People Managers Matter

Employees are contacted for regular wellbeing check-ins, are actively listened to, and have the assistance and support of Mental Health First Aiders within the organisation.

In order for employees to continue their own personal development and ensure they are learning and developing in a way that suits their role, Action Sustainability uses a competency framework to set out an individual career path for every role.

A dedicated Health and Wellbeing Manager ensures people are kept up to date with the latest resources in MSC’s employee portal, with information on health and wellbeing to keep individuals and their families well, along with access to private medical healthcare and personal counselling support.

MSC’s approach is about recognising team collaborative in an inclusive way. This means success is celebrated as a whole, with everyone’s contributions acknowledged. It regularly holds celebrations for a diverse range of events, including National Employee Appreciation Day, where all employees received a personalised chocolate gift to their home, thanking them for their contribution.

The agency has been striving to cut its carbon footprint since 2006 and new KPIs will increase the reduction in CO2 emissions from transport. Other environmental measures range from an annual ‘Green Week' to a rolling programme of technology upgrades to ensure the most energy-efficient systems are in use.

The ‘Future Leaders' programme prepares the top 5% of talent to lead the company in future. Spread across 12 months, it includes access to time with senior leaders and inspirational speakers and training on topics such as how an agency makes money, the art of persuasion and perfect pitching.

Digital learning ensures employees can receive engaging training no matter what restrictions are in place, with more than 100 courses available.  The whole company took part in a gemstone mini-masterclass during the first lockdown and, in November, there was a training activity every weekday for a month.

Each month, one star performer is thanked for Going the Extra Mile with a GEM award. Introduced in 2020, the scheme recognises employees who exemplify Vashi's core values and use their initiative to improve not just their work, but also that of their team.

The schools consistently support their local areas through charitable and community initiatives. One pupil led a fundraising campaign that collected £60,000 for the funerals of Covid-19 victims. Other pupils supported local residents during the pandemic with gifts and letters and helped churches to supply food parcels.

The trust introduced a new Vantage Plus benefits package after seeking staff feedback at the start of the pandemic. It includes a range of free wellbeing tools, such as counselling, menopause support and health checks, plus additional benefits such as dental plans for longer-serving staff.

Employees have individual development plans that are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the relevant training and support is provided. The society assesses high potential by way of an in-house High Potential Trait Indicator tool, and it has succession plans in place as people move up the ladder.

The Hanley, which enjoys a low rate of staff turnover, says it is small enough to ensure everyone is treated as individuals, equally and without discrimination. It utilises blind recruitment, which eliminates personal identification details, but this year nonetheless refocused to start attracting future candidates from more diverse backgrounds.

Employees are rewarded for innovation and good citizenship. When Stewarts introduced mental health first-aiders, it invested part of its training budget and supported employees' time to allow them to attend training that gave them a recognised qualification. The group reported additional job satisfaction in being able to provide the service.

Staff working from home during the pandemic received advice on health, travel, stress and managing family life, while their professional training continued online. The social side of the office was maintained, too – yoga poses were held, team drinks were drunk and the choir sang.

Employees can take up to three paid days a year for voluntary work. This was extended to up to two hours a week during the pandemic to allow them to volunteer in their local community. The company does pro bono legal work and raised over £30,000 for charity this year.

Stephens Scown is the first large law firm to have introduced a shared ownership scheme. Employees own part of the business and share in 50% of additional profits over and above the published profit target figure. Employees are called ‘Scowners' and the scheme's strapline is 'There's no place like Scown!'.

Splash Damage ditched canned and bottled drinks in favour of drinks dispensers as part of its efforts to be kinder to the environment. This simple change saved more than 21,000 cans and bottles in the first three months alone. Recycling is encouraged as much as possible, including coffee grounds.

Much of the talent in the studio arrives through referrals from existing members of staff, reflecting the belief they have in the company. Referral bonuses are paid, up to £5,000 for the hardest-to-fill roles. Splash Damage's concerted push on diversity and inclusion has improved the variety of applicants.

Solid Solutions offers an end-of-year company bonus to maximise achievement in the final months of the year. Benefits for staff include free dental and life insurance and staff discounts.

The pandemic was a catalyst for a significant increase in communication, particularly to deliver fast information direct to every employee. It initiated “All Hands” calls to explain the company approach to working from home, coping with home schooling, furlough and temporary reductions in working hours.

The company supports Severn Angels Housing & Support, a charity that provides accommodation and support for homeless people to enable them to be more independent. It focuses particularly on women in the West Midlands and Worcestershire. Staff have organised fundraising raffles and donated clothes.

Every team member was asked to contribute to the weekly Zoom meetings and the company took their comments into account when planning or implementing policies. This helped to ensure wellbeing was monitored so action could be taken if anyone was struggling to cope with work or the challenges of Covid-19.

Premier raised funds during the first lockdown for the Cavell Nurses Trust, the charity supporting UK nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, both working and retired, when they're suffering a personal or financial crisis often due to illness, disability, domestic abuse and the impact of the coronavirus.

In the last staff survey in December 2020, 95% of staff agreed senior leaders provide a clear vision of the direction of Premier and 97% agreed they understood the company values of integrity, efficiency, and trust. CEO Alastair Aird says he has “never worked with a leadership group that trusts each other so implicitly”.

Information about the effects of the pandemic and public health guidelines was sent to colleagues on a weekly basis on what became known as Wellbeing Wednesday. Emails were used to encourage people to look after their health and wellbeing, providing links to useful websites.

Wellbeing Wednesday prompted discussions on the potential of using the communication tool Workplace. Employees engaged with this and the charity was able to share images of activities in the work setting, which could be accessed by those who were on furlough or working from home.