My Team - Employees' feelings towards their immediate colleagues and how well they work together
My team benefits from a high scoring My Manager factor as the manager is key to creating and sustaining a productive and positive work environment.
An employee’s perceived team will be those they work with on a daily basis.
Menopause support is championed from the top, with the CEO sharing her experience of perimenopause as part of an organisational survey. A Menopause Champion supports women going through the change or their partners who want to help. The charity also pays employees' prescription charges for any related treatment.
Staff at all levels across the organisation are part of the 'People, Culture and Wellbeing Committee', which promotes conversations between employees and the CEO and Senior Leadership Team. It also champions staff welfare. Team members are encouraged to feed into organisational discussions via staff away days and awards celebrations too.
As training supports social mobility, all core staff are encouraged to hold a Level 2 NVQ or equivalent and managers a Level 4. All development costs are covered, and employees also benefit from work-study time allowances, quiet spaces and, dependent on the course, a financial bonus once they complete it.
Teams get together through sports and local, religious and historical events like the Jubilee. Regular business-related meetings are encouraged, including regular one-to-ones with managers and monthly team meetings to ensure work is on track and development needs are being met. And managers get together for 'People Days' to encourage knowledge sharing and succession planning.
Employees can ask the CEO questions at his monthly live sessions, which he also uses to communicate new business initiatives and achievements. Staff are encouraged to complete a survey after each 'live' so the CEO has direct, anonymous feedback. He responds to key themes at the next session.
Acora has a programme geared to support people early in their careers. This includes attracting and supporting apprentices. It also runs an 'Accelerate Programme' to support entry-level team members in achieving their technical certifications and fast-tracking their progress. Meanwhile, all employees can access a career framework to direct their development.
adi Group has a great wellbeing and benefits portal, employees can log in at any time and access support, guidance, and tools on four key areas: healthy eating, mental, financial, and physical wellbeing. Employees can also access recipe cards, virtual exercise classes, strategies for dealing with stress, how to sleep better guides, and budgeting resources.
Operating a clear-desk policy, employees are encouraged to work at different desks each day so that it can improve team interaction and communication. It has an internal program called "Tell Stirling", whereby employees can ask questions, and make suggestions - all of which are acted upon.
It holds its annual senior management away day where all senior managers and business leaders get together for a day of team-building activities. All employees have a PDP which is reviewed every six months, where targets are set, and previous achievements are reviewed and discussed.
Team spirit is so important to its culture, this year, 40 staff won a long weekend in Dubai. In previous years, they have jetted off to Ibiza, Las Vegas, and New York. It also hosts regular social events including its annual black tie awards evening and its BIG Summer Social.
All staff have access to a range of benefits including vouchers and perks, offering savings on shopping, dining out, and everyday spending. Health and dental insurance is also available to everyone. Additionally, as well as a competitive salary, top achievers are awarded at the annual awards ceremony - a black-tie dinner.
Staff have clearly defined career paths and are offered training and development, ongoing support, and a genuine opportunity to progress. It has actively managed and regularly reviewed career development programmes, training opportunities, and subject matter experts providing on the job training. It has additionally supported a range of people with professional accreditation and CPD.
Team working days are booked in at least once a month to encourage everyone to get together to discuss work issues and get quality time with their managers. And there's a small budget to enable teams to socialise in less formal surroundings, such as games of crazy golf.
Communication is key. The CEO hosts an annual all-day staff symposium updating everyone on business progress. He also runs birthday events, bringing together a cross-section of employees to talk informally with him over coffee and cake outside the usual work environment – something mirrored by the leadership team in their areas of the business.
All employees are offered secondments to develop their knowledge and skills across the organisation. These include placements in management positions, often leading to staff permanently doing the role. And there's financial support for training and membership fees and flexible working to assist with study time.
Quiet rooms as a safe space for prayer, meditation and reflection are a feature of many Burns & MacDonnell offices – part of creating a diverse and inclusive environment where “people feel comfortable speaking up and living authentically as themselves.” Monthly wellbeing sessions include breakfasts, toolkit talks, and experience sharing.
Through the MacCulture Recognition programme, employees who demonstrate the company’s values accumulate points to exchange for prizes. There are also one and five-year service awards where employees can choose from exclusive brand merchandise. And staff get a special award package for milestone anniversaries, starting from 10 years.
The manager mentor programme matches those new to management with seasoned managers with similar interests or work-life situations. It provides advice and guidance and gives new managers somebody to bounce ideas off and learn from. It also supports relationship-building with other managers throughout the company.
An online community allows staff to create groups to support wellbeing. These include the Menopause support group, virtual yoga, a book club and sporting events. These groups are promoted by the wellbeing group and staff association. There are also joint fundraising events between CF10 and Cardiff and Vale College.
CF10 aims to promote from within, with 100% of its managers rising through the ranks. Various internally delivered management modules cover core skills; managers can also take more formal qualifications. All staff also have the opportunity to gain formal teaching qualifications through a dedicated programme.
A successful trial with Fareshare Cymru has seen waste food being used to produce meals. And CF10 has reworked its menus to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in the first place. Customers can take used coffee grounds for their gardens, and the company only uses products from sustainable sources.
Each team and hub has a social budget, ensuring they have monthly socials. Activities are chosen by the teams and range from boat trips, beach hikes, team sports to wine tasting. TravelPerk also held a Get Together Week in Barcelona where over 1000 employees met up for a conference, social events, and a summer party.
The leadership team places emphasis on bringing teams together in real life. In January, the organisation held its annual Kick-Off event bringing employees on the journey by sharing its vision, mission, and yearly goals. All global hubs attended, led by Avi Meir (CEO) and the leadership team with guest appearances from board members.
The organisation recently launched its Value Heroes awards. Each quarter, TravelPerker’s nominate the colleague they feel has shown extraordinary behaviours to take its values from words on a page to real-life actions. The organisation showcases the winners and they are rewarded with personalised TravelPerk swag and 350€/£/$.
