Leadership - How employees feel about the head of the organisation, senior management and the organisation's values and principles
Leadership has the biggest influence on how employees feel about the organisation.
Leaders need to create inspiring visions and provide clear direction to positively Impact the My Company factor.
When it comes to Wellbeing, no amount of free fruit or stress busting classes are going to address an imbalance. Employee Wellbeing is a by-product of the leadership and management culture.
If there’s pressure at the top of your organisation, it won’t take long to be felt throughout.
Liquid's directors do not have separate offices; they work alongside staff in open plan offices, on the same banks of desks as managers, consultants, trainees and apprentices. They ensure that they are visible throughout the business, and as accessible and approachable as possible. The interview process for any new staff joining Liquid always includes at least one of Liquid's directors at some stage. All recruitment consultants who join the business will face a final interview with their managing directors. The board works hard to speak to potential new employees, to communicate their vision for the future of the business and to really promote the opportunities that are available. The directors hold whole company briefings in the office each month, bringing all staff together in one open space to hear about individual, team and companywide successes, competition winners and major developments. They also personally introduce any new starters who have joined the business and discuss targets and plans for the coming month. The directors developed the internal training programme and occasionally run their own training sessions.
Liquid's directors do not have separate offices; they work alongside staff in open plan offices, on the same banks of desks as managers, consultants, trainees and apprentices. They ensure that they are visible throughout the business, and as accessible and approachable as possible. The interview process for any new staff joining Liquid always includes at least one of Liquid's directors at some stage. All recruitment consultants who join the business will face a final interview with their managing directors. The board works hard to speak to potential new employees, to communicate their vision for the future of the business and to really promote the opportunities that are available. The directors hold whole company briefings in the office each month, bringing all staff together in one open space to hear about individual, team and companywide successes, competition winners and major developments. They also personally introduce any new starters who have joined the business and discuss targets and plans for the coming month. The directors developed the internal training programme and occasionally run their own training sessions.
Liquid's directors do not have separate offices; they work alongside staff in open plan offices, on the same banks of desks as managers, consultants, trainees and apprentices. They ensure that they are visible throughout the business, and as accessible and approachable as possible. The interview process for any new staff joining Liquid always includes at least one of Liquid's directors at some stage. All recruitment consultants who join the business will face a final interview with their managing directors. The board works hard to speak to potential new employees, to communicate their vision for the future of the business and to really promote the opportunities that are available. The directors hold whole company briefings in the office each month, bringing all staff together in one open space to hear about individual, team and companywide successes, competition winners and major developments. They also personally introduce any new starters who have joined the business and discuss targets and plans for the coming month. The directors developed the internal training programme and occasionally run their own training sessions.
The EMT is expected to demonstrate the LHH Values in all the decisions they make for the business about employees, clients and the individuals they help. Every member of the EMT commits to living out the values of the business in everything that they do. This may be through regular career conversations they are having with their direct reports, to challenging clients and demonstrating their true passion for making a difference. As part of their on-boarding for new employees, each EMT member is expected to cover culture and values. In all communications the EMT is expected to demonstrate the values and they often refer to the Values when acknowledging the contribution of others in the business. The EMT is proud of the business culture and values and strives to maintain a good working culture.
Every month they bring the company together from up and down the country for a knowledge exchange to give different departments the opportunity to update the rest of the team on what's going on in their world. Apart from day-to-day team interactions, their "Dragon's Den" concept is a good example of how LHH works together as a team. Every year employees are put into cross-functional groups and asked to come up with an idea that will either help solve a problem for a client or make LHH a better place to work. The group is given time to work together on creating a ‘big idea' and how they would envisage executing their plan. At LHH UK's annual conference they are asked to present their idea to the Global Head of Strategy and four of their clients, who act as the "Dragon's". The room is set up like Dragon's Den and the Dragons have £15,000 to invest in the idea. The purpose of this initiative is to facilitate true innovation across the business whilst encouraging employees to build and sustain strong cross-functional working relationships.
Staff truly believe in making a difference for every person they help. Over 98% of people understand and believe in the LHH purpose (taken from 2015 engagement survey). All of their values are up on posters throughout the office and in every meeting room. All new employees are shown these core values and vision statements when they join the company and are often tested on them. Throughout the year, staff congratulate other employees using key values. It could be that they completed a difficult project with a smile on their face, or they showed initiative and made something happen - they are praised and congratulated at LHH and all link back to the company values. The company values are on tote bags and mugs around the office.
All managers receive external one to one coaching on a monthly basis. They can use this time to process any issue they wish, it is entirely confidential and for their own personal and professional development. The company have delivered a year long programme of world class speakers to work closely with their senior management team. In order to support their Financial Controller the company engaged a part time Finance Director to mentor her through a period of growth and planning. Their marketing executive has been put through a CIM Certificate funded by the company and supported with paid study days. The senior management team run their own diaries and know that the company place great value on their personal and family lives. They believe that to alleviate stress at senior level it is important that they are present at children's sports days, partner's hospital appointments, school plays and all those things that being present at hopefully give one a really great work-life balance. They do not expect a 9-5 culture, they expect a high performing team who delivers on the goals and objectives of their business and their happiness is key to that. The company treat them like grown-ups and they behave like them -it is a culture of mutual respect.
All managers receive external one to one coaching on a monthly basis. They can use this time to process any issue they wish, it is entirely confidential and for their own personal and professional development. The company have delivered a year long programme of world class speakers to work closely with their senior management team. In order to support their Financial Controller the company engaged a part time Finance Director to mentor her through a period of growth and planning. Their marketing executive has been put through a CIM Certificate funded by the company and supported with paid study days. The senior management team run their own diaries and know that the company place great value on their personal and family lives. They believe that to alleviate stress at senior level it is important that they are present at children's sports days, partner's hospital appointments, school plays and all those things that being present at hopefully give one a really great work-life balance. They do not expect a 9-5 culture, they expect a high performing team who delivers on the goals and objectives of their business and their happiness is key to that. The company treat them like grown-ups and they behave like them -it is a culture of mutual respect.
By not providing a covered smoking area anywhere on or near their site and offering a financial incentive of £100 after 6 months of being cigarette free and another £100 6 months later, the company believe they do as much as possible to deter their employees from smoking and the aim is to provide a positive and supportive environment to do this in. In a similar vein Kelly's Self Storage removed all their vending machines and replaced them with free, fresh fruit deliveries and equipped a full kitchen with ovens, hobs, pans, pots, knives, aprons, chopping boards - the works! - so that staff were able to prepare fresh food from scratch should they wish. Their staff offer each other their training abilities and support when undertaking any of their Charity events. From helping someone who hadn't been on a bike since they were 12 to undertake a 45 mile to running a marathon, their employees have buddied up and supported each other all the way. A sporting theme runs through most things they do at Kelly's so even their family fun days are full of (very competitive) volleyball games, extreme rounders, tugs of war and football bulldog. The company recently brought physios and masseurs in house for all of their staff. The company encourage an active, healthy lifestyle as part of their culture and it is self-perpetuating because they then attract people who are looking to or already pursue this type of lifestyle.
At Gerald Eve LLP they have a 'staff profit share' in place which rewards employees for their contribution over each financial year, the reward is driven by firm, team and individual performance to engage employees at all levels in contributing to the wider firm. This bonus rewards the employees' efforts across a range of skills and behaviours, not purely their financial contribution.
At Gerald Eve LLP they seek to enhance the wellbeing of their employees physically and emotionally, both inside and outside of work, and help them plan for their future. To aid their employees financial wellbeing the company run tailored financial education sessions by age group to assist them with each stage in their life - this financial education strategy has been nominated in two awards ceremonies this year for best Financial Education Strategy. In conjunction with the education strategy Gerald Eve LLP provide benefits that help their employees through life events such as moving home. They are one of few employers who provide an interest free Rental Deposit Loan to staff which can especially help graduates when moving to a new city. To enhance their employees physical welfare, employees have access to private medical insurance and wellness days so they can understand their key health metrics and seek advice on them. The company's private medical insurance provides incentives and assistance to stop smoking and to become healthier. The wellbeing of staff is of the upmost importance to the firm and their policies and practices are designed with this in mind. A bi-annual Firm Away day demonstrates this commitment by enabling all employees to meet each other, get to know each other outside of the office and build relationships, cementing the values and culture of the organisation that promotes and enhances our employees wellbeing.
The senior management team at Gerald Eve LLP demonstrate the company values on a daily basis through their approachability and engagement with all staff. The company has an open plan office, with no separate offices for senior management ensuring they are open and friendly to all. Managers regularly visit all offices to ensure a consistent message of 'one firm' is felt by all. The board at Gerald Eve LLP host 'Breakfast with the Board' sessions in which small groups of employees are encouraged to give open feedback and ask questions, promoting the values of Integrity, Respect and Friendliness. Senior management are actively involved with clients on a day to day basis, again demonstrating the company's values of Trust and Integrity. The company display excellence in the quality of their work and dedication to going the extra mile for clients. All of Gerald Eve LLP's values permeate the behaviours and actions of all staff and are embedded in the processes and operations of the firm.
Last year Gemini People spent a large portion of their profit on training their managers and hired an external business coach to work with managers on a 1-2-1 basis and in group sessions. The company now have a formal training programme for all of their managers which runs on a monthly basis. The training is spread out over 12 months and covers everything from learning about “emotional intelligence” through to “what does it mean to be a leader?” The training is being facilitated by the company's Head of Talent, the Directors and the CEO and they have also appointed an external training company. The company also decided to split the management team into two groups so that managers are working in small groups and getting lots of attention in these sessions. Gemini People have recently rolled out a new review process and have been running one to one sessions with each of the managers on how to implement this process with their teams. Gemini People believe that everyone is an individual and one size does not fit all so they are conscious about this when it comes to training.
With a nurturing ethos that supersedes any sense of hierarchy in the business, the senior management team at Gemini People are committed to leading the company through collaboration, fun, inspiration and integrity. They hold Friday wrap-up meetings for the whole company, where they publicly recognise the week's best efforts in the office. They are the first people in the office each morning and the last people to leave at night, they hold regular cross-team meetings, where they share client information and they also run a host of training courses to up-skill everyone in the company. They are always the first to be involved in Gemini CSR initiatives, they have an open door policy and are always there to talk to. The senior management team at Gemini People also lead by example and are the top performers in the business. They would never ask a team member to do something they wouldn't do themselves (even clean the kitchen on their team's day on the rota!) and they frequently use WhatsApp as a quick way to chat about any issues their team members have out of hours.
With a nurturing ethos that supersedes any sense of hierarchy in the business, the senior management team at Gemini People are committed to leading the company through collaboration, fun, inspiration and integrity. They hold Friday wrap-up meetings for the whole company, where they publicly recognise the week's best efforts in the office. They are the first people in the office each morning and the last people to leave at night, they hold regular cross-team meetings, where they share client information and they also run a host of training courses to up-skill everyone in the company. They are always the first to be involved in Gemini CSR initiatives, they have an open door policy and are always there to talk to. The senior management team at Gemini People also lead by example and are the top performers in the business. They would never ask a team member to do something they wouldn't do themselves (even clean the kitchen on their team's day on the rota!) and they frequently use WhatsApp as a quick way to chat about any issues their team members have out of hours.
G Adventures has 25 community projects in the destinations their travellers visit. They have just committed to launching another 50 projects in the next five years. All 50 social enterprise projects – known collectively as G Adventures for Good projects - are under development by G Adventures and its non-profit organisation, Planeterra Foundation. Together they will invest more than CAD$5-million in social enterprises over the next five years. G Adventures is constantly evaluating potential new G Adventures; For Good projects and these are selected according to the biggest impact in terms of community benefit and traveller numbers. The projects are primarily located in communities where indigenous people, women and youth have been disadvantaged by a lack of access to education, jobs and income opportunities.
On Friday night at The Summit (G Adventures' London office) they host regular live news shows, with all news from G Adventures, both people in the London office and G Nation around the world. It is hosted by The Monarchy, four team members who are the ambassadors of culture at The Summit. It includes news updates, sporting events for the office, upcoming global events, birthdays and shout-outs for the team. The CoC is the Circle of Chat which happens afterwards, where drinks and chit chat are shared.
All the senior management team wear Core Values t-shirts and set-up and host Summit Talks, where different business leaders and people with interesting stories come in to the office for an open forum chat about their job and how they got there. They support both The Monarchy (culture team) and Green Queens (sustainability ambassadors) in their goals to create happiness and community, and to do the right thing. They are also the barometer for the office ensuring morale is well and people are passionate in what they do every day!
The company has 3 values: Expert, Dynamic, Scrupulous Expert: continuous learning via two Directors being members of two bimonthly peer support groups (Cranfield BGP Alumni group and the Property Academy Leadership Group); speaking at local events; taking part in Sunday Times National Awards as judges to keep in touch with best practice; contribution to industry trends as spokespeople to trade press and national media; proximity to planning legislation via the MD being a Steering Group member of his Neighbourhood Plan. Dynamic: constantly pushing new ideas into the organisation. Other new innovation includes their own bespoke Property Inspection iPad app to streamline arguably the most valued part of their Property Management. Sourcing of new developments and opportunities such as the 24 apartments they bought and furnished for clients in Reading. Scrupulous: honesty and integrity when dealing with clients; fair judgements during the settling of any minor or major customer complaints; walking the walk each day in their demeanour and treatment of colleagues.
The company has 3 values: Expert, Dynamic, Scrupulous Expert: continuous learning via two Directors being members of two bimonthly peer support groups (Cranfield BGP Alumni group and the Property Academy Leadership Group); speaking at local events; taking part in Sunday Times National Awards as judges to keep in touch with best practice; contribution to industry trends as spokespeople to trade press and national media; proximity to planning legislation via the MD being a Steering Group member of his Neighbourhood Plan. Dynamic: constantly pushing new ideas into the organisation. Other new innovation includes their own bespoke Property Inspection iPad app to streamline arguably the most valued part of their Property Management. Sourcing of new developments and opportunities such as the 24 apartments they bought and furnished for clients in Reading. Scrupulous: honesty and integrity when dealing with clients; fair judgements during the settling of any minor or major customer complaints; walking the walk each day in their demeanour and treatment of colleagues.
Team events/meetings happen every day at Finders Keepers. Every office has a team meeting first thing in the morning, to focus the team on what is happening, what the priorities are, where they are against target. They also use these meetings to celebrate success; probationary periods passed, promotions, exams passed, first year anniversaries -all rewarded with a bottle of wine and a card. On three occasions a year, they have a staff meeting - two breakfast ones and one annual lunch one where they take all the staff to a venue. At the breakfast ones, they have a 'fun' team exercise followed by an update on business activities and awards for staff who go above and beyond in demonstrating their values - these nominations are from their peers. At the annual staff meeting, after an update on the year's success, they reward long service, and the 'best' in class, again nominated by their peers. There is usually a gap in these meetings in the summer to allow for their busy seasonal period but this year they decided to bridge the gap with a shortened version of the quarterly meetings, in the form of a Pimms party by the river, this took the form of a quick update, awards for their values but the main focus was a huge thank you to the staff for their hard work.
Their customer service commitments are based on maintaining a strong, motivated and friendly team. The company aim to attract the best within the industry by offering above market rate remuneration and develop long-term relationships and loyalty by investing in their team. As investors in people, they encourage professional development, offering time off and financial support to study and attend courses in order to further qualifications. Regular appraisals and social events give their team the opportunity to express their views and suggest ideas as to how FC Exchange can move forward and improve intra-company relations and processes. The company are proud of their staff retention rates, keeping a high degree of experience within the company which helps build and maintain long-term customer relationships. FC Exchange has consistently grown year-on-year since 2005, expanding to new markets; presenting new opportunities for promotion. As a result, 75% of their senior management has been recruited from within the company.
Their customer service commitments are based on maintaining a strong, motivated and friendly team. The company aim to attract the best within the industry by offering above market rate remuneration and develop long-term relationships and loyalty by investing in their team. As investors in people, they encourage professional development, offering time off and financial support to study and attend courses in order to further qualifications. Regular appraisals and social events give their team the opportunity to express their views and suggest ideas as to how FC Exchange can move forward and improve intra-company relations and processes. The company are proud of their staff retention rates, keeping a high degree of experience within the company which helps build and maintain long-term customer relationships. FC Exchange has consistently grown year-on-year since 2005, expanding to new markets; presenting new opportunities for promotion. As a result, 75% of their senior management has been recruited from within the company.
Quite simply, the company ask new starters to the business to present what they have learnt about the business.
EnviroVent works with over 500 Housing Association Bodies and communities on a daily basis all of which are recognising the clear benefits brought by installing EnviroVent products. In addition, they support the local communities in which they operate through employing local installers and engineers. EnviroVent educate Tenant Management Organisations in solving condensation problems and promoting health. Colleagues are committed to supporting various charities. The company is participating in Saint Michael's Hospice You're Inspired Challenge to raise as much money as possible towards patient care. They are doing a sponsored sky dive, held bacon fryday's , dress down days and are holding a raffle all held within company time. Twenty colleagues participated in Pugney's Dragon Boat Race raising £535 for St Michaels Hospice. Mark, Logistics' Manager raised £235 for Epilepsy Research running the Great North Run. Chris, darts player and full time Production Administrator completed a full month of no drinking, a ‘Dryathlon' for Cancer research. Eight colleagues ran Harrogate's Race for Life –raising £600 Ventilation was installed in local community Centre's newly refurbished kitchen. Paul, helped local students at St Aiden's College learn more about what a career in R&D looks like by doing a presentation on what his role involved. In May the company sponsored a table at the Macmillan Spring Ball. 10 colleagues attended who have in some way contributed towards a charity. It was a memorable evening of fine food, live music and prizes.
The senior management team are committed to developing talent and encouraging their colleagues to be the best they can be. They demonstrate their commitment to the ‘EnviroVent Way' by leading teams by example, and following up on promises made. The company take a contextual approach to business, by making pragmatic decisions based on facts. This creates an environment of trust and mutual respect which encourages an open flow of communication across the business. The senior management team are accessible, there is an open door policy that has encouraged people to stop by for a quick chat to feeling that they are able to raise new ideas or difficult topics. The company believe that this approach to work has created closer working relationships and an overall feeling that they are all ‘in it together'. The senior team cascade and promote new initiatives through 1-1's, huddles, company and regional updates and writing articles for the monthly newsletter with aim of ‘keeping it simple' and providing ‘opportunities for all' to get involved. The company provide merit based awards and recognition for those colleagues who demonstrate and alignment with The EnviroVent Way.
The senior management team are committed to developing talent and encouraging their colleagues to be the best they can be. They demonstrate their commitment to the ‘EnviroVent Way' by leading teams by example, and following up on promises made. The company take a contextual approach to business, by making pragmatic decisions based on facts. This creates an environment of trust and mutual respect which encourages an open flow of communication across the business. The senior management team are accessible, there is an open door policy that has encouraged people to stop by for a quick chat to feeling that they are able to raise new ideas or difficult topics. The company believe that this approach to work has created closer working relationships and an overall feeling that they are all ‘in it together'. The senior team cascade and promote new initiatives through 1-1's, huddles, company and regional updates and writing articles for the monthly newsletter with aim of ‘keeping it simple' and providing ‘opportunities for all' to get involved. The company provide merit based awards and recognition for those colleagues who demonstrate and alignment with The EnviroVent Way.
N&C believe in the 4 C's – be caring, be compassionate, be competent and be committed. This is portrayed daily by the leadership team through truly believing in the 4 C's and being examples to all staff in the organisation. Every member of staff is seen as an individual and is supported in every way possible to bring out the best in themselves.
Draycott Nursing & Care seek to enhance the wellbeing of their staff by providing continuous training and they also provide a 24 hour emergency helpline for their employees.
Draycott Nursing & Care have staff appreciation rewards and like to reward their staff in a number of ways. The company appreciates each member of staff as individuals. A recent example of this was when the company paid for flights for a long standing colleague to go home when family member passed away.
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