Their customer service commitments are based on maintaining a strong, motivated and friendly team. The company aim to attract the best within the industry by offering above market rate remuneration and develop long-term relationships and loyalty by investing in their team. As investors in people, they encourage professional development, offering time off and financial support to study and attend courses in order to further qualifications. Regular appraisals and social events give their team the opportunity to express their views and suggest ideas as to how FC Exchange can move forward and improve intra-company relations and processes. The company are proud of their staff retention rates, keeping a high degree of experience within the company which helps build and maintain long-term customer relationships. FC Exchange has consistently grown year-on-year since 2005, expanding to new markets; presenting new opportunities for promotion. As a result, 75% of their senior management has been recruited from within the company.

Quite simply, the company ask new starters to the business to present what they have learnt about the business.

The company focus on clear, open communication that is delivered through a number of methods from traditional management meetings to addressing the whole company every Monday morning and Friday afternoon. Every month and quarter they hold a detailed and fun monthly/quarterly ‘wrap up' and ‘kick off' of the next month/quarter ahead. These company-wide meetings will include awards, recognition of top performance and presentations on key aspects they need to focus on for the following month. All information is documented and presented in a pdf pack so anyone not available for the meetings has access to the details. The company is also fortunate to have our walls covered in white boards and television screens that constantly update the business on the day-to-day news, successes, rewards and our core values throughout the day.

The company use a blended approach to develop their managers, combining a group training programme with individual development plans. The best example is their Management Development Programme. This includes classroom training, peer group sessions, psychometric profiles, mentoring, on-the-job learning and reflective learning. It covers a range of topics from flexing management style to different personalities to performance management. This is a year-long programme that is based on extensive training needs analysis and combines development techniques alongside evaluation to ensure the learning is embedded in the business. Another example is that the company offer tailored training solutions to individuals. One of their managers had been struggling with retention and they saw an unusually high level of attrition in his team. In response to this they discussed a number of options with him and he opted for attending an external management training course as well as coaching. This has really helped him understand his role better so that he can improve the results.

ABCDE Recognition Scheme (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Employee) As a not for profit organisation the Group aims to have a culture whereby effort is acknowledged, praised and communicated, by saying ‘thank-you'. It is the Group's aim to celebrate achievements at every level and at every opportunity. The ABCDE scheme recognises good performance, link rewards to positive behaviours (that reflect the organisations Values) and motivate staff.

ABCDE Recognition Scheme (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Employee) As a not for profit organisation the Group aims to have a culture whereby effort is acknowledged, praised and communicated, by saying ‘thank-you'. It is the Group's aim to celebrate achievements at every level and at every opportunity. The ABCDE scheme recognises good performance, link rewards to positive behaviours (that reflect the organisations Values) and motivate staff.

All line managers in Egress undergo regular one to one mentoring by the HR Manager. These sessions complement the ‘on the job' coaching sessions in Performance Management, Recruitment and Retention. Additionally, all managers receive monthly direct feedback from their function's C-level executive, as they are a small company, the flat management structure allows them to do this with high frequency. The business is growing fast and as such, opportunities for personal growth – particularly at the mid-manager level – are constantly arising. They do not recruit mid-managers from outside the business, preferring to promote from within and give existing team members the chance to start their managerial careers in a familiar environment.

All line managers in Egress undergo regular one to one mentoring by the HR Manager. These sessions complement the ‘on the job' coaching sessions in Performance Management, Recruitment and Retention. Additionally, all managers receive monthly direct feedback from their function's C-level executive, as they are a small company, the flat management structure allows them to do this with high frequency. The business is growing fast and as such, opportunities for personal growth – particularly at the mid-manager level – are constantly arising. They do not recruit mid-managers from outside the business, preferring to promote from within and give existing team members the chance to start their managerial careers in a familiar environment.

They realise the importance of recognition is essential to an engaged and motivated workforce. People want to be respected and valued for their contribution. Everyone feels the need to be recognised as an individual or member of a group and to feel a sense of achievement for work well done or even for a valiant effort. Everyone wants a ‘pat on the back' to make them feel good. Great performance at Eckoh is recognised both formally and informally. The senior management team will give a ‘pat on the back' to anyone who has done a good job and will email the company to let them know their appreciation

They offer employees to attend free massage therapy sessions and Reflexology. These are held on a monthly basis and employees are able to attend these at the cost to the company.

The company have an incentivised lunch club where £13K worth of placements in the month sees their employees wined and dined at a top London restaurant with at least 2 directors each month, as well as helping them qualify for the company quarterly. A favourite of theirs is just being able to have fun and take the team out to the pub for an afternoon, a shopping trip, or an impromptu lunch as a reward for all the hard work. It's much easier to do this when all are doing well, and the team understands that if the company does well they will do well too. They love a reason to celebrate and have worked hard to fuel their company's culture of competition, achievement and excellence, whilst retaining its community feel and an environment where everyone feels included. Each week, the teams vote for the DG Hero - the person they feel has lived and breathed their values above & beyond - and they take a cheeky snap shot of them for the wall! Coupled with the annual Golf, Fifa, Darts, Sports day and Ping Pong tournament, there are always new champions to be found!

Digital Gurus provide industry leading external training for all team managers and directors through Elite Leaders. This great programme is a peer-led mentoring group that not only challenges their managers in their way of thinking, but also provides them the opportunity to step away from their desk and focus on what is most important. They get to listen to and interact with some great industry leaders on a bi-monthly basis. With ongoing pastoral care, they have seen individuals evolve their leadership skills. In January 2015, the company were lucky enough to secure Marcus Childs, who is - in their opinion - one of the best motivational speakers on the UK circuit. He hosted a ‘mindfulness' session with their consultants, clients, and candidates, helping them to face challenges with positivity and to remember that they have the choice in how they let things affect them.

Every team at Dale & Valley Homes receives a large basket of free fruit at the start of every month to encourage staff to have a healthier diet. This also increases the likelihood of staff achieving their '5 a day' and makes eating fruit a normal part of their working day. Their 'Workout Wednesdays' take place on the first Wednesday of every month to encourage employees to carry out some form of physical exercise. Employees receive a half hour credit to their flexi account when they have undertaken an exercise activity (usual walking, running or a visit to the gym) in their lunch hour. Employees can boost their annual leave entitlement by buying an additional five days leave. Alternatively, they can sell up to 5 days leave. Annual flu vaccinations and mini health checks are available to all staff to improve their health and reduce absenteeism. The mini health checks gives employees a picture of their current health and suggests changes to their lifestyle, if needed.

Following the stock transfer of homes from Durham County Council to Dale & Valley Homes, 4200 new tenancy agreements needed to be prepared, hand delivered and tenants' signatures obtained in a 3 month period. This was a mammoth task and required a ‘whole team' approach. Roles ranged from Tenancy Agreement preparation, home visits to get the document signed and data entry. They were assigned to every member of the organisation, including the Managing Director and Executive Management Team. For this task, traditional team boundaries were put aside and new virtual teams established. This approach meant that staff members were working alongside colleagues they had never worked with before, thus supporting improved relationships and communication between both teams and individuals, once back in the ‘day job'. Motivation was maintained through weekly updates on progress. Every member of staff took pride in the achievement of steadily moving towards the end goal. Weekly updates were followed by e-mails from the Managing Director praising everyone involved for their hard work and dedication. What could have been a hugely mundane and cumbersome task, became a real team building exercise which promoted interaction between different individuals across the organisation, breaking down barriers between teams. Once finished, the sense of achievement, shared by the whole organisation, was almost tangible and re-enforced that the 'impossible' can become 'achievable' when everyone works together.

Having a Performance Learning, Supervision system which enables staff to explore every 6 weeks in detail the development support each individual requires within the organisation. All managers have received bespoke coaching training to ensure they work in a way which supports staff development.

The organisation supports its Senior Managers through external coaching and mentoring schemes along with developing their own coaching skills through bespoke coaching programme. All managers are sponsored to achieve level 5 or above management qualifications. Access to peer support and external coaching if required.

The company have spot bonuses for a job well done. . Deal Flow, cross selling reward programme, enables employees to benefit personally from any work they refer outside their own team. Personal bonus incentive plans.

The company hold firm wide updates for employees between twice a year to communicate progress towards delivery of our objectives. They also have a spot bonus/reward programme which recognises employees who have demonstrated exemplary behaviour aligned to our values. Corporate induction is held every quarter.

Staff have been involved in: Belfast Marathon - 23 staff members took part to raise money for charities including The Welcome Organisation and one of residential homes (De La Cour House) Residents Funds - £1,632 was raised for the Welcome Organisation & £264 was raised for the Residents Fund. Over 60 staff have taken part in the Treasure House Project, a project with the Northern Ireland Museums. This project is about reducing social isolation amongst older people & promoting social inclusion, learning & development of new skills & improving social networks. The Women's Tech Project - In partnership with Women's Tech, the Association delivered a programme called “Tea and Drills” which is a taster programme for those interested in developing skills for employment within the construction industry. This has now developed into an £850,000 funded Programme called SPEC (Supporting People: Empowering Communities), funded by the European Social Fund and Department for Employment & Learning.

Staff have been involved in: Belfast Marathon - 23 staff members took part to raise money for charities including The Welcome Organisation and one of residential homes (De La Cour House) Residents Funds - £1,632 was raised for the Welcome Organisation & £264 was raised for the Residents Fund. Over 60 staff have taken part in the Treasure House Project, a project with the Northern Ireland Museums. This project is about reducing social isolation amongst older people & promoting social inclusion, learning & development of new skills & improving social networks. The Women's Tech Project - In partnership with Women's Tech, the Association delivered a programme called “Tea and Drills” which is a taster programme for those interested in developing skills for employment within the construction industry. This has now developed into an £850,000 funded Programme called SPEC (Supporting People: Empowering Communities), funded by the European Social Fund and Department for Employment & Learning.