What are companies doing with regards to 'My Team'

Wiggin have a monthly Wiggin Wiglet award which goes to the employee who has gone the extra mile in delivering service either externally to clients or internally. The reward involves the employee wearing a brightly coloured wig for the day alongside media related gift vouchers, champagne and their merits applauded at the monthly briefing.

Wiggin carry out a Firm listening exercise asking employees in small groups what they could do to help the firm's strategy.

Westmill have a strong Action Learning approach. This works for them for two reasons. Firstly, the company want their people to be part of their future therefore engage every single employee in a process to derive the Mission and Behaviours. This is action learning because it is the line managers and their leadership team who create and deliver the process to do this. This builds important skills around project management, facilitation, leadership and listening on a real business issue rather than in simulated training exercises. Westmill people learn and develop key skills and the business benefits from the work they are doing on a real business issue.

Westmill have pay reviews, pay benchmarking and recognition awards for those performed well.

The company ownership structure means that a charitable trust fund, 'The Russell Trust', owns 28% of the company shares. This trust uses the dividend from its shareholding, around £250,000 per annum, to make charitable donations to the local community. They have engaged with the local community and local councils to build the Tullis Russell Environmental Education Centre (TREE Centre). This centre supports their environmental branding and will provide environmental education to the local community and schoolchildren.

The company ownership structure means that a charitable trust fund, 'The Russell Trust', owns 28% of the company shares. This trust uses the dividend from its shareholding, around £250,000 per annum, to make charitable donations to the local community. They have engaged with the local community and local councils to build the Tullis Russell Environmental Education Centre (TREE Centre). This centre supports their environmental branding and will provide environmental education to the local community and schoolchildren.

The College has a Staff Appraisal Policy for all staff, whether full or part time. This ensures members of staff are given an opportunity to talk with their line manager about their work; where they see their career progressing as well as staff development opportunities. However, the culture of the College means that staff can talk with their line managers at any opportunity. New staff are assigned a mentor (as part of the Induction Checklist) and also have set review meetings after one, two and four months for support staff and two, four and six months for academic staff. Academic staff also have lesson observations as part of their probation review. This gives new staff not only the opportunity to discuss any aspect of their role with their mentor but also ensures time is set aside for the line manager to appraise their progress and to address any concerns (should there be any) at the earliest opportunity.

The College has continued to support an annual Christmas party at a local hotel since opening in 1993. For previous landmark occasions (anniversary's, outstanding achievements) they have held celebratory parties, some of which have been held at the Eden Project. However, the Christmas Party last year in Falmouth was a great success.

The company use a career road map to ensure that each consultant knows in which direction their career is going, what they need to do to get there, what coaching will be offered to help them and what awards will be accrued when they reach their goal. Employees are rewarded through bonuses and incentives which encourage them to work at maximum capacity. After every year of service, the Directors take the individual employee for congratulatory drinks and discuss their successes. Listening to the employees ambitions, the Director(s) suggest potential development and further avenues for exploration. Employees are made aware of opportunities to develop in terms of promotions or sideways movements.

The company use a career road map to ensure that each consultant knows in which direction their career is going, what they need to do to get there, what coaching will be offered to help them and what awards will be accrued when they reach their goal. Employees are rewarded through bonuses and incentives which encourage them to work at maximum capacity. After every year of service, the Directors take the individual employee for congratulatory drinks and discuss their successes. Listening to the employees ambitions, the Director(s) suggest potential development and further avenues for exploration. Employees are made aware of opportunities to develop in terms of promotions or sideways movements.

Net-a-Porter delivered a series of company presentations to the teams around the world. This is a multi-media presentation to celebrate their successes - group,team and individual, look at the upcoming plan and also revisit why they are here. The serious moments are tempered by videos including the Senior management team dancing Gangnam style. The ability of the senior management team to speak authoritatively, inspirationally, while being able to not take themselves too seriously is very precious, especially in the fashion industry.

Net-a-Porter delivered a series of company presentations to the teams around the world. This is a multi-media presentation to celebrate their successes - group,team and individual, look at the upcoming plan and also revisit why they are here. The serious moments are tempered by videos including the Senior management team dancing Gangnam style. The ability of the senior management team to speak authoritatively, inspirationally, while being able to not take themselves too seriously is very precious, especially in the fashion industry.

TLG Senior management team has long supported social events throughout its history and continue to actively encourage staff to engage in social events including fund raising activities within the community, many of which have proved not only to be sucessful but extremely memorable. TLG is happy to boast an average tenure for employees of over seven years, which for a company of over 250 staff is exceptional. The company hosts and finances an annual themed Christmas function for all employees to attend.

TLG Senior management team has long supported social events throughout its history and continue to actively encourage staff to engage in social events including fund raising activities within the community, many of which have proved not only to be sucessful but extremely memorable. TLG is happy to boast an average tenure for employees of over seven years, which for a company of over 250 staff is exceptional. The company hosts and finances an annual themed Christmas function for all employees to attend.

All managers have been trained on the 'measuring success' process, including how to agree SMART objectives, give effective feedback and assess performance. Managers recognise and reward colleagues in their teams in a number of informal and ad-hoc ways. These range from 'thank yous', notes from a member of the leadership team or CEO, a team lunch out, an afternoon off, food and drink. In addition, managers are encouraged to nominate their team members for formal recognition through the colleague Awards and Colleague Recognition events throughout the year.

They have a bi-annual work and a wellbeing assessment programme. This assessment measures the impact of work on colleagues' wellbeing and supports their belief that wellbeing is directly related to performance. The results of the survey inform organisation wide initiatives and team feedback sessions lead to team action plans to ensure that issues are addressed on a local team level. In addition, each area of the organisation nominates a work and wellbeing representative that are part of a team who feedback, advise of issues, review initiatives and ensure two way communication in between the assessments.

THT are renowned for their variety of fundraising and social events, many of which are attended by well known TV personalities and other celebrities. Many staff have the opportunity to volunteer at these events. The last such event was the charity's annual gala dinner where many staff enjoyed mixing with the cast from Eastenders and other TV actors. The selection for these events is done on a rota basis, so that, in time, many get the opportunity to dress up and enjoy the spectacle.

Managers have open and honest relationships with their staff so that personal issues and work life balance can be discussed. These form part of management induction to insure that managers understand the need to be flexible while still delivering the service that they are contracted to do. There is also mandatory 'Managing Diversity within your Team' training to equip managers with the skills to manage a diverse group of employees in an effective and reasonable way. Team Meetings have a set agenda which includes feeding back Charity messages to their staff. This is also encouraged in Supervision meetings. Managers also encourage their staff to attend any extra workshops where they will receive such information. There is a Daily News Bulletin sent to all staff highlighting THT news (internal, external and where they have featured in the press). Every Friday there is a magazine style Friday Post highlighting Fundraising events and other news. Charity messages are cascaded at both the Staff Involvement Committee and in Team Meetings.

Telecom Plus Plc does not have formal pay grades, individuals can be rewarded with above standard pay increases or where work has been exceptional, with Company Share Options. Whilst every employee upon starting is issued with Company Share Options, exercisable after three years, those who have performed above expectations can receive bonus Share Options. These Share Options are known to be a highly valuable benefit and is a meaningful way of rewarding and incentivising members of staff. The Company also has an Employee Recognition Awards scheme, whereby peers or line managers can put forward someone for going above and beyond the call of duty, for approval by the Management Team. Winners are celebrated on the Wall of Fame and in the Company Newsletter 'OINK!' and receive shopping vouchers. In addition, at the Christmas Party there is an ERA Grand Raffle, and last year, the First Prize was a three day trip to New York, staying in the Waldorf Astoria, with $500 of spending money!

The company's Management Team is accessible and approachable, which they believe accounts for their levels of staff engagement. A fun example of this was their Valentine's Cup Cake Day, all for Make-A-Wish. Members of staff could pay to put forward a Director of their choice to deliver a cup cake and personalised message to their Valentine. All day long the Directors, and particularly the company's CEO, could be seen running up and down the stairs, with cupcakes in hand, flourishing messages!