State of Engagement 2026 Report |
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To help with living costs, a staff travel loan allows staff to borrow up to £250 at a time to cover costs such as new tyres, repair costs or a multi-trip travel ticket. It allows staff to spread big costs over six months. A season-ticket loan scheme of up to £3,000 is also available.
To further its aim of reaching net zero by 2030, the trust carried out energy audits of venues and provided energy-management training sessions to help staff build the skills and knowledge to implement energy reduction. It also undertook a biodiversity study to identify opportunities to manage sites with green space in a nature-positive way.
The trust launched its first management development programme last year. It also piloted a line-manager induction and development scheme. The training introduces key processes line managers are accountable for, as well as developing capabilities in the areas of coaching, feedback and development.
Regular support sessions reflect real workplace concerns thanks to input from the employee voice Partnership Council, the organisation's four Inclusion Networks and the latest absence and turnover trends. Recent sessions have included a myth-buster on vaccines and infection control, and balancing work and family commitments.
Midland Heart is an early adopter of the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing to benefit its communities and the wider environment. It also looks to recycle wherever possible, whether that's the maintenance team separating waste before disposal or its development partners reusing old roof tiles when building new homes.
There are development opportunities for every stage of leadership. These include courses for aspiring managers in partnership with University College Birmingham, front-line manager training and a 12-month Cranfield University training programme for senior leaders. Managers also benefit from ongoing support through coaching, mentoring and cross-functional management meetings.
Employees can recommend candidates for advertised positions, receiving £2000 if the person is successful and passes their three-month probation period. It benefits EMJ as it sources great-fit candidates via people who know the roles and the skills required. And staff feel trusted and valued by supporting the company's growth and success.
A dedicated Charity Board organises fundraising events for the team, including those for its community charity Kids Inspire, which awarded EMJ' Corporate Supporter of the Year' for raising more than £20,000 in 2021. Fundraising activities have included the 100k Thames Path Challenge and a fancy dress Halloween event.
New and existing managers are supported through the new Manager Skills Toolkit. It involves monthly sessions with an HR professional, and covers a variety of content in bite-sized chunks, including handling difficult conversations, situational leadership, managing performance and personal effectiveness. The company also runs a Future Leaders Programme focused on building successful teams.
Last year, chief executive Adam Stroud had mini-exchanges with each employee across the globe and the chats provided a platform for staff to ask questions and be answered directly. The move improved engagement with staff across the company. Breakfast with directors sessions are run virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Paxton aims to have an all-electric car fleet next year. All new company cars ordered last year were electric or hybrid and the fleet is now 87% hybrid or fully electric. Biodegradable packaging is used in the company cafe and a "green team" looks for new environmentally friendly ways of working.
Sessions that are run as part of the managers’ network allow leaders to bring a challenge to share with their peers and support one another to find creative solutions that drive consistency across the company. The sessions include training on topics such as salary-review conversations.
Staff were given a £500 bonus at Christmas, and in June, they were given an extra week's pay. To help with the rising cost of living, staff are offered interest-free loans for transport and supermarket vouchers. The firm pays at least the living wage, rather than the minimum wage.
Senior managers have been designing a line manager training course that incorporates its values and expectations. It provides tips and real-life experience to underpin the learning. All managers are offered a mentor from a different area of the business, level of seniority and length of experience.
JMW's training team delivers task and knowledge-based training. Staff also have unlimited access to webinars, via a training portal, and the chance to attend external courses. During the past 18 months, the firm has signed up eight staff on apprenticeship programmes and developed an in-house trainee development pathway.
At monthly “feed the 50(00) events”, one team has to cook for the rest of the office. The events give staff the opportunity to interact with others during a long lunch. Updates, business trends, and so on, are discussed at fortnightly barstool meetings. Monday morning “launches” start the week, while 3pm Friday “wraps” end it.
Deverellsmith has an ambassador for sustainability, who volunteers to lead initiatives that ensure the business and its staff have a more positive impact on the environment. He has organised events to promote environmental responsibility, such as tree planting and a beach clean, and is working on waste-management within the company.
Managers have been undertaking a six-month programme based on six core leadership competencies: self-awareness; agility; sales; data; coaching and digital skills. The company has also introduced a “future managers” programme.
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