 11 training courses, addressing the competencies junior people need to be successful. Qedis developed 4 additional courses linked to skills gaps eg Assertiveness training, BD bitesize and Advanced Core Consulting. For senior people, they have Counselling Manager and Business Development Training. They also developed a new course aimed at newly promoted Managers adapting to their increased responsibility. It is offsite and includes outdoor team building exercises linked to the learning objectives of the course. The most important course is the ‘Qedis Way', focusing on their culture and values, for new joiners. They offer GetAbstract – a tool that summarises books; Gartner, Forester, Lexus Nexus, Factiva. In the last year they ran 57 training sessions, 1040 days of training - an average of 7 days per person. They spent £174,719 on training courses, £32,951 on Knowledge Management and subscriptions; an average spend of £1,483 per person. 12/20 courses were developed and run by qedites.
Qedis's CSR programme is innovative because they donate their money, their time, business advice and take on a unique challenge, it covers 3 key events. The most significant is Challenge Q which is a physical challenge. This year it was a 24 hour global challenge where 12 qedites ran non-stop for 24 hours, 3 qedites danced solidly for 24 hours, 2 qedites played ping-pong for 24 hours and 1 qedite rowed for 24 hours. The challengers were supported by a team of qedites who stayed around the clock to encourage and cheer them on, they also invited their families and clients to the finishing line event. A team of 20 qedites spent 6 months planning the event. Qedis's partner companies around the globe also took part, one country each hour was doing a sporting activity, eg climbing, tennis, running, cycling, rowing. In total $120,000 was raised globally, in the UK they raised over £20,000 which went to their Charity of the Year (Calibre Minds), whom they also provided free business advice too. The 2nd event was their annual community day, where all their people took the day off client work, and did manual labour for 3 worthy causes. They renovated a church, community park and cemetery, painting, weeding, and clearing and funded the materials needed.
All staff have a personal objective plan and support, guidance, training is given to help the individual meet with their objectives. Principle Healthcare Limited have a Training policy in place and all staff members can request training providing sound rationale to support requests. They have a current Training Plan in place with several external trainers coming in to train staff on Time Management / Management and Leadership and also have their own Training Module Management Training Plan which covers: Management & Supervision, Motivation Theory, Time Management, Leadership Skills, Customer Service, Forecasting, Service Level Management, Mentoring Skills, Training Skills.
During the second half of 2010 the business decided that they should look to set up something that allows all employees in the business to be involved in something tangible that provides help and support to disadvantaged children. A select number of employees worked hard on developing an idea that would be significant enough to excite employees, something local to be able to get involved in and to establish something with longevity and sustainability. After much deliberation on what this could be to help unfortunate children, the team decided on the idea of providing free holidays. The idea then grew quickly into buying 2 fabulous holiday homes at the popular holiday site Haven holiday blackpool. What we then needed to work out was how we would identify the right children who would benefit. In association with North Yorkshire council children services, they established a partnership that allowed the people looking out for those children in need to nominate those children and familes in need the most. In 2011 the idea was launched as a fully registered charity called The Principle Trust and to date has been successful in raising sufficient funds to benefit 237 children. All employees are involved in one or another and contribute proudly to the fund raising effort the charity requires, and give up their free time to help and assist where possible.
All staff have a personal objective plan and support, guidance, training is given to help the individual meet with their objectives. Principle Healthcare Limited have a Training policy in place and all staff members can request training providing sound rationale to support requests. They have a current Training Plan in place with several external trainers coming in to train staff on Time Management / Management and Leadership and also have their own Training Module Management Training Plan which covers: Management & Supervision, Motivation Theory, Time Management, Leadership Skills, Customer Service, Forecasting, Service Level Management, Mentoring Skills, Training Skills.
Practice Plan placed an advert in a local newspaper to ask if there were any volunteering opportunities that staff could help with in the area. This resulted in being approached by Osyteers who work with the local community and promote a positive community spirit, good citizenship and believe that everyone has something to offer. After joining forces, Practice Plan have now become Associate Members of Osyteers, working together on various projects such as gardening for the elderly and community centres, painting and decorating senior citizen halls etc. Teams are made up of volunteers from across the organisation and time during work hours is made available to ensure they can attend.
Practice Plan has phased return to work policy for all staff, risk assessments, regular meetings and updates. The company also provides free fruit, a cycle to work scheme, gym memberships, flexible working and encourages people to take care of each other.
Practice Plan placed an advert in a local newspaper to ask if there were any volunteering opportunities that staff could help with in the area. This resulted in being approached by Osyteers who work with the local community and promote a positive community spirit, good citizenship and believe that everyone has something to offer. After joining forces, Practice Plan have now become Associate Members of Osyteers, working together on various projects such as gardening for the elderly and community centres, painting and decorating senior citizen halls etc. Teams are made up of volunteers from across the organisation and time during work hours is made available to ensure they can attend.
At Porter Novelli, managers have regular meetings with their Line Managers, Resource Planning meetings and 360 Appraisals.
At Porter Novelli, the well-being of employees is taken seriously. The company has piloted a programme which involves a series of lunchtime sessions to support your Mind, Body or Soul. For example, a personal trainer came in to give free exercise and dietary advice, the company also had pop up shops from Aveda and Stella & Dot. These invited experts improved staff's knowledge on things ranging from personal finance to ordering wine at client lunches.
Porter Novelli gives every member of staff a half day to do something of their choice for charity. The company encourages staff to club together for bigger effect but the choice is theirs. Porter Novelli asks staff to share their efforts so the rest of the company can be inspired to also participate in charitable activities. So far people have walked dogs for cancer, raised money for Cancer Research, fed the homeless, participated in the London Triathlon and Marathon and much more. The commercial value of this time is more than £30K per annum.
In retail Pets at Home have a structured training programme which will take colleagues from part time roles through to Store Manager and beyond! The company's success at internal promotions is very strong. Using the Area Manager population as an example, 20 out of 22 Area Managers were promoted from Store Manager. Pets at Home have the advantage of being able to offer an alternative career path to their colleagues who want to become qualified pet groomers. The company takes their retail colleagues through Pets at Home's 'Power to your Paws' programme, that gives them all of the required technical skills they need to become professional pet groomers. Pets at Home's development programmes play a vital part in the company's commercial growth, as they would not be able to continue to expand at the rapid rate they are without the internal candidates coming up through the ranks to become Store, Deputy and Assistant Managers, full time colleagues, Grooming Salon Managers and Stylists.
Each year Pets at Home hold their annual conference for the retail team. Last year the company had an Olympic theme, where they highlighted their achievements from the previous year and outlined their goals for the year ahead. Pets at Home asked their colleagues to 'Pick it Up & Pass It On' to cascade these messages back to the teams in store. The company also used the conference as an opportunity to launch their new first value of putting pets before profit. They celebrated success by awarding a 'Pet Star' award to Kate Jones, Customer and Culture Manager, for her achievements during her 15 years' service and most recently in setting up the Customer Helpdesk. The evening was rounded off by a celebration of hero's, both sporting and otherwise, which invariably lead to some interesting fancy dress outfits and a lot of dancing!
In retail Pets at Home have a structured training programme which will take colleagues from part time roles through to Store Manager and beyond! The company's success at internal promotions is very strong. Using the Area Manager population as an example, 20 out of 22 Area Managers were promoted from Store Manager. Pets at Home have the advantage of being able to offer an alternative career path to their colleagues who want to become qualified pet groomers. The company takes their retail colleagues through Pets at Home's 'Power to your Paws' programme, that gives them all of the required technical skills they need to become professional pet groomers. Pets at Home's development programmes play a vital part in the company's commercial growth, as they would not be able to continue to expand at the rapid rate they are without the internal candidates coming up through the ranks to become Store, Deputy and Assistant Managers, full time colleagues, Grooming Salon Managers and Stylists.
All staff within the company have a structured training programme that is evaluated under the company's ISO accreditation. The company's structured training programme has been further developed over the past 12 months. Operational staff are encouraged to undertake their NVQ qualifications and in the past 12 months in excess of 10 operational staff have completed their NVQ Level 2, and have chosen to progress to Level 3. Individuals are fully supported and work time is set aside for them to complete their modules to ensure work-life balance in maintained. Sales/Recruitment staff now undertake not only the company's bespoke structured training programme, but the company have also set aside a budget for individual coaching. The individual coaching is on topics chosen by the individual and his/her manager during their monthly business reviews and has proven to be highly successful.
Pertemps Professional Staffing Network Limited has a training programme that has been rolled out and further developed over the past year. The programme trains managers around setting goals, coaching and recognising the importance of being a leader and role model.
The company has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) where all employees have access to a confidential Assistance Programme that is managed by an external supplier. They have "Break Out" areas in all of the company offices, these are areas where staff can get away from their desks at lunchtimes or for short breaks to relax or have informal meetings
In January 2012, People 1st hosted a belated Christmas celebration in Northern Ireland. The trip coincided with the launch of the organisation's customer service training programme, WorldHost, in Northern Ireland. This provided an opportunity not only to give all their teams the chance to see the shape of the market in one of the devolved nations, but also to celebrate the challenges and changes met by the organisation during 2011. People 1st flew all employees to Belfast and all flights and overnight accommodation in Belfast were paid for by the company. The celebration was organised by their Northern Ireland team and included a drinks reception at the hotel, a live comedy performance by award-winning Belfast comedienne Nuala McKeever, followed by a three-course dinner. While the Christmas celebration was an extremely social and enjoyable occasion, it presented many opportunities for learning and networking. Members of the senior management team and department representatives participated in the launch of WorldHost, and all other staff members were able to learn about the programme in the context of the market in Northern Ireland.
The Ministry of Innovation (MOI) is a group of representatives from across the company that meets every six weeks to empower employees to discuss issues and ways to make the company a better place to work. The MOI receives feedback and ideas from around the company, as well as Best Companies survey results, and develops initiatives to improve areas including staff well-being and engagement, office look and feel, social events and the overall employee experience. Last year, it focused particularly on well-being, leading to the introduction of the Summertime Working Scheme and Giving Something Back, and conducted focus groups with other staff members on both topics. One resulting initiative was the promotion of their 'Charitable Chums', where staff members promote the work or activities they undertake to peers and colleagues. Social events and activities organised by the MOI at the quarterly learning and information days have ensured that People 1st's family ethic has remained strong throughout the changes they have faced. Each MOI meeting is attended by the CEO/COO to ensure decision makers are informed and that proposed initiatives have both the support of employees and senior management. It also gives employees an opportunity to ask questions to the organisation's leaders, which are then fed back to wider teams.
The company launched a new way of working in February 2012, with six ‘project streams' agreed by the senior management team to guide the direction of work at People 1st. Prior to an event called the ‘Industry Leaders event', which launched this new approach to working and areas of focus for the sector the organisation represents, their CEO Brian Wisdom held a dial-in conference. The conference was attended by head office-based employees, and people working remotely or in the devolved nations were able to dial-in. The conference served to explain the new direction of the company, following the merger with sector skills council GoSkills and successful bids for funding. Staff members attending the 'Industry Leaders event' were briefed about the company's objectives for the evening and the messages that People 1st were hoping to convey to their guests. The conference created a dialogue for the entire company to ask questions, offer suggestions, and clarify the elements of the new project streams that were relevant to their department and nation.
To enhance the well-being of employees the organisation includes staff in decisions, listens to their suggestions, supports regular activities of the Staff Representative Group, puts emphasis on safe working, and creats good working environments, management and practices.
The organisation have a good job evaluation process. They also have other pay options, appraisals, and a performance management process. They regularly review job descriptions and carry out employee appraisals and
monitor staff wellbeing by reviewing work loads. In addition, they have a well established communication flow, for example, staff rep groups. They also have regular staff meetings and a staff survey.
To enhance the well-being of employees the organisation includes staff in decisions, listens to their suggestions, supports regular activities of the Staff Representative Group, puts emphasis on safe working, and creats good working environments, management and practices.
You’ve explored the Factors - now discover how your organisation can gain deeper insight into what truly drives engagement and workplace culture.
Our approach measures organisational health across eight core areas: My Team, Leadership, My Manager, Personal Growth, My Company, Wellbeing, Fair Deal, and Giving Something Back. Together, they give you a complete view of how your people think, feel, and experience work.
Complete the form and take the first step toward a stronger, more engaged organisation.