There has been inspirational leadership training for over forty senior managers over the last year. Managers are supported through access to resources on the intranet site. They also receive internal coaching and mentoring from Human Resources and group managers as well as 360 feedback.

The Leader lives the culture of the business and shows respect to all his staff. On his visits he goes around and talks to all his staff and understands the company is nothing without a strong engaged work force. All sites are open plan and all managers' doors must be left open unless a private meeting is in progress which encourages an open culture. Managers communicate through weekly monthly meetings and when required.

Potential managers within the organisation are identified early on and given the nurturing and support that they need to move up to higher levels. Managers are mentored by more senior staff from within Hereford Sixth Form College whilst also extending the mentoring process through other sixth form colleges. Managers are also encouraged to attend any West Midlands management and teacher groups to extend and share their knowledge.

Potential managers within the organisation are identified early on and given the nurturing and support that they need to move up to higher levels. Managers are mentored by more senior staff from within Hereford Sixth Form College whilst also extending the mentoring process through other sixth form colleges. Managers are also encouraged to attend any West Midlands management and teacher groups to extend and share their knowledge.

They have a budget in place specifically for fun and social events to encourage team bonding and socialising outside of work. These events include the Christmas Annual Awards, visits to restaurants in London and the Peach Seminar in London for the executive team and general managers.

Heathcote's are a very strong caring team who all look out for each other and the door is always open to everyone. Ken Heathcote also visits the restaurants on a weekly basis acting as mentor/coach and is there for anyone who may have a problem. Flexibility is given for appointments and employee's hours are monitored to ensure they are maintaining a work/life balance.

They recently introduced an annual VIP Award, Values in Practice. This has six categories that colleagues can be nominated for. These awards were presented by Sir Liam Donaldson and are a public recognition of the outstanding effort made by HPA staff. All local newsletters publish examples of the work that staff are doing, much of it in collaboration with other agencies or organisations. At a local level managers are encouraged to praise achievement whether individually or in team meetings.

Although they are unable to endorse specific charities many staff voluntarily get involved locally and sometimes nationally. Staff are also allowed time off to fulfill public duties such as being a school governor or magistrate or involvement in the armed forces. They have recently introduced an environmental sustainability policy which encourages all staff to be more aware of the impact they are having on the environment and to limit their carbon usage amongst other approaches. As a result some parts of the organisation operate a cycle pool which not only helps reduce carbon but also promotes fitness.

All managers including the CEO operate an open door policy and work in close proximity to their teams. New employees are invited to meet the CEO and senior leaders over specially convened buffet lunches and staff also have the chance to ask the leaders questions through the staff council. The CEO, Shaun Reason always makes an effort to talk to staff, not only about work but finds common ground on a personal level too. He invites criticism and responds to this by not acting defensively but by explaining/upholding the decision/action or by taking action to address the issue raised. He has also introduced a staff suggestion scheme that can be accessed anonymously which he personally deals with.

All managers including the CEO operate an open door policy and work in close proximity to their teams. New employees are invited to meet the CEO and senior leaders over specially convened buffet lunches and staff also have the chance to ask the leaders questions through the staff council. The CEO, Shaun Reason always makes an effort to talk to staff, not only about work but finds common ground on a personal level too. He invites criticism and responds to this by not acting defensively but by explaining/upholding the decision/action or by taking action to address the issue raised. He has also introduced a staff suggestion scheme that can be accessed anonymously which he personally deals with.

HCL ensures that all employees enjoy fun social events as a form of reward as well as a valuable exercise in team building. Recent events have included a trip to Cannes for a team which had significantly outperformed projections, a karaoke night for another team to celebrate getting half way to its annual targets and team building dinners to welcome new joiners. There is also the annual awards ceremony and a divisional Big Billers Club, which meets regularly for nights out and trips, for example to Vegas and New York.

Each year in February they hold the annual HCL Awards Ceremony. This is the biggest event in the company calendar at which the achievements of their brightest stars and the whole company are publicly recognised. With a large budget devoted to the event, the party is held every year in a different flagship London location. Employees from all their offices have transport and hotel accommodation arranged and paid for. The Company's brightest star is rewarded with a high performance sports car and support employees, rising stars and bright new starters are also rewarded with cash and other prizes. This year, all staff were invited to vote on their choice of the top prizes for the HCL Awards and they chose a luxury long haul trip for the 8 - 12 top performers from each of their four divisions. The biggest biller will also get a Porsche Boxter. Support staff will be rewarded with a luxury European trip and there will also be cash prizes and winners also receive personalised award plaques.

The senior management team provide constant support and feedback internally to staff via established communications channels. There is sometimes a need to go outside of these and the senior management team in difficult times will often be seen floor walking to engage and re-energise the workforce. The Managing Director has his office on the same floor as consultants and it is not unusual for him to ‘hot-desk' when visiting other offices around the business and other senior managers will move around the business as much as possible. Both the Chief Executive and Managing Director give regular “blogs” that can be responded to with transparency online enabling them to be upfront and honest with their employees.

Hays unique culture and environment utilises the strength of teams as a way of delivering excellence in recruitment and customer service to their clients, temporary workers and applicants. All teams are encouraged to meet together weekly to cascade messages, share issues and build knowledge. Managers are encouraged to manage teams as well as individuals and to ensure team events occur on a regular basis in order to strengthen the bond; this often includes a social element as well as business focussed activity. Office based incentives promote the strength of the team and awards enable the team to celebrate together both in a social context and on sports and experience events for example a paintballing day. Management conferences seek to encourage team building across specialist business functions and areas. These events often feature team events and utilise teams to solve problems and generate ideas and discussion.

Their communication strategy ensures that the leaders of the firm interact and communicate with staff at all levels, for example the three year strategy was rolled out not just to the partners but to all staff. The leaders believe in empowering employees whilst giving full support, for example the Chief Executive fully supports the Healthy Working Lives committee and Health and Safety committee, however he allows more junior employees to manage the groups. The leaders are actively involved in staff meetings, department meetings, and Practice Group meetings and attend the social events which are open to all levels of staff. The leaders ensure that they action feedback and suggestions of staff. All offices are open plan and they operate an open door policy throughout. There are half year presentations which take place twice a year to all staff in a local venue with drinks and canapés provided afterwards so that staff can ask questions informally.

Their communication strategy ensures that the leaders of the firm interact and communicate with staff at all levels, for example the three year strategy was rolled out not just to the partners but to all staff. The leaders believe in empowering employees whilst giving full support, for example the Chief Executive fully supports the Healthy Working Lives committee and Health and Safety committee, however he allows more junior employees to manage the groups. The leaders are actively involved in staff meetings, department meetings, and Practice Group meetings and attend the social events which are open to all levels of staff. The leaders ensure that they action feedback and suggestions of staff. All offices are open plan and they operate an open door policy throughout. There are half year presentations which take place twice a year to all staff in a local venue with drinks and canapés provided afterwards so that staff can ask questions informally.

Granby Marketing Services believe that businesses are responsible for achieving good environmental practice and operating in a sustainable manner.They are committed to reducing their environmental impact and continually improving their environmental performance as an integral and fundamental part of the business strategy and operating methods. They also support local charities by donating client surplus stock wherever possible. They liaise with local employment agencies i.e. job centre and local colleges to ensure that when they recruit they utilise local resources.

Granby Marketing Services believe that businesses are responsible for achieving good environmental practice and operating in a sustainable manner.They are committed to reducing their environmental impact and continually improving their environmental performance as an integral and fundamental part of the business strategy and operating methods. They also support local charities by donating client surplus stock wherever possible. They liaise with local employment agencies i.e. job centre and local colleges to ensure that when they recruit they utilise local resources.

Gensler lead sustainability efforts through a dedicated Sustainability Committee. This committee is made up of individuals who feel passionately about working within and promoting the issues of sustainability in the environment. New recycling or reduction schemes are communicated and promoted internally at monthly or six-monthly all staff meetings through bespoke humorous videos. Gensler's Community Outreach programme is driven entirely on the interests and entrepreneurship of all those involved. Through a volunteered Community Outreach Committee, their support of local charitable organisations is organised and implemented. The Community Outreach programme incorporates staff from all disciplines and levels working together on a diverse range of projects that have a long lasting positive impact on the charities they support. To demonstrate their commitment to effectively manage projects, sustain and protect the environment, they identify and evaluate the environmental aspects of all projects undertaken, setting measurable and realistic environmental objectives and targets to improve the environmental performance across the business. They also source environmentally sustainable materials, reduce their waste and consumption of energy and maximise opportunities to re-use and recycle where possible.

Employees are rewarded by both financial and non financial ways. These include the appointment process where employees may be promoted annually to become associates, senior associates, principals or managing principals. Individuals who become ‘titled staff members' are nominated by the peer group they may be appointed to join. It would also include financial bonus where employees benefit from six-monthly performance and profit related bonuses which are tied into the six-monthly celebration of the ‘all staff' meeting and the annual ‘all staff' meeting.