What are companies doing with regards to 'Personal Growth'

An online peer reward system allows employees to recognise and reward each other with a monetary prize. This is scaled from a small amount for a thank you to a larger one for exceptional work. Each award has to correspond with one of the company’s values.

The company aims for 1000 volunteer days a year, with staff choosing how many they would like to do. Graduate training includes pro bono work for the business’s charities. All employees are encouraged to use their work-related skills in the help they offer.

Circus Street’s leading mental health, fitness, and nutrition tools provide a holistic approach to the wellbeing of colleagues. Employees can visit an in-house nutritionist, attend workshops on sleep and diet, or join workout sessions including boxing and yoga. They also have access to private health insurance.

Keeping colleagues informed and energised is a priority. Coupled with a Circus Street newsletter, employees attend quarterly town hall gatherings, where the leadership team provides performance updates, as well as discussing exciting projects and team news.

The company's "balance time" policy is a flexible working model that allows staff to balance their hours over a month, rather than having core hours. It allows people to rest, take time out with family or to exercise, and regain balance in their lives. Hours worked overtime can be used to take time off.

Free breakfast, refreshment supplies, bike storage and changing facilities, pizza Fridays, a recreation floor and staff library, make Sustainable Energy First an outstanding place to work, the company says. Staff respond by looking after clients and the community with the same care for their wellbeing.

Locally-based employees get free membership to the leisure centre. Those further afield are offered a Zoom membership where they can take part in more than 30 fitness classes a week. Staff also get access to wellbeing awareness webinars on topics such as mental health and menopause.

All staff are in the running for colleague-nominated employee and team of the month awards. Individual winners get a voucher and the chance to go on to win employee of the year at the annual awards. These also include other accolades such as top fundraiser and volunteer of the year.

Agile ways of working are designed to foster effective collaboration and communication. Through daily stand-up meetings, regular planning, reviews and retrospectives, teams create an appropriate rhythm for themselves to be able to problem-solve collaboratively and achieve quality results.

An incentive share plan provides the opportunity for ANDis to own a part of the company and see a growing reward for participating in its expansion. Unusually in the industry, the scheme gives "growth shares" to ANDis at all levels, not just those near the top.

Seventy-five per cent of employees are making lifestyle changes based on their results from a free annual workplace-based health check. Common themes that have emerged across the workforce have led to the company starting a monthly walking group and giving staff water bottles to encourage them to drink more.

As a thank you for hard work and loyalty, staff can access a £750 Personal Learning Fund after five years of service. They can spend it on learning a new skill, such as language and photography classes or other support. This could include fitness training or NCT classes to prepare them for a new baby.

Weekly "donut" chats pair staff with another colleague for a coffee break, and water-cooler topics are discussed on the communication app, Slack. Update calls are made every other day to check-in and socialise. Regular social events include cheese-and-wine nights, pumpkin-carving, competitions, charity events, bake sales and a summer and Christmas party.

One of the company's principles is "stock the fridge", which relates to an all-hands-on-deck approach. If staff see something that needs doing they muck in and help out. In the early days, as a small start-up, it was key and the approach has been maintained even though the company has grown rapidly.

To encourage the switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles, a new electric vehicle (EV) salary sacrifice scheme has been launched. Staff eligible for the scheme benefit from income tax and national insurance contribution savings, as well as reducing their carbon footprint. Employees can make use of the free EV charging points at TriConnex’ head office.

Wellbeing walks are just one of the initiatives on offer to give employees a boost. There’s also an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support physical and mental wellbeing, as well as access to financial advice resources. All staff benefit from discounted gym membership, and there’s healthy eating promotions on offer at the firm’s subsidised canteen.

Connect Software works with an external organisation to deliver wellbeing sessions to staff. They are popular and the topics covered are chosen by everyone to encourage buy-in. Wellbeing reminders and tips are sent out regularly to ensure employees are taking care of themselves, taking a break and having down time.

Quarterly senior leaders' meetings are a new concept at Connect and were launched to bring leaders together to bridge the gaps that have appeared as a result of a more flexible way of working. The three-hour meetings discuss the highs and lows of past quarter and pave the way for the next.

Staff nominate a charity to support each year, based on recommendations submitted by colleagues. In 2021, it was Swan UK, which supports children with syndromes without a name. It received £3,000 thanks to staff-led activities such as quizzes and sweepstakes, as well as match-funding from the society of up to £1,500.

The society has continued to work predominantly remotely, but leaders have increasingly sought opportunities to connect with people in person, while sustaining virtual opportunities. The leadership continued to work towards its ambition to engage staff with its vision through leader-led "home-team’"discussions which provide a space for staff to give feedback on a range of topics.