What are companies doing with regards to 'My Manager'

As an organisation Cooper Lomaz have a very strong commitment to employee development, encouraging promotion from within, taking risks to give staff new opportunities and investing generously in training. One of the clearest indicators of this is the Sales Director and the Operations Director both of whom started their careers at Cooper Lomaz as consultants and have achieved director status in as little as 5 years. Progression is based on merit rather than length of service and Cooper Lomaz are constantly reviewing their staff to see what their next step could be. Last year 38% of their staff received a promotion. Much of this progression is achieved by mentoring and whenever they identify a rising star they will buddy them up with someone already in the role they are aspiring to. Cooper Lomaz run internal training on sales, recruitment and management topics, and have training boards in both offices where anyone can sign up to offer training on a given topic or to request it. They also invest in external training, and currently have staff working through their CIPD and taking Prince 2.

As an organisation Cooper Lomaz have a very strong commitment to employee development, encouraging promotion from within, taking risks to give staff new opportunities and investing generously in training. One of the clearest indicators of this is the Sales Director and the Operations Director both of whom started their careers at Cooper Lomaz as consultants and have achieved director status in as little as 5 years. Progression is based on merit rather than length of service and Cooper Lomaz are constantly reviewing their staff to see what their next step could be. Last year 38% of their staff received a promotion. Much of this progression is achieved by mentoring and whenever they identify a rising star they will buddy them up with someone already in the role they are aspiring to. Cooper Lomaz run internal training on sales, recruitment and management topics, and have training boards in both offices where anyone can sign up to offer training on a given topic or to request it. They also invest in external training, and currently have staff working through their CIPD and taking Prince 2.

The organisation seeks to enhance the wellbeing of employees through access to a number of events such as fitness clubs, shopping events etc. on the business park. They also have an employee assistance programme, a bike to work scheme and an internal coach.

At CIPD they firmly believe in the correlation between employee engagement and employee wellbeing. They hold health and wellbeing events twice yearly where they engage with the community and invite local businesses offering complimentary taster sessions for their products and services. This ensures staff have the opportunity to focus on their personal well-being both inside and outside of the workplace. These days are well attended by a cross section of staff as they work hard to provide something for everyone. Alongside this, they also arrange free of charge influenza vaccinations for all staff who wish to have them on site and offer staff eye care vouchers. Another aspect of how they try to enhance the wellbeing of their employees is by offering all staff every day a free lunch. These are freshly made on site and very balanced and varied.

The CEO, owner holds quarterly breakfast meetings with pre-selected staff which change for each event, so they can share ideas, be recognised etc. The CEO has an open door policy and all senior management work in their respective areas in an open plan office amongst their teams which creates an environment of sharing and invaluable discussion. The COO asks for feedback, news and ideas for the monthly company update which goes out electronically to all staff.

Accessibility to the executive and senior management is seen as essential to the culture within Calyx. As such, none of the executive or senior management have their own office. Everyone works together in one open plan environment. All senior management are expected to attend social events with staff. Staff are actively encouraged by the CEO to seek out and question management about decisions or issues that they want better to understand. The reward scheme, which is agreed by the executive team, is based on which member of staff has best demonstrated the values of the company.

At BrightHouse, they recognise that the talent and diversity of their people is the foundation of their success, so they are committed to helping all colleagues develop their personal and professional skills in order to bring out their strengths. With their vision to be an employer of choice, it goes without saying that their people are the masters of their own destiny. Supported by us, they can drive their own learning, their own development and their own career. From day one, BrightHouse treat all colleagues as individuals. They ensure that their induction programme offers a comprehensive introduction to their role and how they fit within their business as a whole. To equip colleagues with the right learning and development at the right time, BrightHouse offer a range of learning opportunities.

Demonstrably, the senior management team are seen to work well with one another, treating all individuals with respect, whether they are members of the company, suppliers or customers, striving to achieve high levels of customer service. They recognise that they are part of a larger business organisation through their willingness to engage and share information with other managers in the group, being seen to be flexible and adaptable to changing business priorities and pressures.

Biogen undertook a community project this summer to refurbish a former local pub in order for it to be used as a tea room and training centre for a charity that supports adults with learning difficulties - Beds Garden Carers. Employees from across the business were able to take part, giving up their time both inside and outside of working hours. Biogen also supports the local Bedford Christmas Food Bank where staff are encouraged to donate food that goes to the homeless at Christmas.

Each year at Bazaarvoice's annual ‘All Hands' meeting employees that have gone above and beyond within their roles or by contributing to company culture are recognised with a reward of equity within the company. Additionally within quota carrying teams there is the opportunity for over achievers to attend ‘Winners Club' with the CEO and other senior executives. This year five of the team flew to Mexico for a five day 5 star break. These are both examples of significant rewards but throughout the year Bazaarvoice will look to reward and recognise individuals who display and represent their values through spot bonuses and adhoc announcements to the team.

Arrows Group held its inaugural Arrows Group Sales Conference in October, bringing together the current and future leaders from all offices. The overall aim of this conference was to revisit the group strategy, explore best practices across the business and gain some in depth feedback from each division around how they are doing and how Arrow Group can improve. The event focussed on representing everyone within the company and the majority of the work done on the day was designed to take away practice improvements that were shared with everyone, so all colleagues can participate in building a world-class company. One of many reasons for appointing Greg Searle as Board Advisor for Coaching and Development, was to ensure Arrow Group could use his expertise in eliciting maximum engagement from employees to achieve the company's vision. One method involved offsite sessions for two days with team leaders, spending time with them to share the company's vision and performance goals, and encouraging participants to commit to actions and processes that contribute to these goals. These were then fed back for review against ongoing initiatives. The company's Personal Development Plans provide the primary route for a tailored approach to developing Arrow Group's employees' careers. Feedback is a critical component to the PDPs, ensuring the employee has a voice in their career path, and how their career contributes to the company's success. Feedback is gathered by each manager, and implementation is assessed in terms of practicality, relevance, and scope.