Personal Growth - How employees feel about training and their future prospects
When it comes to Personal Growth, focusing on providing growth and development opportunities will make people feel invested in as individuals, so are more likely then to feel better about the Fair Deal factor.
All Leith's managers, supervisors and senior managers have an open brief to reward individuals who make an outstanding contribution over the course of the year, an example of this is when they have given these hard workers/achievers a dinner or night away with their partner. Over and above this, the company have a long standing and humorous awards night at their Christmas party where all staff have nominated the awards categories and then vote for those they feel should win them. It's entirely democratic and often very revealing ensuring that those who are often unsung get the recognition they are due.
In addition to putting their star performers through the Cello Academy which Leith is a part of, they have regular training sessions at the agency where they bring in external suppliers to give their people all they need to know about print production, the latest developments in technololgy including mobile, Smart TV, tablets and social media. Every year Leith run two formal appraisal processes, one in June and one in December. These appraisal forms help to monitor performance and identify what development is needed for their people to reach even greater heights. Finally their Zeitgeist programme where they establish cross agency teams is a real enabler for their people when it comes to development of products, their pricing and distribution.
In addition to lively Summer and Christmas parties for all staff Leith also hold a Friday night special once every two months on their barge moored in the Water of Leith. The purpose of this is for everyone to let their hair down, enjoy some free drinks - our Leader assumes role of cocktail shaker and maker at the bar and free food. It's always a hog roast. The social committee, a powerful force at the agency, have run these evenings under a multitude of themes including this one for Halloween.
THT are renowned for their variety of fundraising and social events, many of which are attended by well known TV personalities and other celebrities. Many staff have the opportunity to volunteer at these events. The last such event was the charity's annual gala dinner where many staff enjoyed mixing with the cast from Eastenders and other TV actors. The selection for these events is done on a rota basis, so that, in time, many get the opportunity to dress up and enjoy the spectacle.
THT are renowned for their variety of fundraising and social events, many of which are attended by well known TV personalities and other celebrities. Many staff have the opportunity to volunteer at these events. The last such event was the charity's annual gala dinner where many staff enjoyed mixing with the cast from Eastenders and other TV actors. The selection for these events is done on a rota basis, so that, in time, many get the opportunity to dress up and enjoy the spectacle.
Managers have open and honest relationships with their staff so that personal issues and work life balance can be discussed. These form part of management induction to insure that managers understand the need to be flexible while still delivering the service that they are contracted to do. There is also mandatory 'Managing Diversity within your Team' training to equip managers with the skills to manage a diverse group of employees in an effective and reasonable way. Team Meetings have a set agenda which includes feeding back Charity messages to their staff. This is also encouraged in Supervision meetings. Managers also encourage their staff to attend any extra workshops where they will receive such information. There is a Daily News Bulletin sent to all staff highlighting THT news (internal, external and where they have featured in the press). Every Friday there is a magazine style Friday Post highlighting Fundraising events and other news. Charity messages are cascaded at both the Staff Involvement Committee and in Team Meetings.
Steer Davies Gleave realise that the most valuable, and therefore, respected assets are their PEOPLE. That is why they put so much importance in a company-wide learning and development programme that helps their people to be the best they can be. The L&D programme not only includes professional qualifications, but also handmade internal workshops given by consultants for the company's consultants. They have developed a sophisticated online system, whereby any member of staff can preview all the forthcoming workshops and seminars and can elect to attend. Many of these workshops take place during lunch (with lunch!), so learning can be done quickly and efficiently, without eating into evenings or even needing to leave the building. All of the seminars and workshops are recorded by video and can be viewed via the company's intranet system. They also have a network of video conferencing systems, that enable any member of staff from home or another office to be part of the workshop.
Steer Davies Gleave realise that the most valuable, and therefore, respected assets are their PEOPLE. That is why they put so much importance in a company-wide learning and development programme that helps their people to be the best they can be. The L&D programme not only includes professional qualifications, but also handmade internal workshops given by consultants for the company's consultants. They have developed a sophisticated online system, whereby any member of staff can preview all the forthcoming workshops and seminars and can elect to attend. Many of these workshops take place during lunch (with lunch!), so learning can be done quickly and efficiently, without eating into evenings or even needing to leave the building. All of the seminars and workshops are recorded by video and can be viewed via the company's intranet system. They also have a network of video conferencing systems, that enable any member of staff from home or another office to be part of the workshop.
The main focus of wellbeing initiatives at Steer Davies Gleave, centres around EXERCISE. The company realises that the success of the company depends heavily on the productivity and performance of staff, and they have seen for themselves that their health and wellness initiatives achieve lower levels of absenteeism, increased productivity and a happier healthier people. They introduced a series of sports initiatives that could be participated in during office hours and on-site, thus making it easy for staff to take part. They run weekly yoga classes in the board room, have lunchtime football, netball and badminton in outdoor spaces near the office, and have a lunchtime aerobics class. They even supply equipment for all of these sports including yoga mats, footballs, net balls and bibs. All of the sports activities are either free or heavily subsidised. The company even added four showers in the building, supplied free clean towels and shower products so employees had somewhere to get clean afterwards.
Each month, all employees at STEAK are encouraged to nominate their 'most valued player' (MVP). This is somebody that they consider to have contributed most significantly to the STEAK team. The winner is announced at the monthly company meeting, and receives a certificate and £100.
At STEAK, training is incredibly important. All staff are encouraged to communicate where they want to develop and a suitable course is sourced and paid for. Staff are able to seek training at every level of the organisation.
The senior management at STEAK are extremely approachable. New starters are taken for lunch by the CEO and COO so they can introduce themselves properly and to ensure all staff members feel comfortable approaching them. STEAK has a process that seeks to engage all employees in the development of the business plan and overall goals for the company. The management, with the help of an external consultant, spent several sessions defining the overall goal for the business, setting them out in a ‘roadmap', which was then shared with the rest of the company through an all-company meeting. Since then, each team has works together to agree their own ‘roadmaps', including team goals and objectives, and the things they want to achieve to help support the overall business vision. Involving all employees in the process has meant a much greater levels of engagement and ‘buy ins' to the business plan. The team goals and objectives have now also been cascaded down into individual objectives for the coming year through the appraisal process, so everyone is working to achieve a common goal that is understood by everyone.
The St Jude Medical Employee Forum has been established for 18 months as a vehicle for staff and management to have an open discussion on any topic that has an effect on the business and personnel. The Forum membership is represented by every area of the business and the members actively seek topics to raise at bi-monthly meetings. The company also have informal surveys which are issued to solicit anonymous feedback on specific matters or events for consideration and implementation of initiatives, which have been beneficial to SJM. In addition, all staff are encouraged to raise issues and discuss with managers as well as colleagues, the employee forum rep or mentor. By relocating everyone to completely unfamiliar and unusual surroundings, the SJM office staff were invited on a boating experience day to discuss the way the office is branded and perceived, how individually and collectively they work and how things could improve. Fresh, open and honest discussions were had, an alternative mission for the office staff was agreed upon.
The cornerstone of employee engagement is ensuring outstanding contribution and performance are recognised by the Company. The annual Staff Awards are one formal way in which St Jude Medical rewards superb achievements. There are 8 award categories nominated by employees, including the coveted Managing Director's Award, ultimately decided by the Country Manager. This award in particular recognises an individual who has made an exceptional impact on the business. A letter, cheque and trophy are presented to all winners – and a winner's plaque erected in Capulet House. Following a day's team-building activity, last year's awards ceremony was held at the Celtic Manor hotel in Newport and was attended by the winners, runners-up and the management team.
St Jude Medical UK Ltd supports employee development by their Performance Development Review (PDR) process. They have two PDRs each year – one mid-year and one at year-end. The aim of these are for the employee and their line manager to discuss the achievement of objectives, establish new goals moving forward and openly address career aspirations. As part of the company's effort to continuously improve processes, they recently tasked a working party with the responsibility of revamping the PDR documentation. They maintain the company's five key performance factors (Customer Focus, Delivers Results with Integrity, Teamwork, Initiative, Personal Involvement) but use a role profile matrix to standardise performance expectations for each role. The company rolled out a training programme equipping individuals with the procedural knowledge and preparation requirements required to maximize the output of the PDR. Following the year end PDR, they produced a development database where they detail each employee's short term and long term goals and objectives.
Employees at Spring Personnel have bespoke training programmes devised for their specific job role requirements; these are in various formats but follow the ethos of career and personal development. Top Talent is a programme for Consultants to apply for who wish to be promoted to the next level up. The devised programme will allow them to gain experience, on the job training and be mentored by colleagues within the organisation to experience what the reality of Branch Managers role is. Career Ladders is a document provided to all employees to advise them of the expectations in their current role, how they can be supported and what they need to do to get to the next role. Career Development is a continuous priority in the organisation and it is always looking to improve the methods used to inspire and develop employees.
An annual conference takes place in quarter one each year, where ‘Superstars' are announced at an Oscars style ceremony. Individuals are nominated by their colleagues and recognised for their high performance or going the ‘extra mile'. The awards ceremony creates buzz and excitement as well as allowing colleagues to raise their profile.
An annual conference takes place in quarter one each year, where ‘Superstars' are announced at an Oscars style ceremony. Individuals are nominated by their colleagues and recognised for their high performance or going the ‘extra mile'. The awards ceremony creates buzz and excitement as well as allowing colleagues to raise their profile.
Sport Wales takes staff's health and wellbeing extremely seriously. They provide further information on a dedicated Health and Wellbeing page on their Intranet as well as providing links to other organisations. The HR department make raise staff awareness via posts on the intranet and posters of annual events such as No Smoking Day, and provide literature about the event as well as signposting staff in the right direction for some more help and information. Sport Wales was recognised for its good work in staff well-being by being accredited with the Welsh Government's Corporate Health Standard at Bronze level.
Sport Wales uses two ‘unique' ways to engage with employees, listen to their ideas and seek their feedback: Yammer and Champions. Yammer was introduced to the organisation to encourage staff to share what they are working on in an effort to encourage collaboration, and to also bring staff together across the various regions in Wales. All staff (including Senior Managers) post updates and documents actively seeking feedback from colleagues and ideas to help produce a finished document, and to ensure it is the best it can possibly be. Staff are given the opportunity to read and respond to the update, and there is also the opportunity for staff to edit other people's documents in ‘real time' on Yammer to further collaboration. Sport Wales staff are all offered the opportunity to be part of a Champions network. The network have a work programme aligned to the Senior Management Team's priorities, and one on the areas that the group work very hard on is to seek two-way feedback/communication with the Senior Management Team regarding new ideas and giving feedback. The Champions are very effective in providing responses to new initiatives and providing further ideas that will help programmes. They also seek ideas and feedback from outside the network, regularly providing temperature checks from the rest of the organisation.
Sport Wales produces a staff magazine, Clubhouse, and in each edition staff have the opportunity to nominate a colleague who they feel has ‘gone the extra mile' within their work. As part of the nomination process staff have to detail what their colleague has done to warrant going the extra mile and what the outcome was. Comments are included from the nominee's line manager about their performance as well as a member from the Senior Management Team. A Staff Awards ceremony has been introduced, where people can nominate their colleagues for outstanding work towards the Vision.
Smooth offer an employee assistance programme which is a free, confidential service that offers expert advice, specialist counselling and support that helps staff prepare for and cope with successfully, all life events.
Smooth offer an employee assistance programme which is a free, confidential service that offers expert advice, specialist counselling and support that helps staff prepare for and cope with successfully, all life events.
Smooth have their own Training Manager and training facility called the Smooth Academy which is unique to this industry. They have a Training and Competence scheme which is in place to develop the skill sets of employees within each job role. The company have also introduced a performance management system which includes the employee personal development plan. The development plan for each employee is reviewed every six months to see if they are on track with their objectives and goals. Smooth are also delivering an in house Institute of Leadership and Management management development programme to their management population. Smooth look to promote senior positions from within frequently as feel this demonstrates faith in their development programme.
Simon Dolan, CEO has created a relaxed, empowered and friendly environment so that his employees enjoy coming to work. He has an open or no door policy and empowers staff to make decisions, rather than be burdened with problems they are never actually given the responsibility to self-solve; which would result in increased stress. He provides an environment which encourages self-sufficiency and delivers positive feedback for all decisions made, good and bad. At SJD they ensure that the workspace and environment is comfortable for all employees. Quite recently an employee had an operation on her back; to ensure she was comfortable upon her return she was bought an orthopaedic chair for her desk giving her the support she needed.
The main social events that SJD hold at the organisation in which all employees get involved in are Charity events. These include; Breast Cancer Care Pink Friday; Children in Need; Jeans for Genes day, Sport Relief and the Macmillan Coffee Morning. Lots of employees bake cakes to help raise money and our Receptionists organise games such as; "Guess the Number of Sweets in the Tub" and "Bingo". At lunch time all employees come together to take part in the cake sale and the games that are available. In the last 6 months alone they have raised over £1000 for charity.
SJD support employee development through their internal campaign titled ‘How did I IMPRESS my client today?'. IMPRESS is an anagram that employees can easily remember to use as part of their day to day interaction with clients: INFORMATION – Ensure all information is clear, concise and informative. MANAGEMENT – Manage and maintain a good client relationship. PROMISE – Never break the SJD Promise – Put yourself in the client's shoes! REASSURANCE – Reassurance is key to referrals. EMPATHY – Clients will not always remember what you said but they will remember how you made them feel. SPEECH – How well you communicate is as important as the service itself. SUCCESS – The key to success is clients going away feeling that they've made the right decision. This campaign was supported by internal merchandise, leaflets and posters. This campaign forms part of internal training, training programmes and material, merchandise, employee objectives and reviews.
Rocela views communication as a two way initiative and has implemented a number of methods to listen to their employees, seek ideas and feedback. A quarterly company conference which covers performance and staff news. The Q&A session is an opportunity for anyone to ask questions or offer feedback. A companywide email group used by any member of staff who wishes to communicate news or ask a question. The most recent Employee Questionnaire was issued in September 2011 and this covered a variety of topics including; Communication, Line Management, Values, Benefits, Performance feedback and Development. Below are a few “stats” from the survey: 96% of Rocela employees took part in the survey , 87% of the respondents felt that Rocela communicate well on a company level , 95% of the respondents felt that communication was good on a team level , 96% answered positively to the question regarding customer service/ client care and89% answered positively in relation the Rocela Performance Management process Rocela has a formal Performance Review Process. This is particularly pertinent for those people working from home or based in an alternative location to their Line Manager. 1to1 meetings take place across the business approximately once a month. They are a great opportunity to ensure that people's views are heard. The key topics that are discussed at these meetings are achievements ,frustrations,role alignment and career alignment. Their Executive Team operate a “real” open-door policy and encourage people to speak to them on any topic – either face-to-face or on the phone.
Rocela views communication as a two way initiative and has implemented a number of methods to listen to their employees, seek ideas and feedback. A quarterly company conference which covers performance and staff news. The Q&A session is an opportunity for anyone to ask questions or offer feedback. A companywide email group used by any member of staff who wishes to communicate news or ask a question. The most recent Employee Questionnaire was issued in September 2011 and this covered a variety of topics including; Communication, Line Management, Values, Benefits, Performance feedback and Development. Below are a few “stats” from the survey: 96% of Rocela employees took part in the survey , 87% of the respondents felt that Rocela communicate well on a company level , 95% of the respondents felt that communication was good on a team level , 96% answered positively to the question regarding customer service/ client care and89% answered positively in relation the Rocela Performance Management process Rocela has a formal Performance Review Process. This is particularly pertinent for those people working from home or based in an alternative location to their Line Manager. 1to1 meetings take place across the business approximately once a month. They are a great opportunity to ensure that people's views are heard. The key topics that are discussed at these meetings are achievements ,frustrations,role alignment and career alignment. Their Executive Team operate a “real” open-door policy and encourage people to speak to them on any topic – either face-to-face or on the phone.
Fun is part of the company's ethic, ethos and core values. They do not have a stiff lipped corporate culture so fun is endemic and requires little in the way of nurture. This aspect of their culture is highly valued and they have appointed two CEO's (Chief Entertainment Officers) in their principle geographic office locations. The role of these CEO's is to harness the culture of fun and fund raising, so that they can coordinate efforts across the whole company to be as inclusive as possible. This helps promote and develop the fun culture without smothering it with top down control. Below are some of the 'fun' events that they have taken part in over the year. Easter/Halloween Cake Sales - Employees contributed cakes, scones and pancakes for everyone to enjoy. Secret Easter Bunny Jubilee Lunch - Cream tea and cakes! Their usual Rocela bakers contributed delicious sandwiches, scones and cakes and everyone else who came along donated money towards Rocela's nominated charities. New Hope Quiz Olympic Lunch - To acknowledge the Olympics, they organised a 'Bring a Dish' lunch where everyone had to choose a particular Olympic country and make a dish from there. Cheese n' Wine - Everyone who took part brought a bottle of wine (or soft drink for the drivers) and their favourite cheese(s), and enjoyed relaxed conversation with colleagues.
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