Personal Growth

Zest

Zest allocates a dedicated training budget and holds monthly meetings to assess learning priorities. A new Learning Management System enhances access to materials and a comprehensive skills and development project aims to map clear career pathways for those wishing to advance within the organisation.

Managers at Zest are supported with a comprehensive Manager Toolkit, offering guidance on recruitment and performance management. This is complemented by proactive conversations with the People Team, along with ongoing training and development opportunities to help them confidently navigate their responsibilities and grow in their roles.

The company provides a fair deal through performance-related pay increases throughout the year. Additionally, a yearly bonus is awarded based on both company performance and personal performance, directly linking individual contributions to overall organisational success.

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Utilities

Bumper International

Bumper supports colleague development through the Bumper Levels framework. This system clearly outlines the specific steps required for an individual to progress to the next level, helping them understand their own career path and empowering them to take charge of their professional growth.

Managers are empowered to develop their skills through structured opportunities like LinkedIn Learning courses and comprehensive “Managers How-To” guides. The Bumper Levels framework also helps managers support their teams' growth, ensuring they have the tools to provide meaningful feedback and guide their colleagues' success.

The annual three-day retreat brings the Bumper team together in locations like Lisbon or rural France. This event allows colleagues from different departments to reconnect, get outside, and reset, fostering stronger relationships and a more cohesive and collaborative working environment.

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Financial Services

Medicash Health Benefits Limited

Managers at Medicash are supported with leadership training and encouraged to engage in external learning and industry events. This is complemented by internal knowledge-sharing sessions, which promote peer learning and cross-functional collaboration, helping employees to develop new skills.

A strong and inclusive culture is fostered by blending in-person connection with digital collaboration. The hybrid working model, which requires employees to be in the office at least two days a week, supports team cohesion and encourages informal interactions, enhancing collective engagement and morale.

Medicash is dedicated to improving wellbeing for everyone. For employees, this includes access to confidential counselling, 24/7 GP services, and digital wellbeing tools. This support framework helps maintain resilience, promotes a healthy work-life balance, and encourages mental and emotional wellness.

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Financial Services

Planet IT

Planet IT invests in staff training and rewards, promoting personal growth and skill utilisation. The organisation’s focus on continuous learning through official courses enables employees to feel challenged and opens up opportunities for career progression.

The strong 'Planet Family' culture at Planet IT encourages team spirit and a sense of belonging. Regular team-building activities, from skydiving to trips abroad, foster unity and ensure employees have fun while working.

Planet IT acknowledges the importance of wellbeing with initiatives like mental health support and discounted gym memberships. These initiatives help employees maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life, contributing to their overall performance.

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Technology

Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists

Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists offers several development courses throughout the year, open to all employees. Its internal programme is aimed at creating world-class practice managers signifying the organisation’s commitment to fostering a culture of growth and development.

At Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists, managers are equipped with the tools they need to support their teams effectively. The internal programme 'Greatness Starts with You' underscores the importance of supportive, trusting, and caring management in creating a world-class practice.

With regular Team Member Roadshows fostering collaboration and team spirit, Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists ensures that fun and a sense of belonging are integral to the work environment. The values awards further recognise and encourage team efforts.

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Retail

Brighter Places

Brighter Places supports personal growth through initiatives like the Brighter Places University programme and traineeships. These efforts have led to one in four promotional opportunities and 50% of management opportunities being filled by internal colleagues.

The ethos at Brighter Places is one of collaboration, trust and respect, encouraging a sense of belonging and team spirit. The company actively fosters a blame-free and supportive working environment, ensuring everyone feels valued and part of the team.

Brighter Places offers a Flexi Benefit scheme of up to £700 for wellbeing, a 6.16% pension contribution, and 30 days of annual leave. The organisation also provides an interest-free loan of up to £1000 and up to 14 weeks of company sick pay, ensuring a fair deal for their employees.

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Housing Associations

ElectraLink

ElectraLink offers performance based pay increases and performance bonuses which are divided into three tiers. Tier One is for every employee and is based on company profit, paying out up to 100% if targets are beaten. Tier Two is team based targets for joint goals, and Tier Three is individual targets.

The organisation strongly believes in the importance of developing its people. On an annual basis, everyone sits down with their manager to have a development conversation and produce Personal Development Plans. Those identified as future talent can also access additional funds and ElectraLink is currently supporting three employees through their MBA.

In 2023, ElectraLink introduced its Leadership Academy which is mandatory for anyone with line management responsibilities. It covers topics such as fair and inclusive recruitment, leadership styles, engaging your team, emotional intelligence, metrics, performance management, managing through change and building, and sustaining successful and high performing teams.

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Technology

Origin

Origin is known particularly well for promoting and growing members of staff throughout the business - both vertically and horizontally. Due to its nature of being 'one team' it allows employees to understand and recognise interests and passions throughout the business. It has sponsored many employees through professional qualifications, including AAT, CIPD, CIPS, and ILM.

The organisation facilitates welfare meetings for any employees that need support. The services available include stress risk assessments, occupational health referrals, CBT counselling, and bereavement counselling to ensure that it looks after its employees when they need the extra care.

Origin focuses on monitoring its energy usage and then combat this with tree planting and other green initiatives. It has electric car charging points at every site, and the organisation is accredited by ISO 14001 for environmental management – while also working on obtaining its sustainable resourcing accreditation (BES 6001).

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Manufacturing

Brewhouse & Kitchen

The Future Leaders Academy and apprenticeships, including the Brewing Apprenticeship, provide structured pathways for advancement, ensuring employees feel challenged and their skills optimised for career growth.

Brewhouse & Kitchen offer manager apprenticeship schemes, including courses such as Hospitality Manager and Operational Manager. The organisation also has a Leadership Academy, where its leaders of the future are taken through an 8 week programme.

Utilising Yapster, teams can keep up to date and communicate with anyone within the business. Brewhouse & Kitchen use the app to announce employee recognition of "Legends" programme, communicate any new menu items to drum up interest, and any key business change messages.

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Leisure & Hospitality

Noble Foods

The Good Vibe Tribe at Noble Foods is a group of colleagues that champion the organisation’s wellbeing agenda and deliver initiatives across a calendar of events. These events include webinars on subjects such as managing stress and anxiety, and training managers to highlight mental health awareness.

The organisation’s Aspire programme provides development opportunities for all. Through its talent and succession process, Noble Foods seek to highlight future talent and unsure development plans are in place to nurture this. The company also runs a number apprenticeship programmes.

The Noble Leaders Group have a specific Aspire pathway which covers management and leadership, time management and presentation skills and is delivered through formal programs, coaching and action learning sets. Elements of the NLG pathway are then delivered to wider management groups.

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Food & Drink

Growth Fuels Engagement

Zest

Bumper International

Medicash Health Benefits Limited

Planet IT

Bayfields Opticians and Audiologists

Brighter Places

ElectraLink

Origin

Brewhouse & Kitchen

Noble Foods

Understand your organisational health across all eight factors

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