Leadership

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Staff get together for monthly "walk and talk" sessions in different parts of the North West, based around the company's services. It also hosted a "party in the car park", which it plans to tour around its services. Staff were encouraged to host a stall or a game and colleagues and service-users attended.

Senior leaders role-model the company's values which are: "We believe everyone matters", "We inspire one another", "We are resilient", "We work as a team" and "We strive for excellence and quality". All senior leaders work on the "shop floor" and operate an open-door policy.

The "enhanced support worker" pathway is a six-month programme that develops the skills and knowledge of support workers, allowing them to take on key responsibilities within the service. Completion of it means a pay rise and staff are eligible to apply for team leader or other senior roles within the organisation.

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Health & Social Care

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Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

Senior leaders are passionate about what they do and inspire and support staff to improve continually. They demonstrate that wellbeing matters and show that they care about staff and not just about getting the job done. They are always available to chat.

All staff have been involved in designing a hybrid model by completing a survey, having team discussions and giving feedback. The first trial has been completed and sessions have been set up to discover how it is working and what suggestions staff have to make changes to it.

The authority ensures employees have monthly one-to-one sessions with their managers. This time is used as a chance for staff to talk to their manager and make sure their workloads are manageable.

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Not For Profit Body's

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LMP Group

The leadership team is committed to creating a family feel with open communication lines. Each new employee is welcomed with a coffee by the director – the perfect opportunity to ask questions. Co-founders reach out to employees three months after their start date to check-in on their experience of the company so far.

A salary banding system ensures fair pay for all. Pay is reviewed regularly and benchmarked via a third-party HR consultancy, guaranteeing no discrimination. This approach has proved so impressive that it’s won awards, including Investors in People: Gold; Rate My Apprenticeship: Best Employer; and Best Provider: Third Place – to name just a few.

Holding exceptionally high standards of training is at the heart of how the company operates. All trainers are enrolled as members of professional bodies. Ensuring all team member's skills are aligned with the industry standard, they're continually developed via CPD programmes, forums, events and newsletters.

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Education & Training

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Landbay

'Timeout Tuesday' events allow staff to take time out of their working day to focus on their wellbeing by taking part in activities such as massage, yoga, and workshops and webinars. The events are chosen by employees during surveys. Fitness challenges are also staged during the year, including a Tough Mudder run for charity.

Tuesday is a mandatory office day so that everyone can come together for the weekly stand-up meeting, when senior leaders let staff know what is going on, how things are progressing and what support is available. Social events, such as team lunches and dinners, quiz evenings, games nights and other activities bring people together informally.

Chief Executive, John Goodall, has established an open and collaborative working environment and has a strong, inspirational presence within the company. He sits with the teams in the open-plan office. Senior leaders make sure that all staff are communicated with honestly and believe in the importance of everyone having a voice.

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Financial Services

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ENSEK

A new post of internal communications manager has transformed how the company communicates with its employees and how effective it is. Supported by a team of culture champions, ENSEK has also ensured that people across all parts of the business, in all locations, understand its purpose, mission and values.

The company recognises that staff are often best placed to find enthusiastic recruits and offers generous referral payments ranging from £350 to £1200. In 2021, all employees sharing social media posts with #engineeryourcareerwithENSEK had the chance to win a tech package. Currently, more than 25 per cent of employees come recommended by a colleague.

Revised job descriptions aim to help people better understand their roles and what positions to set their sights on. Career frameworks are also being rolled out to support quarterly performance reviews. Engineering Days or UK Operations Days see whole departments come into the office for learning and team building.

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Technology

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Cook Recruitment Group

Staff are experiencing less stress at work and greater job satisfaction thanks to various fatigue-busting initiatives. These include journals for more effective planning, duvet days and more regular breaks away from the desk. Employees can use the on-site gym or enjoy discounted rates at local fitness centres.

Initiatives are bringing staff together across the divisions, promoting team cohesion, interaction and a sharing of interests. The Employee of The Month scheme now sees staff voting for the winners. And a newly-built patio has encouraged staff to chat, socialise and build stronger working relationships.

All staff can take advantage of training and mentoring schemes. The company's trainee academy focuses on giving employment and development opportunities to people new to the recruitment industry. It wants to establish home-grown talent grounded in the agency's values that can then go on to coach others.

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Recruitment

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Circus Street

Circus Street’s leading mental health, fitness, and nutrition tools provide a holistic approach to the wellbeing of colleagues. Employees can visit an in-house nutritionist, attend workshops on sleep and diet, or join workout sessions including boxing and yoga. They also have access to private health insurance.

Keeping colleagues informed and energised is a priority. Coupled with a Circus Street newsletter, employees attend quarterly town hall gatherings, where the leadership team provides performance updates, as well as discussing exciting projects and team news.

Colleagues enjoy six days per year dedicated to their personal development, ensuring their skills keep ahead of the ever-changing digital curve. As part of this initiative, they benefit from access to external mentors, as well as having the opportunity to discuss career progression goals at focus groups.

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Education & Training

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Annapurna Recruitment

The company says it invests heavily in team morale and offers incentives to staff. Every team has monthly targets to aim for and when they hit them they are given a team night out, such as a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a trip to the Crystal Maze, or sporting events.

All directors sit on the sales floor and are as approachable as anyone else in the organisation. The directors lead the Friday stand-up session, which brings together all staff to celebrate achievements at the end of the week.

Annapurna Giving, the company's charity arm, has been raising money for Parkinson's Disease organisations. Charlie Appleyard, the company's co-founder and a director, was diagnosed with the disease three years ago. He captained the UK team at the Ray Kennedy Cup, a football tournament in Copenhagen for those living with Parkinson's.

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Recruitment

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IQE

Colleagues are encouraged to use the firm’s social media platform, Workplace, to share posts and engage with life outside of work. Social events, such as coffees, lunches, and evening drinks give employees a chance to get together, and brief ‘stand-up’ style calls have been implemented to encourage connectedness.

Monthly videos from the Executive and Senior Leadership Team keep employees in the loop with company updates, along with a quarterly newsletter containing information on company goals, best practice, and maintaining engagement. Colleagues have the chance to ask questions during on-site visits and there’s regular townhall meetings with the company’s CEO.

Employees “wore it pink” for Breast Cancer Awareness and donned their festive finery for Save the Children’s ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ in just two of IQE’s charitable fundraisers. The business has recently established a committee focused on giving back to local communities, and all staff are gifted a day per year to help a good cause.

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Manufacturing

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Connect Childcare

Connect Software works with an external organisation to deliver wellbeing sessions to staff. They are popular and the topics covered are chosen by everyone to encourage buy-in. Wellbeing reminders and tips are sent out regularly to ensure employees are taking care of themselves, taking a break and having down time.

Quarterly senior leaders' meetings are a new concept at Connect and were launched to bring leaders together to bridge the gaps that have appeared as a result of a more flexible way of working. The three-hour meetings discuss the highs and lows of past quarter and pave the way for the next.

Training and development is promoted by the company and is discussed in quarterly assessments and regular one-to-one sessions with staff. Employees are encouraged to look at their skills and areas that need developing. As a result of the last company survey, Connect Software has created a nine- to 12-month leadership and management development programme.

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Technology

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Leadership Drives Engagement

Next Stage

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

LMP Group

Landbay

ENSEK

Cook Recruitment Group

Circus Street

Annapurna Recruitment

IQE

Connect Childcare

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