Team Cohesion = Performance

Many of our staff have worked as recruiters in previous roles, they believe that as a business, they have strong enough networks to recruit to internal vacancies without using agencies. In the last year they re-invigorated their 'Refer a Friend' scheme to offer a generous referral fee for successful referrals, offering £1,000, £2,000 or £3,000 gross dependent on the starting salary of the individual referred. This is payable on successful completion of 3 months service by the new joiner. Additionally, the referrer is entitled to a meal out for 2 on the company at the time the individual joins. The rationale for this is that the cost of the referral fee is outweighed by the savings on agency costs. This has proved to be their most successful means of recruitment this year, with around 17 successful referrals ranging from apprentices to general managers. Staff are clearly motivated to refer as we have a regular supply of candidates coming through this scheme.

Many of our staff have worked as recruiters in previous roles, they believe that as a business, they have strong enough networks to recruit to internal vacancies without using agencies. In the last year they re-invigorated their 'Refer a Friend' scheme to offer a generous referral fee for successful referrals, offering £1,000, £2,000 or £3,000 gross dependent on the starting salary of the individual referred. This is payable on successful completion of 3 months service by the new joiner. Additionally, the referrer is entitled to a meal out for 2 on the company at the time the individual joins. The rationale for this is that the cost of the referral fee is outweighed by the savings on agency costs. This has proved to be their most successful means of recruitment this year, with around 17 successful referrals ranging from apprentices to general managers. Staff are clearly motivated to refer as we have a regular supply of candidates coming through this scheme.

The company offers personal coaching utilising an external coach to develop senior managers - Management Development Coach. This programme supports and develops new managers and assistant managers in stores to deliver in their roles through using existing managers as management development coaches combined with a structured training plan.

They hold a weekly trade meeting where all colleagues from head office and the distribution centre are invited. These are a great way to ensure all colleagues have the opportunity to receive key information directly from the leaders. They are also a great forum to share, and celebrate, successes for example the great charity work colleagues do and contribute to. They also ensure colleagues hear about great new developments in the business, for example new store openings. Key messages are then cascaded to store colleagues via a weekly ‘Trading Post.' This enables Bonmarche to share information with as many people across the company as possible. Annual roadshows are run across the country and include as many of their Colleagues as possible. The 2015 Roadshows were titled ‘Road to Success' and focused on values, strategy, branding and new product development. The aim of the roadshows are to bring colleagues together, share key information, welcome feedback directly from them and have some fun!

The company has bespoke one-on-one management training, tailored to the needs, experience and skills of each individual manager. As well as looking at the fundamentals of good management technique and practical skills, the training covers the psychology of different management styles, and focuses on fostering emotionally intelligent, open, positive relationships between manager and direct report. Managers are free to be creative, and capable of motivating and supporting their direct reports in a variety of ways. They run a People Manager Development Workshop called ‘Balance Management' which runs over the course of the year. This is mandatory training that all managers attend. The course focuses on people management foundations, being malleable, managing self & others confidently, handling challenging contexts and developing & inspiring.

The company has bespoke one-on-one management training, tailored to the needs, experience and skills of each individual manager. As well as looking at the fundamentals of good management technique and practical skills, the training covers the psychology of different management styles, and focuses on fostering emotionally intelligent, open, positive relationships between manager and direct report. Managers are free to be creative, and capable of motivating and supporting their direct reports in a variety of ways. They run a People Manager Development Workshop called ‘Balance Management' which runs over the course of the year. This is mandatory training that all managers attend. The course focuses on people management foundations, being malleable, managing self & others confidently, handling challenging contexts and developing & inspiring.

Charity Initiatives Berneslai Ramblers sponsored challenges. Food Bank. Strictly Fantasy League (latest initiative to raise money and have fun networking across the company). Community Initiatives. Proud Tenant taken up as the theme for National Housing Day November 2015. Camper van tour round the borough asking tenants to tell the company why they're proud to be a tenant, counteract negative media portrayal of social housing. Ambition Barnsley – event to reach young people, promote apprenticeships and work experience with a stall and activities designed by construction apprentices. Greenacre School – spent half a day with local young people with physical and learning disabilities delivering employability skills and enrichment activities. Teen Tech – national scheme to encourage young people into IT and engineering roles which they support in the region. Funding Pots – Young Persons' Funding Pot, Community Chest, and Diversity Community Grants aimed at local groups who bid for funding for their projects and events including healthy eating, allotments, computer classes, Gay Pride. CEO is non-executive Director of Barnsley Enterprise Living Well. They are key partners in the Dementia Alliance, some employees are trained as Dementia Champions, promoting dementia friendly communities in Barnsley.

Charity Initiatives Berneslai Ramblers sponsored challenges. Food Bank. Strictly Fantasy League (latest initiative to raise money and have fun networking across the company). Community Initiatives. Proud Tenant taken up as the theme for National Housing Day November 2015. Camper van tour round the borough asking tenants to tell the company why they're proud to be a tenant, counteract negative media portrayal of social housing. Ambition Barnsley – event to reach young people, promote apprenticeships and work experience with a stall and activities designed by construction apprentices. Greenacre School – spent half a day with local young people with physical and learning disabilities delivering employability skills and enrichment activities. Teen Tech – national scheme to encourage young people into IT and engineering roles which they support in the region. Funding Pots – Young Persons' Funding Pot, Community Chest, and Diversity Community Grants aimed at local groups who bid for funding for their projects and events including healthy eating, allotments, computer classes, Gay Pride. CEO is non-executive Director of Barnsley Enterprise Living Well. They are key partners in the Dementia Alliance, some employees are trained as Dementia Champions, promoting dementia friendly communities in Barnsley.

In an industry where only 10% of staff work part time, Berkley PR support over 30% of their staff to work part time hours. The radio is on playing music that only the under 30's know the words to. It is interrupted every once in a while by a ‘whoop' or a ‘shriek' as someone sees that they have secured a great piece of press coverage for their client, some of their staff are especially good at doing this. The highest paid 24 year old earns £29,600. It's a young and dynamic atmosphere but a nurturing one at the same time. While the vagaries of the school run, the under 10s' football squad and chicken pox may be alien to their cohort of young aspirational millennials, they benefit from the culture and the example set by the (mostly part time) senior team that a successful, hardworking career and a happy, balanced personal life can go hand in hand.

The company's quarterly offsite meetings are a time to relax and raise consciousness about the fantastic company they are all part of. Over the many years of running QRMs they have experienced a wide range of activities varying from making James Bond films in the grounds of luxury hotels including an evening Oscar ceremony, Watersports, Boat Trips along the Thames, trips to Marbella, Longleat, etc. This is a unique opportunity, within working hours, for staff to interact and communicate outside of the confines of the workplace.

The company has implemented a 'mindfulness' program, run by a Buddhist Monk who has visits their head office and has spent time at their London and Dublin offices. They intend to roll this out across the Group and to provide follow up sessions in all locations. The sessions provide an introduction to the management of day to day challenges through mindfulness techniques.

As part of their 'Working Together at Bedell' project the company really wanted to encourage positive team work amongst employees. They therefore joined forces with a consulting organisation who offered Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI). SDI is a self-assessment tool that helps people understand what gives them a sense of self-worth and what's important to them when relating to others. It provides a snapshot of who we are, promotes common sense concepts in a visual manner, demonstrates the unique way we each value and prioritise different strengths and how we take different approaches and interpret the actions of others. Each employee completed the questionnaire, and team workshops were organised to analyse the results and talk through what the SDI was all about. All of these workshops have now been completed and the response and feedback has been extremely positive. Throughout the process of SDI it has really helped employees to connect, really talking and listening to each other, thus working together as a team.

Dragons Glen is an event created by the Scottish Charity, Children First. Teams are provided with a small fund and challenged to create a business and within 6 months return as much money as possible. Two teams from BCF entered and their Managing Director also contributed by being a Dragon for another team. One BCF team created a company making and selling T-shirts and the other team created, manufactured and sold a board game, 'Escape the Jungle'. They managed to raise over £7,000 for the charity and won awards for the Most Innovative Idea and Most Future Promise. Head office have been involved in helping to create a better environment for some children locally. A local after school club was in desperate need of some care and attention and staff worked for two days painting the entire building. Additionally they donated £700 from their BCF Foundation charity to help with equipment. For the past five years they have supported a group of equipine vets, all keen on motorcycling. They deliver educational talks to raise funds for charities. The company has hosted the Scottish leg of their UK and Ireland tour and donated a brand new x-ray system worth over £17,000 which will be used at the Gambia Horse and Donkey trust. They also sponsor the Vet Charity Challenge, helping raise over £100,000 for animal based charities.

The team are true leaders of innovation in changing the way vets work, and continue to lead and inspire the team with how vets use ultrasound. The senior team have developed values that deliver more than simply financial rewards - if they look after the long-term relationship with their customers and continue to add value, then the revenue will follow. Learning is a value of the company, not only through the training of their customers but through commitment to development of BCF employees. Such is the commitment to drive this learning through the business, the Directors employed a Learning & Development Manager six years ago to ensure this happens and further staff development opportunities are encouraged where staff have cross developed, e.g. an IT Engineer becoming Service Manager and a UK Account Manager becoming the MD of their Indian business. The Directors are all extremely approachable to everyone at BCF and take a real interest in the lives of those who work with them.

The Charles Russell Bard Award is BARD's premier recognition and reward program for outstanding corporate and community citizenship. Winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York with a partner. The Eureka award is for an employee who has a moment of brilliance. Maybe they have come up with a cost saving suggestion of significant consequence or put together a new process/initiative that contributed to a successful end result. The Outstanding Service Award is for the employee who exudes Bard's values of ‘Quality, Integrity, Service and Innovation'. The Allstars Award recognises and reward exceptional results and contributions of a team that had a significant impact on the business. The Presidents Club is for sales employees who have maintained their target 3 out of 4 years consecutively and receive a trip of a lifetime to the Four Seasons Resort on the island of Mauritius and partners. The Directors Club includes £3,000.00 bonus on entry, extra day's holiday, a 2 day annual meeting full of treats such as helicopter rides, wine tasting etc. The One is the quarterly sales person of the quarter and includes criteria other than sales numbers i.e. additional training, supporting colleagues. The winner receives their name in lights and £500 John Lewis vouchers.

By engaging in the best companies survey process it has demonstrated that engagement is on the strategic agenda for the business. The focus is on receiving employee feedback and acting on it, rather than on the score they receive. An employer branding initiative has been launched by the company.