Team Cohesion = Performance

Health Shield, this is a voluntary benefit which is available to all colleagues and is a good start to promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace. Health Shield is a health cash plan, which helps colleagues cover the cost of everyday healthcare needs. From just £1.20 per week colleagues can claim up to 100% cashback (up to annual limits) on health treatments such as trips to the dentist and optician, physiotherapy and many other health and wellbeing therapies including reflexology, reiki and sports massages.

Inchcape UK have now appointed a Leadership Development Manager dedicated to support the development of their leadership capability and to strengthen their talent pipelines to meet the current and future needs of the business. All of their senior managers have this year been taken through an internal development programme entitled iLead. This is a 360 feedback tool from which they gain feedback about them as a leader and from this; they each have had a Personal Development Plan created and learning solutions given. This is reviewed alongside the HRBP team regularly. They hold regular talent reviews to identify capability and future leaders and from this they can support management development according to where the skill gaps are identified.

The company has an office in India and has opened up secondments to the UK based teams whereby volunteers are able to visit the India office to meet their colleagues, who ordinarily would only be interacted with via telephone, email or video conference. Though that communication takes place many times a day, there is not a replacement for face to face relationship building. The secondment opportunity was open to all levels and all departments, and in fact, the majority of the secondments are very junior level. There is currently a project being undertaken where new functions are being opened up in the India office, and a broad range of employees are travelling to the India office to share their knowledge and working practice and to meet their overseas colleagues face to face. In addition, cross functional meetings have improved knowledge sharing, best practice deployment as well as better working relationships. This is something they will continue to develop as it has been hugely rewarding and successful.

Core principles are communicated through email using examples of individuals who have demonstrated them, as well as having them on posters throughout all their offices. Although they do not have one defined vision/mission, their plans for the future have been communicated to employees through the annual sales conference and through their Friday night meetings.

One of their key initiatives is “Hope for Others” which encourages colleagues to undertake two days paid volunteering for projects outside of work. Colleagues select their own charities and are welcome to generate support or invite their colleagues to attend. Their Executive team have been very active in this too, organising their own projects such as clearing environmental areas, cycling for charity & undertaking work at children hospice as examples. Fund raising is prominent feature across the business with frequent dress downs, charity bake off's, coffee mornings, sporting challenges etc. and colleagues are welcome to use the company's IT and social networking sites to generate support.

The company strives to create an environment where people flourish so they provide training beyond the basic skillset of their roles. Colleagues are encouraged to engage with colleagues in other parts of the business to understand the bigger picture and extend their skills. Job shadowing and job swaps are a pretty regular feature. They are proud of their leadership courses; Polishing Diamonds and The Leadership Academy. These courses penetrate all levels of the business to provide skills leading self, leading teams and leading strategy. The company has a range of formal training delivered by internal and external trainers covering all elements of the business; fixed and mobile plant operations, HGV driving, safety training, health and well-being, team working, and customer services. They also encourage people to take up these courses even if they don't directly correspond to their roles.

Through leadership and empowerment and involving the team in decision making and putting forward innovative new ideas. In addition to this respecting every person who works within the organisation and the value they bring to the success of Holroyd Howe.

Rising Stars are identified as well in a fair manner and consider for senior development programmes within the business and for future progression in terms of talent management.

At HCSS Education each leader operates an open door policy and encourages employees to have their say through positive feedback in team meetings and performance reviews. All employees are encouraged to attend an Invention and Innovation group if they have an idea or suggestion – this enhances a culture of continual improvement and innovation. Each department head prepares a monthly report detailing any improvements suggested and implemented in their department – no matter how small. This report is submitted to the CEO and feedback is provided to reinforce this behaviour. Employees are always encouraged to ‘have a go' and are supported to take risks in their drive for excellence, there is a no blame culture - the focus is always on what lessons have been learned, what needs to change to make it better next time and what needs to continue. Information is shared openly with all employees on the company's targets and progress. The company hold quarterly team briefings for all employees detailing their progress against the strategic objectives of the business together with a detailed review of their performance against KPIs as detailed in their dynamic scorecard. Regular one to ones are held with all employees and the company values form a key part of these discussions. A quarterly award is presented based on nominations from staff for demonstration of the company values.

To maintain employee well-being, HCSS Education provides on-site flu vaccinations that are funded by the company. They encouraged participation in the ‘British Heart Foundation Pedometer challenge, with 6 teams entering, and a prize giving funded and arranged by the company at the end. This also encouraged team working as teams walked together. The use of ACAS on line materials for well-being is encouraged and Managers are sent links to relevant webinars to support them managing the well-being of their staff.

Bilfinger GVA's people care passionately about the communities they live in and every year collectively and individually they take on a variety of amazing and inspirational challenges in the name of charity. A number these initiatives include: Raffling the reception flowers every Friday, charity dress down days (Pretty in Purple, Comic Relief, Jeans for Genes, Wear it Pink, and Xmas Jumper Day), charity events such as; Breakfasts, Raffles, Quizzes, Back to School, Land Aid and Rainbow Fun Runs, Three Peak Challenge, Children in Need, Bike Rides, Moon Walks, Nightriders, Tough Mudders, Shawn the Sheep Charity Trail, Shwop at Work and Brave the Shave to name a view. They work with local communities on specific community schemes; an example of this is where 13 volunteers from their Glasgow office helped out with the gardens at their local Robin House children's hospice. They collectively contributed over 70 hours of time to transform the grounds in time for the hospices special memorial weekend, they also have a number of senior managers who give their free time as school governors, business coaches or confidents to SME businesses.

Bilfinger GVA provide support to employee's development in many different ways; in the last 12 months they have fundamentally overhauled their training principles, they have driven the training to relate to their values and beliefs and in parallel carried out a gap analysis of training requirements. There are three examples worthy of note that they have created recently and rolled out across the business: Firstly, the introduction of career pathways into the business, allowing clarity of expectations and how individuals can progress within the organisation; secondly, the release of a CMI (Chartered Management Institute) Level 5 accredited leadership programme for middle management, and lastly; a new graduate training programme for their graduate planners; as part of this programme they engaged with both past and present graduates and partnered with the RTPI to establish a training programme to be used as a standard across the industry, this training programme was recently recognised at the annual RTPI awards by being nominated and winning the governing body's Excellence Award.

Guidance Marine Ltd has a profit related bonus scheme which is up to 4% half yearly. This is paid dependent on the individual employees performance and also that of Guidance Marine Ltd. This scheme reflects the company's intention to share their success amongst their employees.

Guidance Marine Ltd supports employees in participating in charitable initiatives within the community and matches any money that is raised. Guidance Marine Ltd was the largest financial contributor to a local Leicestershire school through supplying and fitting solar panels on the school premises. Guidance Marine Ltd has also previously provided reading material for a school in Brazil showing their intention to help projects both in the UK and abroad.

Grass Roots' has a learning platform which holds sections dedicated to programs which support their manager's development. There is a curriculum of workshops; insights; webinars and various materials, as well as a toolkit of activities the managers can use to engage, develop and inspire their teams. A separate pathway supports those people who aspire to be a manager at Grass Roots'- providing them with the skills and knowledge before they are promoted into a management role.

Grass Roots' has a learning platform which holds sections dedicated to programs which support their manager's development. There is a curriculum of workshops; insights; webinars and various materials, as well as a toolkit of activities the managers can use to engage, develop and inspire their teams. A separate pathway supports those people who aspire to be a manager at Grass Roots'- providing them with the skills and knowledge before they are promoted into a management role.

The managing director at Global Payments holds quarterly huddles whereby all employees gather and he provides updates on key business activities, good news stories, personal achievements and upcoming projects. At the end of each huddle, the floor is opened for questions and the Managing Director along with members of his team will answer any questions posed to them from the rest of the staff openly and honestly.

At Global Payments there are numerous courses available to all employees, a number of which are geared towards line managers and their development, they range from 'Having Difficult Conversations' to 'Introducing Coaching'. One recent programme aimed specifically at the management team is 'The 4 L's'. This programme was designed to introduce, reinforce and embed the Living Our Culture programme that is in place at Global Payments.