My Company - The level of engagement employees feel with their job and organisation
My Company is what we call an ‘output’ factor, it focuses on people’s ‘love’ and ‘pride’ in working for your organisation.
Now unfortunately you can’t directly make people feel these emotions, but when all of the other seven factors are doing well, people will be far more likely to experience that love and pride ultimately improving the My Company factor as a result.
CFC is a 34% employee-owned company which means it benefits from having employee ownership alongside an incredibly engaged senior management and leadership team who act as role models for their teams. The core values are demonstrated through its belief in market-leading insurance products and customer service and a constant drive for innovation.
By attracting high-calibre talent, and retaining, motivating, and engaging employees through fair, competitive, and responsible remuneration structures it continuously builds on not only CFC principles but puts a spotlight on each and every individual in the organisation, these are the key components to its success.
CFC recently opened an Innovation Hub that provides a modern and tech-friendly office space for the tech team to collaborate in. Additionally, it has launched a careers platform to attract candidates to CFC. This platform is much more visually appealing and candidate-engaging, with video job overviews, manager profiles, and transparent recruitment steps and processes.
In addition to pay rewards, Christies Care has a quarterly, "extra mile" award for which staff nominate colleagues who they think have gone over and above in their roles. It also has annual awards that are linked to the organisation's values, when staff achievements are celebrated.
Managers are supported by senior managers through monthly one-to-one sessions, yearly appraisals and personal-development plans. Training and upskilling is tailored to the individual, and takes the form of in-house teaching and the use of external coaches.
Braving the Shave, a danceathon and the Mighty Hike for Macmillan Cancer Support are among the fundraising activities staff have taken part in to raise money for charity, as well as shoebox filling for a homeless shelter. During mental health awareness week cash was raised for The Befriending Scheme, which supports vulnerable young people.
COOK trains ‘Wellbeing Warriors’ to champion initiatives around mind, body, and soul. Every year starts with Wellbeing January, providing a real focus to kick off the year with a bang. It hosts a full month of events including workshops, exercise classes, and talks from external speakers (CoppaFeel, osteopaths etc.), all via its Learning Wall.
COOK has a communication culture. It regularly shares updates and company strategies through its ‘All at COOK’ email. Additionally, using its embedded ‘Because Churchill’s Pig Week’, it has found that people talk freely to encourage change. The biggest actions it has taken off the back of this include improving the operations of its dev team.
Its Essential Ingredients of Leadership describe how to lead through its values. As well as role modelling every day, its senior leaders deliver leadership academy workshops that are all themed around the company values. They also lead the ‘Regular Values Recognition’, encouraging their teams to recognise their colleagues’ hard work and living company values.
The founders and leadership team have been communicating the 'North Star Ambitions' focused on people, culture, growth, clients and impact, ensuring everyone knows how to contribute. Each ambition has an owner who supports goal-setting across the business. Employees get twice-yearly updates on progress.
Referrals are Daemon's most effective way of bringing in culture-fitting new talent, with one in five new hires via the scheme. An employee who successfully recommends a person for a permanent position gets £2,500 within 12 months. And there's even £200 for a team member who refers somebody on a contract basis.
Daemon's corporate charities are Breadline Africa, which provides educational infrastructure, and Staffordshire Women's Aid. Its staff raise money through activities like runs and step challenges. They also do free-of-charge technical work to help the charities increase web traffic and online donations. Contributions to Breadline Africa have helped build a school facility using a shipping container.
All staff are encouraged to be brand ambassadors using social media to show the company is a great place to work. Everyone gets a £2000 referral bonus for a successful candidate they've recommended, irrespective of the level of the role they're starting. More than one in 10 (13%) of new hires currently come from referrals.
Learning and development have increased by 450% over the past five years. Staff can get fully-funded courses for essential professional qualifications or certifications. There are internal development programmes, including leadership and specialist technical skills, and plentiful secondment opportunities. There's also an online learning platform with over 25,000 assets, from audiobooks to courses.
The company works with an IT recycling company to manage the disposal of equipment used across the business and by its customers. By ensuring more than 1000 devices are reused and the rest recycled, the company has reduced CO2 emissions by almost 10.5 tonnes. It supports local charities by gifting this equipment alongside financial donations.
All new staff attend a company induction which includes a 'culture' induction giving the background of the organisation along with the role that the charity plays in the community. All staff have a monthly one-to-one with their line manager focusing on their health and wellbeing and is framed as a supportive meeting.
The organisation introduced a Management Development Programme whereby the first three modules were essential for all managers to attend, including the CEO. These modules focused on the DNA of a Devon Air Ambulance People Manager, how to Support Performance, and how to Support Attendance, giving a clear vision of how managers interact and support staff.
A women’s hub has been created to help with areas such as fertility health and menopause. The charity has run mental health-awareness weeks and provided sessions on sleep, and mental, financial and physical wellbeing.
Everyone gets two volunteering days a year, working together as a team or individually, for a local cause close to their hearts. And there's always something to do socially, whether its staff netball sessions to build social connections or lunchtime celebrations for sporting events or festivals such as Eid.
Regular learning sessions and opportunities to share successes, including a post-probation period celebration event, connect new recruits with their fellow new starters. There's also a new employee onboarding hub and a checklist managers can customise to ensure they have the right information and can meet the right people to set them up for success.
Mentoring schemes are big at England Netball. Employees can develop their leadership skills as mentors or mentees for underrepresented groups across the sporting sector. And a second scheme pairs mentors with mentees to support specific development goals to help them take the next step in their careers.
Regular social and wellbeing events such as a yearly whole company party, football matches, step count challenges between teams, and team outings are funded by the organisation and are used as a way of developing relationships within and between teams.
The senior leadership team hold weekly live videos to update all colleagues regardless of where they work on developments across the business. The organisation also hold monthly forums, both in person and live streamed, to share news with everyone. Star Awards, celebrating high performing employees, are announced to the whole company in the monthly forums.
Flair Rugs utilises a leadership and management development programme via an external trainer who helps its colleague to enhance their behaviours to be the best that they can be. The programme is designed specifically for Flair Rugs colleagues ensuring that it is aligned to the company vision and values.
Good Energy offers its people premium access to the Headspace app, providing sleep support and meditation as well as mental wellbeing tips. YuLife, its employee assistance programme, offers physical and mental support; with access to a doctor service. It also encourages physical activity where employees work towards points to gain vouchers.
The organisation offers remote working allowance of £500 covering safe desk set up, electricity and heating costs. It also provides a travel allowance of £500, supporting with travel to our office and associated costs. Good Energy’s environmental purpose is factored into travel, rewarding those who are limiting travel, and reducing its carbon footprint significantly.
Culture Champions volunteer across all areas to promote the organisation’s culture, and feedback to leadership. The Culture Champions include groups with specific focus areas: Inclusion Champions focus on diversity and inclusion, and Mental Health First Aiders and general Cultural Champions who focus on sustainability and green initiatives, as well as social and engagement.
