Communication has been a big focus this year for Retail Marketing. They listened to their employees and noted that they need to be more connected whilst working remotely. Their most innovative step-forward in communication has been the creation of RMG Loop, the company's app based tool to engage their colleagues globally. Loop has taken two years to develop and an investment of over £250,000, and is available on iOS, Android and web. Two key communication favourites of Loop are the 'What's On' and the social feed. Both allow everyone to see and share what's happening in their world. This has proved to be a simple and highly interactive way to see what's going on in real-time, and it also enables employees to work collaboratively together. Also, every Tuesday, anyone in the head office meets in a 'Huddle' to communicate what's happening that week. This is live streamed to the whole business for those who can't physically attend. After each Huddle they share the highlights via Loop. They also listened to their employees about Leadership communication and what more they wanted to see and hear from the leaders. It was clear that Directors could be more visible within the business. As a result of this the CEO now hosts a Q&A session on a quarterly basis. This allows everyone a chance to ask him or any of the Directors any questions about the business, and again this is live streamed to everyone and shared on Loop.

All full-time employees can volunteer for 30 hours a year during working hours. This is usually taken as four days throughout the year during which RMG still pays the employee. Everyone is encouraged to be as personal as possible with their volunteering days, and spend the time with charities or initiatives that matter to them. Ultimately employees can volunteer for any charity they would like to support. Some examples of charities our employees have supported this year include: Alzheimer's UK, Dogs Trust, Mind, Daisy's Dream, Sport Relief, The National Trust, West Berkshire Food Bank and Young Enterprise Scheme. Within their head office they also run a variety of fundraising initiatives throughout the year including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, sweepstakes, bingo, Fantasy Football, Movember, Three Peaks, Sport Relief run, marathons, triathlons, donations for completing surveys, bake sales, tuck shop (20% of proceeds go to charity), car boot sales, raffles and games. They have also donated books and clothes collected from employee, friends and families for the Mind charity store in Reading and food donations for Wokingham Foodbank. In September 2016 RMG employees were in the top 3% of fundraisers on JustGiving.

Some of Redweb's charitable contributions and community initiatives over the past 12 months include a two-minute beach clean, where employees headed to Bournemouth beach and held a beach clean to see how much rubbish they could collect in just two minutes. They also took part in a YMCA raffle and sponsored run, where they raised over £500.00 through an office raffle and a sponsored 10k run. Local companies donated a range of prizes for the raffle and also held a bake sale. Some staff took part in a sponsored Foodbank Challenge, where they lived off of food parcels for a number of days. Some star bakers contributed to producing baked goods to raise money for Alzheimer's. Redweb's biggest contribution to the community is the annual conference Digital Wave. This is a free one-day event for 14 – 19-year-old students to attend and gain insights into careers within digital. They have guest speakers from big name companies including Microsoft, the RNLI and IBM, as well as a host of local companies exhibiting. The conference comes off the back of the company's Digital Days in conjunction with BIMA. Redweb's mission is to encourage the next generation to pursue a career in digital, particularly at local companies. In collaboration with Bournemouth & Poole College they invite apprentices to join each year with a view to employing them at the end of their apprenticeships.

Ensuring employees wellbeing is a primary objective for Redweb, as without them and their personas the company does not exist. To ensure that they are a happy workforce Redweb offer the benefits including pensions and match pension contributions up to 6% for all staff. They also offer eye care vouchers for free eye tests, chiropractor discounts, childcare vouchers, healthcare scheme with Bupa, free fresh fruit, tea, coffee and other refreshments. In addition, there is a Christmas shutdown to minimise workplace stress. They have an open plan, relaxed office environment with breakout areas and areas for fun. There are “Ask Us Anything” boxes for an open atmosphere, where employees can ask senior managers whatever they want in the knowledge that it is anonymous. Employees can enjoy discounts at various local establishments, an internal Tuck Shop filled with goodies selected by employees at discounted prices, a Cycle to work scheme and an employee helpline, which staff can call to speak confidentially to someone about money advice, bereavement, stress, work, family and relationships. Redweb also allow flexible working hours and the ability for everyone to work from home. The company feel that combined these lead to a happy workplace that is founded on honesty, collaboration, a flat culture and employee welfare. They have a relaxed working environment and are not strict with people's time. Working hours are flexible so staff can start and finish when it suits them. They also plan events throughout the year to break up the day. These include a Netflix club during the winter months, the Redweb Olympics and Golf Open, a Christmas party and an awards show called Redweb Stars. They also celebrate smaller things like National Chocolate Day with free chocolates for the office and even have a monthly Bake Off.

As part of PTM Group's Healthcare package all staff are offered the use of a Virtual GP with their health care provider which means that they schedule appointments in work time, without having to leave the office. The Health Cover also offers access to a free counselling service which can be especially beneficial to people needing support through difficult times. Their subscription to Perkbox means that gifts turn up to work regularly for staff and packages can include stress balls, vouchers, money off restaurants and cinema tickets. It is important for PTM Group staff to know that they appreciate that they have a life outside work and they want to help them enjoy it!

Each Manager conducts an Annual Self-Assessment with their team which gives them the change to plan for the future with their team but also to reflect upon areas where improvements could be made. PTM Group is committed to being the leader within the sector and this annual review is a key factor in continual growth within the company and for the management to set long term goals for their departments. As leader, Jamie Paterson, has an open door policy and he will make time to see staff and address any concerns, queries or ideas they may have. Jamie regularly visits all PTM Group sites, makes a point of meeting all new staff face to face as well as engaging with staff regularly to obtain feedback about the progression of the company. All staff have access to Jamie's mobile number so they can contact him directly, for any reason. PTM Group keeps CPD logs for all staff, which are reviewed regularly. As a training provider, most training is done in-house.

Positive Steps Leaders always consult and involve colleagues, clients and partners in all that they do. They are always thinking things through and reflect upon learning using their knowledge and experience to create and develop new ways of working; Everyone is collectively and individually accountable for Positive Steps targets and work together to achieve them. The Leaders also innovate and develop ways of working that make a difference to the people with whom they work alongside. The Senior Management Team are highly visible in the organisation and know all staff by their first name. They frequently have structured team meetings, the Chief Executive attends the quarterly Staff Forums and also provides regular full staff briefings. Bright Ideas are considered at each Senior Management meeting and ‘you said – we did' feedback is later provided by meeting minutes. These minutes are always disseminated throughout the organisation and staff then have the opportunity to comment or question at their team meetings.

Positive Steps Leaders always consult and involve colleagues, clients and partners in all that they do. They are always thinking things through and reflect upon learning using their knowledge and experience to create and develop new ways of working; Everyone is collectively and individually accountable for Positive Steps targets and work together to achieve them. The Leaders also innovate and develop ways of working that make a difference to the people with whom they work alongside. The Senior Management Team are highly visible in the organisation and know all staff by their first name. They frequently have structured team meetings, the Chief Executive attends the quarterly Staff Forums and also provides regular full staff briefings. Bright Ideas are considered at each Senior Management meeting and ‘you said – we did' feedback is later provided by meeting minutes. These minutes are always disseminated throughout the organisation and staff then have the opportunity to comment or question at their team meetings.

Each employee has access to two paid learning days. PHD realise that finding the time to learn can sometimes be challenging, so employees can use two dedicated days to study at home allowing them more freedom over when and how to fit learning around work. They also offer a learning bursary which gives employees money and the opportunity to learn something non-work related, whether this be street dancing, Arabic lessons, beer brewing or a basic DIY course.

In line with PHD's culture and ethos of the ‘Human Touch', working collaboratively and face to face interaction between teams is strongly encouraged. Every department holds weekly status meetings so everyone is made aware of important updates. These meetings are vital in ensuring news is communicated quickly and is an opportunity for team members to interact away from their desks. Line managers hold regular catch ups with their people to boost communication. The large majority of their people are very sociable and are often at lunch or drinks together. PHD encourage this as it aids good working relationships across the various departments. They also hold weekly 15-minute update meetings that rotate around the building. These meetings are intended to give everyone brief updates that are relevant to the way they work for clients, provide useful insights and showcase interesting research. After restructuring the teams late last year, PHD had to rethink their internal workstreams leading to revamped briefing and planning processes within PHD. Key speakers explained the new way of work during a dedicated offsite session. Everyone received a pack with printed collateral to re-enforce the learning. As part of their planning process they hold Action Planning sessions, these encourage people to work collaboratively and to be creative by working together as a group. People are selected from different teams to gain a range of insights and experience and it is an opportunity for them to network with people from outside of their normal day to day team.

Perkbox have free drinks every Friday in the office at 5pm. The way they are distributed is quite unique - given that they have new starters on a regular basis, they push a beer trolley which affords them the opportunity to meet a lot of new faces in a more relaxed setting than the induction tour they are given on their first day. The trolley is also pushed by someone who might have blundered in some way that week, and is accompanied by an irreverent, tongue in cheek email outlining their plight sent by the HR Manager. It's a fun end to the week and nominations come thick and fast and are always hotly contested. Perkbox have a dedicated break out area which has arcade machines, table tennis, table football and a Playstation 4, people eat lunch there and socialize in the evening. The company also has fortnightly yoga and football matches which give everyone something to talk about! Culture is very important to Perkbox. They made a Culture Book with stories of those who joined the team and give it to all new starters. They also made a video for Seedrs recently, a crowd funding company, and have raised £1.4m in a week, becoming the fastest funded company on their platform in history.

Perkbox University, the in-house training program, encompasses management training courses. They ask senior managers to present to managers along the lines of how to motivate staff, how to generate the best results, conflict resolution, empathy, workload management, reward and recognition etc. These happen every couple of months. Every manager is mentored by a senior manager. They always try to promote from within and so new managers will be well versed in Perkbox's management training, having been on the receiving end themselves. A good example is the sales team, those demonstrating aptitude for increased responsibilities are eased into a management role by making them senior managers, who are still doing front line selling but have mentoring responsibilities. Senior Managers will shadow team leaders to prepare them for the more analytical aspects of the role and are afforded the opportunity to learn on the job. Regularly there are weekly, monthly and quarterly reviews. The weekly and monthly reviews are held between the manager and their line manager and are used to discuss how the managers team have responded to the established KPI's and address any incumbent issues. Quarterly reviews are held with the HR Manager present and minutes are taken for the managers to refer to at any time subsequently.

Senior management present very clear monthly business updates closely aligned to the values of the company. They take a hands on approach to the business and clearly demonstrate company values in their working practices and in their approach to day to day tasks. Managers are honest, open and straightforward in all their dealings with staff and clients and focus on delivering a first class service, they set the gold standard. Managers make sure they attend the sports and social events in order to have down time and fun with their colleagues. Spending time with each other away from the workplace is key to establishing a strong working relationship. Paul Clark, Penta's CEO and founder of the company, has an open door policy and is very approachable. He had always had a very clear vision for the company that he set up 18 years ago. Two of his keys strategies have been to surround himself with high calibre individuals who have complimentary and different skill sets as well as putting his staff, clients and candidates at the very heart of the business. Paul was always determined that any one employed by him would actively enjoy coming to work as well as offering a first class service to all customers. He sets clear performance expectations, goals and objectives for others, treats mistakes as learning opportunities, demonstrates an ability to make decisions and take responsibility for them, encourages feedback from everyone in the business, seeks to fine more efficient ways of operating and actively encourages ideas form others.

Senior management present very clear monthly business updates closely aligned to the values of the company. They take a hands on approach to the business and clearly demonstrate company values in their working practices and in their approach to day to day tasks. Managers are honest, open and straightforward in all their dealings with staff and clients and focus on delivering a first class service, they set the gold standard. Managers make sure they attend the sports and social events in order to have down time and fun with their colleagues. Spending time with each other away from the workplace is key to establishing a strong working relationship. Paul Clark, Penta's CEO and founder of the company, has an open door policy and is very approachable. He had always had a very clear vision for the company that he set up 18 years ago. Two of his keys strategies have been to surround himself with high calibre individuals who have complimentary and different skill sets as well as putting his staff, clients and candidates at the very heart of the business. Paul was always determined that any one employed by him would actively enjoy coming to work as well as offering a first class service to all customers. He sets clear performance expectations, goals and objectives for others, treats mistakes as learning opportunities, demonstrates an ability to make decisions and take responsibility for them, encourages feedback from everyone in the business, seeks to fine more efficient ways of operating and actively encourages ideas form others.

All employees have access to professional coaching and are assigned a mentor from within the business. Penna's People Manager Group meets quarterly and is led by the MD. This group works together to support people management in the business and to support one another with their people management role and responsibilities. Good leadership is a core tenet of the overall brand, along with the client experience and colleague experience; therefore the company believe it is essential that they maintain the standards of the leadership behaviours they have established. Each Penna Leader is asked to gather personal feedback on how they are performing. They do this by consulting their direct reports and anyone else whom they have led as part of projects they have undertaken in the last 12 months. Managers are then required to attend a one-hour training session where they learn how to give and receive feedback in the best and most respectful way. Managers then attend a feedback session with their own Line Manager, who shares and walks through the feedback to identify and maximise on strengths and also build upon any development areas.

All employees have access to professional coaching and are assigned a mentor from within the business. Penna's People Manager Group meets quarterly and is led by the MD. This group works together to support people management in the business and to support one another with their people management role and responsibilities. Good leadership is a core tenet of the overall brand, along with the client experience and colleague experience; therefore the company believe it is essential that they maintain the standards of the leadership behaviours they have established. Each Penna Leader is asked to gather personal feedback on how they are performing. They do this by consulting their direct reports and anyone else whom they have led as part of projects they have undertaken in the last 12 months. Managers are then required to attend a one-hour training session where they learn how to give and receive feedback in the best and most respectful way. Managers then attend a feedback session with their own Line Manager, who shares and walks through the feedback to identify and maximise on strengths and also build upon any development areas.

PegasusLife was created to do things differently and to do things better. Their mission, to fundamentally change retirement homes in the UK is not an easy task. Leaving profits to one side, to be successful requires an engaged workforce and a company culture that supports their mission. To that end, all new members of staff get a handbook that explains in detail all of their core values and how everyone at PegasusLife has a part to play in its success. Inspirational quotes that embody their values, from eminent people as diverse as Shakespeare and Jonathan Ive, have been designed into the office environment and can be seen on many of the office walls. PegasusLife's Google+ page has a group called Living the Values, which is an active forum for exchanging ideas, where anyone can post articles or other thinking pieces that support company values. The competencies/values are also part of the appraisal process so everyone is assessed against them at least twice a year. Furthermore, every team day and company gathering is used as an opportunity for the CEO and other key personnel to reconfirm their focus on always having the mission at the forefront of all of all employees minds on a day-to-day basis.

PegasusLife was created to do things differently and to do things better. Their mission, to fundamentally change retirement homes in the UK is not an easy task. Leaving profits to one side, to be successful requires an engaged workforce and a company culture that supports their mission. To that end, all new members of staff get a handbook that explains in detail all of their core values and how everyone at PegasusLife has a part to play in its success. Inspirational quotes that embody their values, from eminent people as diverse as Shakespeare and Jonathan Ive, have been designed into the office environment and can be seen on many of the office walls. PegasusLife's Google+ page has a group called Living the Values, which is an active forum for exchanging ideas, where anyone can post articles or other thinking pieces that support company values. The competencies/values are also part of the appraisal process so everyone is assessed against them at least twice a year. Furthermore, every team day and company gathering is used as an opportunity for the CEO and other key personnel to reconfirm their focus on always having the mission at the forefront of all of all employees minds on a day-to-day basis.