This year MEC introduced ‘Town Hall' sessions to boost team interaction and communication. As part of the staff survey feedback employees provided the company with, it was clear that they get a great deal of value and enjoyment from the all staff ‘MEC in Motion' company meeting sessions. However, they asked for more regular company updates as the MEC in Motion meetings are 3 months apart and things move quickly around here. The Management Board thought quite hard about the best way to do this, not wanting to resort to email communication as the obvious route. As a result, they introduced Town Hall. This is a new update session held in the open office space covering off any pressing agency, industry, client and people news. No slides or fanfare, just senior people from the management team updating people on important and interesting news, real time. They also introduced Collaboration Coffees as part of their initiative to embed behaviours and improve perceptions of approachability of the Management Board, again responding to staff survey feedback. This is an opportunity for anyone at any level to sit down for a coffee and informally talk about the agency, obtain career advice, tips on leadership or anything else they wish to discuss. MEC ask people to share their Collaboration Coffee time with everyone on the MEC social media channels.

MEC offer learning and development opportunities at all levels throughout the organisation to appeal to all learning styles, from soft skill practical training in presentation and negotiation skills, to e-learning training on digital technical skills, to experiential learning through charity opportunities, language lessons and Thrive projects. They take their commitment to learning seriously in terms of budget investment and time, to ensure MEC offers opportunities to thrive. MEC have a focus on everyone educating each other, whether that's through Big Breakfast where teams share pitch work in an informal setting, or the annual EXPO, a day when the agency stops for a series of talks and workshops on different pieces of work, tech or learnings. Creative champions who attended ‘Upping Your Elvis' creativity training last year continue to run sessions for the agency on creativity and creative brainstorming. They want to ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to learn and develop their skills no matter what level they are. Everyone gets the opportunity to sit a variety of IPA qualifications and they offer leadership training at all levels throughout the agency. Graduates and apprentices have a full training programme to complement their journey with the company, which kicks off with an experiential team building exercise on the streets of London. MEC's management team spent a week at a residential course earlier this year learning advanced sales and influencing techniques to help them work better with clients.

Maxus know that communication and interacting are fundamental to their success. At Maxus they celebrate collaborative working. Their Agile Working policy drives collaboration in their day-to-day operations, encouraging people to move frequently around the office, working with different people. When they designed their new office, they built a Tannoy system into walls of the building. It's so fundamental to their culture that much of the interior design is envisioned around the pipes that power it. Whenever they have an all-staff announcement, rather than sending an impersonal email that clogs up everyone's inbox, they use the tannoy. It ensures that announcements are heard, and immediately triggers a series of conversations about the news, because everyone hears at the same time. To surface to the whole agency all the valuable stuff being talked about daily amongst Maxus' teams, they launched their weekly ‘Maxus Mind' bulletin. Every week they crowd-source from staff all their topics of conversation, and then publish them as a bulletin that is re-circulated to the entire agency. It ensures that no-one misses out on a topic of conversation, and provides an ongoing source of important industry news. And they supplement all of this with their Monthly Agency Meetings, followed by drinks. They find that these forums, compulsory for all staff, are essential for sharing news and creating a sense of community and togetherness. Plus, socialising together afterwards gives everyone a chance to catch up and build strong friendships outside the office.

Maxus believes strongly in professional and personal growth for employees. Their Never Stand Still programme offers a suite of initiatives for their staff under three core pillars; “For Work, For Life and For Growth". As part of the “For Growth” activity, they introduced an annual pot of money called the Growth Fund. The Growth Fund is their commitment to supporting employees in their own professional and personal development, offering sponsorship up to £250. The fund could be used flexibly for personal development and subsidise or pay for anything from a professional qualification to driving lessons or a wine tasting course. In 2016, to help inspire people to take advantage of the fund, Maxus facilitated a number of sessions including hosting language classes and a coding course in their offices. The fund is available on an annual basis for all employees with 12 months' service. Whilst Maxus ensure that the growth fund is ultimately supporting personal or professional growth, it is completely up to the employee to decide how they want to spend it. Maxus also offers professional coaching to all employees - coaching can be used for both personal and professional growth. From a professional development perspective, Maxus offer a suite of learning opportunities. In 2016, the focus has been on creativity and they hosted a number of sessions and events focused on creative excellence. Culminating in a week of activities across the agency, from internal subject matter experts giving talks to external companies showcasing their inspiring stories.

Maris have a monthly beauty treatment day, where a meeting room is taken over and staff can sign up for a free massage, a haircut or a manicure, it has proved to be a great way for staff to take 20 minutes out of their busy day to unwind. When the sign up list is put up staff always react excitedly and the list is full very quickly. They also provide a monthly lunch to employees. A local restaurant or food stall is selected, vouchers are printed and handed to staff to go and collect their free lunch. They give staff their birthday as a day's holiday, or a day within their birthday month. In addition, they close down between Christmas and New Year which is free time off for employees. The in house coffee shop, FOAM, provides fresh fruit, cereals, a daily snack and teas and coffees and is a unique and relaxing environment where staff can take a break at any time during the day. The office environment is also very comfortable with AC, plenty of natural light, comfortable seating and showers and lockers. Once a year employees are taken on holiday and gifted the time off. Any employee in a time of need is fully supported, Maris have paid for medical bills for four employees this year who have faced challenges. This year they decided to offer free health checks to employees where they brought in a doctor for a few days to examine vitals and discuss any issues with employees.

Maris have a monthly beauty treatment day, where a meeting room is taken over and staff can sign up for a free massage, a haircut or a manicure, it has proved to be a great way for staff to take 20 minutes out of their busy day to unwind. When the sign up list is put up staff always react excitedly and the list is full very quickly. They also provide a monthly lunch to employees. A local restaurant or food stall is selected, vouchers are printed and handed to staff to go and collect their free lunch. They give staff their birthday as a day's holiday, or a day within their birthday month. In addition, they close down between Christmas and New Year which is free time off for employees. The in house coffee shop, FOAM, provides fresh fruit, cereals, a daily snack and teas and coffees and is a unique and relaxing environment where staff can take a break at any time during the day. The office environment is also very comfortable with AC, plenty of natural light, comfortable seating and showers and lockers. Once a year employees are taken on holiday and gifted the time off. Any employee in a time of need is fully supported, Maris have paid for medical bills for four employees this year who have faced challenges. This year they decided to offer free health checks to employees where they brought in a doctor for a few days to examine vitals and discuss any issues with employees.

At the start of 2015 m/Six launched their "Beer Mats" programme. Every employee has been given twelve cards which they can award to anyone who has gone the extra mile for them. The mats can be redeemed for a free coffee or drink at the pub and this has allowed people to be recognised for their hard work. It has also afforded m/SIXers a new way to interact with one another, strengthen bonds between teams and individuals and to spread some positive vibes across the whole agency.

m/SIX understand that to attract and retain talent their people need to come first. By ensuring their people are happy, motivated and challenged they come to work inspired to create better work for their clients. The company put a lot of thought into developing a benefits package that promotes a collaborative work culture and strikes the right work life balance. Just some of the other benefits, processes and fun things that everyone working at m/SIX enjoys include Running Club, Monday Night Football, 3pm finish on a Friday during the Summer months, Childcare vouchers, an Employee Assistance, Life Assurance, Health Insurance, Private Medical Insurance, Season ticket loans, Free eye tests and Partner Discounts with companies like Apple and Majestic Wines. There are also Personal Finance Clinics, Film and Food nights and even a Book Club.

Each Local Care Force office actively look to support their community and the people that they work with. As many of their customers are charities they regularly work with their fundraising teams and are actively involved in numerous money-raising events. Every employee takes part in days like Jeans for Genes, Alzheimer's Day and many others and, in addition to numerous 10k & 5k runs/walks, they have been involved in the following activities in the last 12 months. One of their team went to Kenya to help build a school and Local Care Force donated clothing, stationary and raised money. The Sales Director did the London Marathon to fund a kitchen build for Together for Mental Wellbeing and will be doing another Marathon this year! They got hands-on to help a service user (a person they support in the community) recreate their garden. In 2016 16 of the Local Care Force team completed Total Warrior event for Hospitallier St John of God. They held a Christmas afternoon tea for their Nurses, with the president of the Royal college of Nursing in attendance to raise money for her charity but also for the Leeds flood damage. A team of Managers did a night rave-run. More recently, the company have supported an ex-employee to raise money for a family member who needs rare cancer treatment in Germany. Finally, in 2017 25 of the team have booked to do the tougher Lake District Total Warrior course, 8 to do Leeds Total Warrior, 3 to do tough mudder all for charity and 10 doing Gung ho for Love hope Trust.

Local Care Force constantly look to motivate their employees – the vision is that everyone looks forward to coming to work! They appreciate their team, thank them when they work late and continually express their gratitude and appreciation. They have a shift pattern to help avoid rush hour, help with child care and allow staff to go to the gym. A number of incentives run throughout the year, including activities to incentivise those who aren't targeted or on bonuses. Innovative Incentives for the administration team are taken just as seriously. A recent example is Bingo cards with customer-service related tasks to complete for prizes like luxury hotel stays, bar tabs, a parking pass and team meals out. There are often days dedicated to a given task like quality assurance or new business, where the team are given a week to plan, with prizes worth making a serious effort for, including recently an all-expenses paid holiday to Barcelona! The eventual winner of the holiday to Barcelona took a colleague with him to help celebrate his success, a real testament to Local Care Force's ethos of being friends and not just colleagues. The Management Team are dedicated to praising those who work hard, when a record or target is hit or someone simply goes over and above. The Management Team reward their entire team with a paid lunch or a meal after work to promote morale and strong relationships. Any praise is also emailed company wide, with the team positively commenting each time.

Lightsource moved from its former base at Old Bailey to a new custom-built office space to accommodate its in-house team. The fast-paced and dynamic nature of the solar industry means that team interaction is key to the company's success. The open plan office space of more than 30,000 sq ft allows for quick and easy communication between teams, including the Senior Management Team, ensuring everyone can work together closely in order to meet often tough deadlines. But the work hard/play hard ethos is echoed in the Lightsource Social environment. The offices large breakout areas, complete with retro arcade games and table football, are where you'll find table football tournaments in full-swing or maybe one of the Senior Management trying to hit top spot on Pac-man! Open and honest interaction between staff and teams is led by the CEO, who hosts regular company update events for all staff. These updates include the latest news on a business front, upcoming events and candid Q&A sessions, where all staff are encouraged to ask any question they like with the promise of an open and truthful answer from the Senior Management Team.

Lightsource moved from its former base at Old Bailey to a new custom-built office space to accommodate its in-house team. The fast-paced and dynamic nature of the solar industry means that team interaction is key to the company's success. The open plan office space of more than 30,000 sq ft allows for quick and easy communication between teams, including the Senior Management Team, ensuring everyone can work together closely in order to meet often tough deadlines. But the work hard/play hard ethos is echoed in the Lightsource Social environment. The offices large breakout areas, complete with retro arcade games and table football, are where you'll find table football tournaments in full-swing or maybe one of the Senior Management trying to hit top spot on Pac-man! Open and honest interaction between staff and teams is led by the CEO, who hosts regular company update events for all staff. These updates include the latest news on a business front, upcoming events and candid Q&A sessions, where all staff are encouraged to ask any question they like with the promise of an open and truthful answer from the Senior Management Team.

The CEO treats all staff with respect and gives them the opportunity to speak to him directly if they have concerns regarding the business or themselves. He shows not only an interest in their time at work but in their families outside interests. In the short time he has been in post he has been very keen to seek to harmonise and improve terms and conditions for all staff. The MD ensures that he visits all sections of the business and speaks to as many staff as possible. He engages well and proactively with staff at all levels across the business. Due to the nature of the business a great amount of on-the job training takes place, particularly for field staff. This type of on-going training enables staff to maintain and develop their skills. There is on-going support available from experienced managers and staff. The business is proficient in providing support and guidance whilst business continues. For a small number of staff an MBO process is in place. The organisation is about to introduce a formal management development programme and to set up a number of supplementary support programmes, such as mentoring and coaching. There are also plans to implement a cross organisation performance management system in the next 6 months.

Throughout the Company posters and charts are proudly displayed on the walls to ensure staff are aware of the vision, mission and behaviours that are so dear to Hoppeckle's heart. These are even displayed in the reception area so visitors are also aware of the company's mantra. As Hoppecke are a relatively small company and approximately half their workforce are field based, the MD writes a blog to update all staff on changes and developments in the business and to celebrate success. For those staff who do not have access to a computer, their team leader meets with them to discuss the content, answer questions and obtain upward feedback, which is noted and as appropriate discussed with the wider leadership team.

Annually the Studio organises trips to a European City where £500 is paid towards flights, accommodation and food for each employee. This year staff had the option of going to Oslo, Lisbon. Arhaus, Eindhoven, Nantes and Rotterdam. In groups of 25 staff visit and explore various cities, reviewing architecture for the purpose of research and team building. The trips are led by a Partner and made up of a mix of people who don't normally work each other. The days include waking tours, visit to other architectural practice and cycle tours. While evenings are a time for everyone to socialise over dinner. It is said that Studio Trips are a highlight for staff and a calendar event much anticipated. Upon return staff are encouraged to share photos and present learning's from the trips to the wider studio.

Annually the Studio organises trips to a European City where £500 is paid towards flights, accommodation and food for each employee. This year staff had the option of going to Oslo, Lisbon. Arhaus, Eindhoven, Nantes and Rotterdam. In groups of 25 staff visit and explore various cities, reviewing architecture for the purpose of research and team building. The trips are led by a Partner and made up of a mix of people who don't normally work each other. The days include waking tours, visit to other architectural practice and cycle tours. While evenings are a time for everyone to socialise over dinner. It is said that Studio Trips are a highlight for staff and a calendar event much anticipated. Upon return staff are encouraged to share photos and present learning's from the trips to the wider studio.

Throughout Harbour teams hold team meetings and team development days to look at how services can be improved. There was also a Staff Health & Wellbeing event held in October 2016, which all Harbour staff were invited to attend. The event included presentations and workshops on topics selected following a staff health survey. The organisation also covered mindfulness, self-harm and suicide prevention. They even had organisations attend with information stalls on topics such as alcohol and cancer, as well as a health bus offering basic health tests.

The values are clearly set out and communicated at all levels. Harbour have a competency framework which contributes to the values and is incorporated into their recruitment, training and appraisal processes. The organisation's 360-degree appraisal process includes all Senior Managers so Harbour can receive feedback on how well they demonstrate their values. Lesley operates an open door policy and staff at all levels know she can be approached about any matter, something that happens regularly. She is based in Hartlepool but spends time in the working week based at other Harbour locations so she is visible and experiences the front line operations at all times.

Hall & Partners continuously seek new ways to reward their stars; therefore the company have put in place rewards that recognise the examples of behaviour that reinforce their culture. These rewards are given out during the quarterly gatherings, which allow them to share and celebrate individual successes with the wider team and, in some cases, the business. The individual rewards are hand-chosen and bespoke to the individual so that they are aligned to Hall & Partners core values of Courageous, Collaborative, Creative and Curious. The company go beyond financial reward to give people incredible experiences that they can enjoy and share with their colleagues, further promoting the initiative. Examples include the ArcelorMittal Orbit at the Olympic Park, Ice-skating at Alexandra Palace and the London Bridge Glass Platform Experience.

Hall & Partners are mindful of the importance of communicating with one another regularly outside of the daily and weekly team gatherings. Working in a busy and rapidly evolving environment, it's important staff are presented with new and innovative ways to interact and communicate with leaders. One of the avenues for doing this is through the company's annual company-wide initiative ‘Imagine Day'. This gives staff the chance to come together and share ideas through collaboration and training. This year saw a presenter from TrendWatching comment on the latest industry trends, encouraging staff to consider new approaches and areas of growth in their respective industries. Hall & Partners also hold frequent ‘London Pop-Up' meetings with the whole office to ensure all employees are kept up-to-date with Marketing, People, big wins, any key developments and news. They have also maintained their ‘Fifteen minutes of fame sessions', which are held monthly. These provide all employees with a platform to share and inspire their colleagues, showcasing examples of innovative and exciting work. Hall & Partners also encourage teams to enjoy a monthly ‘wellbeing day', an opportunity to leave their desks, escape the office and do something fun together. These include outings to theme parks, treasure hunts, sports days, cooking classes and even murder mystery days.