Team Cohesion = Performance

As a small company eSpares encourage everyone to get involved in the areas of the business that are of interest to them and where they can add value. No one is pigeonholed into a job description and the organisation do their best to accommodate employee requests for flexible working hours and the ability to work from home.

If someone within the management team expressed interest in a workshop for more formal qualifications it would be supported within the business. eSpares operate an open door policy and it would always be their standard to support and mentor a colleague who needs it.

People managers are given a great deal of support. There is a Management Development Programme in place and the types of training they might receive includes mandatory training, corporate level training and divisional / individual training. 360 feed back is given as part of the Management Development Programme and internal coaching and mentoring is continual.

People managers are given a great deal of support. There is a Management Development Programme in place and the types of training they might receive includes mandatory training, corporate level training and divisional / individual training. 360 feed back is given as part of the Management Development Programme and internal coaching and mentoring is continual.

ENS Employees receive free occupational health checks as well as offering total flexibility to accommodate any personal or medical appointments. Whenever possible employees are given time off in lieu to help ensure that staff never work excessive hours.

Anyone wishing to take part in relevant further training through recognised formal qualifications are fully funded and supported with paid study leave. The average spend that the company invests in training is £2,500 per employee each year with approximately 200 hours allocated on average per person.

People are encouraged to share lifts with each other through the company car share scheme whilst a bike buddy scheme helps new cyclists cycle to work safely and build their confidence when commuting. Employees can take up to 3 days, fully paid, per year to help and support the community through various initiatives including clearing waste ground for projects, building gardens in schools for children to learn about plants, gardening and healthy eating.

People are encouraged to share lifts with each other through the company car share scheme whilst a bike buddy scheme helps new cyclists cycle to work safely and build their confidence when commuting. Employees can take up to 3 days, fully paid, per year to help and support the community through various initiatives including clearing waste ground for projects, building gardens in schools for children to learn about plants, gardening and healthy eating.

A Health Improvement Officer is on hand to help employees improve their wellbeing in numerous areas. The Officer occasionally arranges dedicated health weeks and is able to advise on how to stop smoking, eat healthily and lose weight. They recently had a 10% weight loss programme where members of staff attend a weekly weigh in and receive dietary advice to support them and help them achieve their goal.

A Health Improvement Officer is on hand to help employees improve their wellbeing in numerous areas. The Officer occasionally arranges dedicated health weeks and is able to advise on how to stop smoking, eat healthily and lose weight. They recently had a 10% weight loss programme where members of staff attend a weekly weigh in and receive dietary advice to support them and help them achieve their goal.

There are various events organised to allow employees to socialise with one another and have fun. These have included the staff party, team away days and a staff conference. Teams are recognised with a team reward scheme.

The organisation makes a big effort to put fun into raising money for charity. On the recent Children in Need Event they dressed up for work in outfits from the 60s, 70s and 80s. They also assist with arranging work placements for tenants on their Home2Work Scheme. They have two people in their dedicated energy team who are responsible for all of the organisation's energy management and recycling issues. They have installed energy monitors at headquarters and are investigating energy management systems for main office and all associated offices and buildings. Facilities exist for recycling glass, plastic, cardboard, paper, toner and printer cartridges and batteries. As an organisation they plant a number of trees to help off-set their carbon footprint.

Managers are offered a great deal of support such as the management tool kit designed to help line managers manage effectively as well as 360 feed back, mentoring and coaching. There is access to programmes such as the Leadership Development Programme, Personal and Interpersonal Management Skills and Essential Leadership and Management Skills. If managers wish to take external qualifications there is a sponsorship policy in place to assist them.

Davis Langdon run a series of programmes to develop their employees, for example the Graduate Development Programme which helps their graduates pass their professional exams, the Leadership Development Programme which focuses on personal and interpersonal management skills and Partner Development Programme. They also encourage networking sessions and internal ad hoc training sessions amongst the technical teams. Their appraisal system; the Performance Development Review; is aimed to provide every individual with the knowledge, skills and experience they need to achieve their annual objectives, develop their competencies and achieve their desired career path. They are also currently in the process of implementing a talent management programme to identify performance and then enable a tailored approach to manage their employees.

The council was shortlisted for an award for its wellbeing programme by the PPMA in 2009 and won the employee benefits best absence management strategy in 2009. They have held regular wellbeing weeks to promote a range of activities that promote healthy practices in the workplace including nutrition classes, meditation sessions, healthy food in the staff canteen, the launch of a cycle to work scheme and encouraging staff to become more active during the working day. The nutrition sessions are the most popular events with 20 staff attending an 8 week programme looking at healthy eating and exercise. They continue to offer neck and shoulder massages, Tai Chi classes, flu jabs, sports activities and health screenings.

The council was shortlisted for an award for its wellbeing programme by the PPMA in 2009 and won the employee benefits best absence management strategy in 2009. They have held regular wellbeing weeks to promote a range of activities that promote healthy practices in the workplace including nutrition classes, meditation sessions, healthy food in the staff canteen, the launch of a cycle to work scheme and encouraging staff to become more active during the working day. The nutrition sessions are the most popular events with 20 staff attending an 8 week programme looking at healthy eating and exercise. They continue to offer neck and shoulder massages, Tai Chi classes, flu jabs, sports activities and health screenings.