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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.
Learning and Development was their biggest cost outlay but they realise they could achieve the greatest impact on their performance as an organisation. They have recently reclaimed one of their recently vacated property's and refurbished it into a bespoke training centre, equipped to meet their organisational needs whilst remaining flexible enough to be multi-functional. The training centre is equipped with an IT training suite, a boardroom style training room, a number of break-out rooms as well as additional office space. This not only provides a future revenue source but removes the cost of renting external facilities. Their next biggest cost was the training itself. To make full use of the facilities, they recruited a HR/L&D professional. This investment not only strengthened the HR team but also allowed them to design and launch a bespoke suite of training initiatives aligned to the needs of the business. They introduce programmes that develop skills for the future. This initiative has been so successful that they have achieved accredited centre status through the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) allowing them to deliver a range of Level 3 and Level 5 qualifications to our staff and preferred business partners.
It has been Trident's belief for some time that Housing Associations have a wider responsibility to support and shape the communities which it serves. Trident's stock is predominantly in an area that is geographically isolated, has a high rate of benefit dependency, a high level of financial exclusion, unemployment, social isolation and lack of community engagement. They house some of the most disadvantaged, excluded and underrepresented communities in the region with issues such as mental health, drug and alcohol dependency, cultural diversity, refugees and those that have experienced homelessness. Trident has initiated a number of initiatives that have seen an increase in community cohesion, life skills, personal confidence and social interaction empowering the community to work together to address issues that matter to local people through initiatives such as coffee mornings, breakfast clubs, training sessions, martial arts classes, money advice surgeries, an Iranian Support Group and more recently a number of Trident Torch Events (to build on this Summer's Olympic theme). The money advice surgeries worked with over 360 customers last year maximising £87,369 worth of income and advising on £331,075 of debt. They engaged a local loan shark agency to deliver training and advice sessions to over 120 customers and staff raising awareness on a key issue in the area, signposting affected customers. The breakfast club and Iranian support group provides social interaction, personal confidence and a free breakfast for many customers who struggle financially.
Learning and Development was their biggest cost outlay but they realise they could achieve the greatest impact on their performance as an organisation. They have recently reclaimed one of their recently vacated property's and refurbished it into a bespoke training centre, equipped to meet their organisational needs whilst remaining flexible enough to be multi-functional. The training centre is equipped with an IT training suite, a boardroom style training room, a number of break-out rooms as well as additional office space. This not only provides a future revenue source but removes the cost of renting external facilities. Their next biggest cost was the training itself. To make full use of the facilities, they recruited a HR/L&D professional. This investment not only strengthened the HR team but also allowed them to design and launch a bespoke suite of training initiatives aligned to the needs of the business. They introduce programmes that develop skills for the future. This initiative has been so successful that they have achieved accredited centre status through the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) allowing them to deliver a range of Level 3 and Level 5 qualifications to our staff and preferred business partners.
As a hotel The Savoy are committed to being green. They focus on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. All of the unused and unwanted food gets placed into an uncontaminated bin when it gets taken away to be recycled and used as energy. They also do bi-annual Thames Foreshore cleanup to keep the environment clean and for the community to be able to enjoy a clean landscape of the Thames. The Savoy also continue to heat hotel water with the heat obtained from the refrigerators in the hotel.
The Savoy hire on talent and attitude, ensuring they have high quality, dynamic and motivated team. They pride themselves in providing a friendly environment. The Savoy invest in their people and encourage personal growth and development. The Savoy hold colleague reviews, the training programme includes orientation, train the trainer, online learning, coaching for success, MS office, etc. They have colleague recognition and are continuing to promote and tranfser over 100 colleagues each year.
The Savoy hire on talent and attitude, ensuring they have high quality, dynamic and motivated team. They pride themselves in providing a friendly environment. The Savoy invest in their people and encourage personal growth and development. The Savoy hold colleague reviews, the training programme includes orientation, train the trainer, online learning, coaching for success, MS office, etc. They have colleague recognition and are continuing to promote and tranfser over 100 colleagues each year.
Net-a-Porter delivered a series of company presentations to the teams around the world. This is a multi-media presentation to celebrate their successes - group,team and individual, look at the upcoming plan and also revisit why they are here. The serious moments are tempered by videos including the Senior management team dancing Gangnam style. The ability of the senior management team to speak authoritatively, inspirationally, while being able to not take themselves too seriously is very precious, especially in the fashion industry.
Net-a-Porter delivered a series of company presentations to the teams around the world. This is a multi-media presentation to celebrate their successes - group,team and individual, look at the upcoming plan and also revisit why they are here. The serious moments are tempered by videos including the Senior management team dancing Gangnam style. The ability of the senior management team to speak authoritatively, inspirationally, while being able to not take themselves too seriously is very precious, especially in the fashion industry.
Net-a-Porter delivered a series of company presentations to the teams around the world. This is a multi-media presentation to celebrate their successes - group,team and individual, look at the upcoming plan and also revisit why they are here. The serious moments are tempered by videos including the Senior management team dancing Gangnam style. The ability of the senior management team to speak authoritatively, inspirationally, while being able to not take themselves too seriously is very precious, especially in the fashion industry.
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.
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