The company regularly hold pub quizzes in aid of their chosen charity, but perhaps the most memorable social event recently was the GS1 UK Olympics which they ran in parallel to the London Olympics. The Company was divided into six teams, each given a name of a smaller country that does not normally feature high on the medals chart. They held events in table football, WII sports, table tennis and created a medals board. The feedback from the event was great and staff enjoyed interacting with people that they wouldn't normally have the chance to.

Graham & Brown's CEO has been instrumental in opening the Blackburn Youth Zone facility, which reaches out to local young people. They work closely with Darwen Aldridge Community Academy with their staff speaking at the school and helping develop the Arts department at the school.

The Co-CEOs of Goldman Sachs in EMEA, supported by the European Management Committee, this year committed to hosting quarterly region-wide Townhalls to which all their people are invited and encouraged to attend. These one hour sessions serve as a point of reflection and allow senior management to discuss how their businesses and divisions are performing, the firm's forward strategy and to answer in person any questions or concerns. A new initiative this year has been to invite members of the European Management Committee to join their Co-CEOs at the Townhall sessions to provide a more in-depth look at some of the key themes and recent developments in their particular division.

Over the last few years the company have raised thousands of pounds for many charities. They are always keen to support local charities and give something back to the community. Last year alone they sponsored their PR agency who ran the London Marathon for Merlin, and the friend of an employee who ran 1027 miles solo around the entire perimeter of Wales within 42 days. They also sponsored customers, including Ben the Ironman who ran 3 marathons for his son and Whizzkids, and another who is taking part in the Toughest Footrace on Earth for Hope Childrens Charity. Another 153 charities so far all over the UK are benefiting from their help in the FSI's "The Big Small Charity Draw". Another area of their charity commitment is helping the local community. They are proud sponsors of two local sports clubs, including a children's football team and cricket team.

Outstanding performance is rewarded in various ways: bonuses, pay rises, duvet days and other options. Each manager has 6 monthly and annual appraisals with team members, during which they have an opportunity to recognise their successes and achievements. They also praise all of their employees throughout the year.

The company has plotted out a clear career path and expectations for employees based on the successes of numerous existing GCS workers. This allows the business to compare and contrast the performance of newcomers with people who have already come through the ranks. This allows the directors to set realistic, achievable and motivational minimum expectation levels for all staff. The company offers numerous on-track bonuses and competitions to reward successes individually and as teams. The business also increases the salary of management to recognise their extra responsibility and offers the opportunity to earn bonuses based on the performance of their team.

The senior management team at Foundation involved all staff in the development of the organisation's three year Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015. This involved meeting staff and customers at a series of "World Cafés" at which issues facing the organisation were discussed, and staff had the opportunity to put forward their ideas, comments and suggestions. Some staff also accompanied customers to customer meetings to assist them to take part.

Exponential have a number of recognition schemes in place. These include: Exponential-e stars – this allows employees to nominate their peers for good practice. All nominations are publicised on the intranet and particularly note-worthy candidates receive a gift voucher reward. Exponential-e annual awards – employees are nominated by the Senior Management Team for their contributions and achievements over the last 12 months. Awards include, Best sales order, Best Sales Person, Outstanding Contribution and the Directors Award. Sales achievers lunch – Every quarter, the sales team members who have achieved 100% or more of their target are invited to a meal with the CEO. Sales incentives – on top of the commission plan, the CEO runs a number of tailored product incentives which see Sales people win bonuses or prizes such as an iPad.

Exponential's Academy programme has been running since 2008. This provides an opportunity for individuals outside of sales to gain a first step into Telecoms sales. All candidates attend an assessment day and those hired attend an intensive eight week training programme on their products and service as well as core sales skills with follow-up and refresher training over their first six months. However training does not just come at the beginning of their career. On a wider scale all sales people have attended a training programme either to up-skill on Cloud or Voice technologies or their sales skills tailored at a selected vertical. The training team are currently researching providers for an advanced sales skills programme for next year.

Core manager classes giving needed skills to new and newly hired managers as required. Managers are measured on how well they coach and develop their employees as well as business results. Managers are eager to meet business results and often allow employees flexible work arrangements to accommodate both business and personal balance.

Directors and managers in the business are approachable and open minded, such that staff are able to bring opinions or suggestions to them to discuss. It is well known within the business that if processes become outdated that suggestions for improvement can be made and will be reviewed at the top level. An email account is setup so that suggestions and questions can be submitted electronically. The company also tries to integrate questions and suggestions into company meetings and conferences.

Directors and managers in the business are approachable and open minded, such that staff are able to bring opinions or suggestions to them to discuss. It is well known within the business that if processes become outdated that suggestions for improvement can be made and will be reviewed at the top level. An email account is setup so that suggestions and questions can be submitted electronically. The company also tries to integrate questions and suggestions into company meetings and conferences.