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Giving Something Back - The extent to which employees feel their organisation has a positive impact on society
Giving Something Back focuses on the organisation’s social responsibilities. If key factors such as ‘Leadership’ and ‘My Manager’ are performing well, it can influence the improvement of all the other factors, boosting your overall engagement.
The firm created a new job title for its 30 secretaries who were feeling undervalued. In collaboration with them, it came up with a title that worked better for them and a pathway that formalised progression.
Kilburn & Strode is working on a transparent pay grid for its team of IP administrators. Last Easter all staff received a £25 gift card to buy something that would enhance their wellbeing.
Last year, the firm partnered with The Access Project, which helps disadvantaged young people gain access to university. Staff volunteer as tutors. The project found the programme boosted GCSE results by more than half a grade in the tutored subject and increased the chances of getting a place at a top university four-fold.
KGA implements the relevant actions that it gathers from each company survey. The last survey that was run was a feedback questionnaire on the KGA Community, where employees were able to share their thoughts on current communication strategies and on what they would like to see. This resulted in newsletters providing more uplifting content.
All employees receive a bonus based on personal and company achievements. In addition to this, all sales employees have an incentive scheme and earn commission payments based on their sales. To keep KGA people safe everyone completed a home-working risk assessment and there were appropriate Covid-19 evaluations for the office.
The Kenneth and Susan Green Charitable Foundation was formed about 10 years ago and KGA is a long-term partner of Look Good Feel Better, an international charity that provides free workshops and services for individuals struggling with the visual effects of cancer treatment. Kenneth has served on the Board of Trustees for over 25 years.
The Leadership Development Programme is Karmarama's flagship training scheme, developed in-house by the HR team. It is designed to help managers build and develop their personal leadership skills and always receives fantastic feedback. The agency plans to roll it out again this year, virtually.
The weekly Assembly (all-hands meeting) was digitised from week one of the pandemic, so all staff members heard CEO Ben Bilboul and other business leaders deliver a combination of light-hearted announcements and presentations, as well as more serious business topics.
In 2020, an survey showed that colleagues wanted to see Karmarama do more to fight the climate crisis. So Green Karma – with a goal to minimise the company's impact on the world and maximise efforts for the world – was formed. With the support of the, Green Karma committed the business to be net carbon-zero by 2025.
Through the pandemic, the leadership team has provided daily updates as well as weekly catch-ups for those on furlough. It has provided additional training for furloughed staff to help them keep active and avoid mental health decline. Their salaries were also topped up to 100%.
For its software and development teams, iVendi listened to feedback and chose to conduct a trial on remote working for the foreseeable future. This means that half of the company's workforce is now remote working and it appears to be working well.
Two days of paid leave have been offered to employees to volunteer in the local community and there has been a big uptake during the pandemic. One volunteer spent the time building a website for a charity to give them online presence. The company facilitated staff donations to food banks as well as providing toys.
After a long period of mergers and acquisitions, the company is revising its values, but sustainability and care of the planet remain at the forefront. Areas that have been focused on for improvement are consistent company communication, learning and development opportunities and providing fun activities.
While working from home in winter, Internet Fusion introduced "Winter Hours". This was permission for staff to get out and enjoy the winter sun in the middle of the day for up to two hours. They were allowed to make up the time at the start or end of the day.
The company works closely with and supports #2minutebeachclean, a campaign to clear rubbish from our beaches, which has been featured on BBC news. It also works with its partner Protect Our Winters UK, which aims to speed up the transition to being carbon neutral.
The annual appraisal process allows individuals to set objectives with their manager and these are reviewed throughout the year to ensure goals are reached. This provides the basis for two promotion waves within the year where individuals are put forward for progression.
Physical and mental wellbeing has been a key focus during the pandemic. IFF introduced a range of initiatives to boost positivity and the general welfare of staff from weekly wellbeing updates to team movement challenges, regular surveys and engagement audits. It also promoted its employee assistance programme to all employees.
For Christmas, instead of giving gifts to clients, IFF donated to two charities on their behalf. By supporting homeless charity Centrepoint and The Trussell Trust which support foodbanks, IFF was able to help others at need last Christmas. Staff also get two paid volunteering days a year.
Annual awards and ‘Spin to Win' vouchers thank brilliant staff with holidays, electrical gadgets, days off and lie ins. Ice Comms' entire operations team were given a £500 voucher at Christmas in recognition of the especially challenging time they have had. Senior managers sit amongst their teams to improve communication.
Online training courses are readily available and those taking part are rewarded with £50. There is regular customer service and compliance training, and performance is monitored on a daily basis with live data. All senior managers sit amongst their teams so friendly advice is never too far.
Staff taking part in The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, a 24-mile, 5200ft climb across the Yorkshire Dales National Park, raised more than £20,000 for a local hospice. Ice Comms also offsets its carbon emissions with a tree planting scheme, which employees will be able to partake in.
Huel says it likes to have fun in the workplace and has set up “amusement alliances” of three people from each office to run social events for six months, giving them a budget and project management responsibility that encourages negotiating and presentational skills.
Every month, teams use a specially-created app to put forward two members who they think have done an outstanding job, in accordance with company values, for the “Huel Of Fame.” Senior managers choose two employees every month for a £1,000 award.
1% of company profit is given to initiatives that support sustainable nutrition such as Eat Forum, a science-based initiative aiming to transform the global food system. Employees are to be encouraged, once the pandemic is over, to give a working day per year to tree planting or working at a food bank.
HWCC has continued to support professional development including degree apprenticeships. Managers have access to the training courses and webinars the Chamber has organised for external businesses which range from building resilience to managing mental health during the Coronavirus crisis and leading through change and uncertainty.
Morale boosting activities included quizzes, origami making, a sunflower growing contest and the 12@12 initiative - 12 minutes of exercise at noon to encourage staff to get away from their desk. During the initial lockdown HWCC also introduced a Friday Pause at 4 to encourage employees to meditate.
During the pandemic, HWCC has provided a day's paid leave for employees to take part in charity work. Fundraising events included a virtual Macmillan Coffee Morning and a short comedy festive video it made for a virtual carol service to raise money for the local food bank.
Staff get an annual £200 grant to put towards hobbies, activities or training to support their wellbeing and happiness. Golding has also launched a wellbeing programme and a range of activities have also been kept morale high including quizzes, water cooler chat moments, huddles, virtual coffees and lunches.
The remuneration package includes 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, company pension contribution and life assurance plus flexible benefits, including a health cash plan, the opportunity to buy additional holiday, a cycle to work scheme, an onsite gym, and retail discounts
In response to the pandemic Golding launched a hardship fund giving £100 to residents struggling financially for essentials such as food, gas, and electricity. It also donated to homelessness charity, Porchlight and Maidstone Winter Churches Shelter, providing 55 hot meals over Christmas and sent hampers to local charities.
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