State of Engagement 2026 Report |
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William Blair's Global Inclusion Council, created in 2017, is an advisory group of colleagues responsible for defining the firm's inclusion strategy and priorities to create a workplace where people are encouraged to bring their individual perspectives and experiences to work to drive greater creativity.
During the pandemic, it was important to keep employees up-to-date and to promote team bonding. William Blair launched a microsite dedicated to Covid-19 updates and a special edition of the firm's global electronic newsletter, Inside William Blair@Home.
Each employee received a food voucher that could be used for home deliveries while working from home. The company has a strong employee assistance programme to support every member of the workforce. Laptops were issued to all staff to enable the team to work from home over the past year.
UKCloud is committed to supporting employees' development, ensuring that it is tailored towards each staff member's specific ambitions and career path. A buddy system for new recruits provides a career mentor for people as they embark on a five-week programme of on-the-job training.
Colleagues found new and interesting virtual ways to use their social budget – £75 per head every quarter – while operating remotely. UKCloud believes this initiative has been pivotal in helping to maintain strong team interaction during a challenging year.
A Health and Wellbeing Week in January 2021 promoted practical strategies for feeling better. Senior leaders got behind the initiative, encouraging staff to exercise during the cold winter months. They have also been active in continuing to break down the stigma associated with mental health.
Every second Wednesday, staff have the afternoon off to work on personal development projects alone or in groups. They show off their projects in a regular video series and monthly newsletter. Each employee also has £300 to spend on courses and resources on the online learning platform Learnably, launched in December 2020.
One of the lessons of lockdown was that the more people communicated outside their day job, the more productive collaborations they had on important projects. Mediatonic recognised its teams had different rhythms and stopped organising fun events such as quizzes and tea breaks in favour of empowering groups to host events of their own design.
Mediatonic is a founding partner for Safe in Our World's new campaign, #LevelUpMentalHealth, which seeks to unite the gaming industry to support both players and developers who may be struggling silently with their mental health. The company has also set aside money to support two charities fighting racial inequality in the UK.
Thrive Homes switched quickly to being a remote business last March. The Chief Executive, Elspeth Mackenzie, took to the internal social network OneThrive to provide business updates and advice on public health guidelines. Workplace by Facebook was also used to keep staff informed.
The Lumina Spark programme is used to develop people's understanding of themselves and others. It provides tools to constructively share, challenge, debate and give feedback, and to enhance emotional intelligence when interacting with colleagues and customers. Managers draw on its insights in the growth of their teams.
Inspired by a two-minute video from New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, managers took part in a 15-second challenge, #PrideinThrive. Each of them filmed themselves talking about what they were most proud of and grateful for. The clips were posted on the firm's internal social network.
The Howard de Walden Estate promotes training and development within the wide-ranging roles in the property company, including tiers of management. Support is also available for further education where applicable to the role and the individual employee.
Daily and weekly meetings kept teams bonded in the past year using cloud technology that the company already had in place. Team members also got together online to boost morale with virtual cocktail evenings and a book club.
A personal trainer kept employees on their toes with weekly workouts, recipes and advice for staying healthy during lockdown. Excellent health benefits for staff at The Howard Walden Estate include 24-hour access to mental health advisers.
Teamspirit's culture of collaboration allowed the senior leaders to implement decisions quickly and effectively under high-stress, chaotic conditions as the coronavirus crisis developed last year. They road-tested a pandemic disaster recovery plan with all employees in February and implemented flexible working.
After a survey showed that 59% of staff feared that remote working might slow their career and personal development, the agency raised the visibility of its extensive training programme and celebrated promotions (19% of the 70-strong team were promoted last year). In the next survey, 59% shrank to 19%.
Staff vote anonymously in the quarterly peer group rewards scheme, which honours team members who have made a difference through living the company values. The six people with the highest number of nominations receive a £600 voucher and get to hear the often moving comments of colleagues who nominated them.
During the pandemic, leaders have used constant communications with employees. They have contributed to morale through the company's increasing corporate and social responsibility initiatives. The company's leadership has led by example and remained accessible to employees throughout.
During lockdown, a pets' hour gave staff the chance to introduce their pets on video calls to your colleagues. A virtual MasterChef allowed people to share cooking skills and a social club formed at the digi pub.
The company introduced team initiatives such as yoga and mental wellbeing sessions. It also tried to reduce unnecessary meetings and give employees more of their time back.
The company has introduced an official development scheme, called #TrainToGain, which is founded on a philosophy of self-development and empowers staff to take ownership of their progression. It will support employees working towards industry qualifications as well as continuous professional development activities.
At Christmas, the elves from the Source Community Team asked all staff what was top of their Christmas wish lists, then wrapped the presents – valued at up to £100 each – and delivered them by courier. Staff posted videos and photos of themselves opening and enjoying the gifts.
Source has introduced a “Me Day” that can be taken spontaneously by staff to boost their mental wellbeing by recharging or relaxing. The day does not count as sick leave, and was promoted to employees even while they were working from home.
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