Team Cohesion = Performance

ING Direct provides Lifeworks which is an employee Assistance Programme; they also offer counselling services and alternative therapies every quarter for their employees.

At Incisive Media each team meets at least once a week, the company also has peer group meetings with managers to share expertise and best practice.

Incisive Media values the wellbeing of its employees and they have a category in their flexible benefits programme dedicated to Health & Wellbeing to prove it! The company has fortnightly Chair Massages that are on offer to all staff. This has proved to be a very popular benefit and Incisive Media have received great feedback from employees. On top of the ‘ordinary' benefits that most companies offer, such as gym membership, private medical insurance and health cash plan, Incisive Media has gone one step further and has introduced a variety of Health Screenings which are available to all employees. The types of screenings on offer range from a wide selection of BUPA Wellness screenings to Skin Screenings and the newly introduced Breast Screenings which are on offer to all staff and their partners. Everyone knows that prevention is better than cure.

Inchcape's CEO encourages empowerment and colleagues' acceptance of responsibility for the creation of solutions to business challenges. He also encourages a commercial attitude with the willingness to take acceptable risks in decision-making.

Inchcape's CEO encourages empowerment and colleagues' acceptance of responsibility for the creation of solutions to business challenges. He also encourages a commercial attitude with the willingness to take acceptable risks in decision-making.

Structured hyphen induction programme in addition to the wider Adecco Group Induction. Internal menttoring and coaching. Manager and employee work together on the personal development plan which is linked to the core competencies of the job role and identifying the skills gaps that may exist. These are reviewed during the ad hoc and mid year reviews. The Manager also takes the opportunity in these meetings to ensure that the individual is happy in their role. This provides an opportunity for discussion around an individual's wellbeing or any personal concerns they may have at work.

The senior management team took part in a roadshow to improve employee engagement across hyphen. The team visited each on site team to give them a platform to ask questions to management but also provide them with key insight into initiatives / financials etc. This has been extremely well received and hyphen will be looking to make it a regular event going forward.

The Leader is very distinctive in allowing the senior management team to get on with running the business and has a real strength in empowering his senior and other teams to own the strategy and action plans. This has a considerable positive impact on their ability to be agile as a business, enabling them to reach quick decisions in a fast-moving marketplace.

Many employees are paid a bonus for their contribution to the business. This provides a clear and effective link between their performance and the improvement in the business. The company also offers a 'site finders' fee to employees which encourages them to activitely seek opportunities which will benefit the company.

One of the best examples which has been running for four years and which Harrods believe is completely unique to them is the ‘Harrods One Hundred'. This is a very exclusive club whose 100 members are their best sales people. Membership is driven by the amount of sales achieved and the top sales person achieved sales of over £6 million in 2010/2011. The rewards are a special yearly dinner awards ceremony with directors and their managers. They receive a gift bag containing a £1000 gift card, pampering sessions, gifts provided by brands such as Cartier and additional employee discounts as well as a unique ID card that gives them additional senior manager privileges and finally a Harrods 100 jacket lapel pin to wear with pride.

Michael Ward is a personable, warm and engaging leader. He brings a sense of realness to Harrods' world and ensures everyone takes what they do, seriously but not take themselves too seriously. The biggest demonstration of comittment to improving the working environment was to press ahead with the refurbishment of the employee restaurant at a cost of £500,000, even though the restauraunt is going to be moved to a different floor and location in approximately18 months time. Many companies would have said that the employees could wait, but because the leadership team were sensitive to the feelings and frustration the poor quality of food, the ambience, decor etc. was creating, they pressed ahead with the refurbishment. This was an appropriate grand gesture towards employees.

Managers ask for 360 appraisal feedback on their own work from colleagues and subordinates and constantly mentor and appraise individuals in their teams, highlighting and taking initiative if they notice any areas of expertise are lacking. Managers listen to their staff's needs and treat all staff like family members. Group Positive offer a defined career path and have regular reviews and appraisals. Weekly management team meetings are held to discuss all aspects of the business and company as a whole.

Group Positive provides staff with thank you cards, flowers, cakes, champagne and husband and wife weekends to the South of France in appreciation for their work.

All staff were asked to submit suggestions that could improve Greene & Co both internally and in the service the company offers to customers. They have a company colleague rep who staff can talk to in absolute confidence about any problems/issues they may have (be it to do with work or of a personal nature). The colleague rep can feedback any issues to senior management. All staff at Greene & Co have a monthly one-to-one with their manager, and a quarterly one-to-one with David Pollock the MD, where any feedback can be given.

Managers carefully monitor how their team is performing and whether they are achieving their goals. Managers will review progress in one-to-one's, and put measures in place to provide extra training if needed. One-to-one's with managers are also for receiving feedback from staff as well as giving it. Sales techniques are also covered in monthly company training sessions.

Managers review if the skills and the capacity of employees in their team needs to be reconsidered against the requirements of the work, both in team and 1-2-1 meetings on a weekly and monthly basis. At appraisal interviews, managers discuss with each employee what their personal aspirations are. Managers also debrief their teams after Board meetings. Discussions are encouraged whereby employees can ask questions and receive feedback in an open and honest environment.

Gleeds has an internal team known as "GYM" - Gleeds Young Marketeers - which has been running for circa 20 years. Younger members are encouraged to sign up and take part in the activities designed to help develop a sense of belonging and build up long term internal and external relationships. Activities include a conference (attended by 120 GYM members from across the world) sailing, bowling, wine tasting events with clients and charity marathons. 2011 saw a re-launch of GYM with new members and greater involvement. As well as occupational health provision and employee assistance programmes, they have also run yoga and massage courses at Head Office and their social calendar includes Christmas events, sailing days, team sports, away days and charity fund raising.