Volume values the voice of its people. Regular polls are carried out to check what team members think of new developments and managers make sure they get back to people through team posts and group emails as well as individual communication.

Volume shared its expertise with its local authority, Wokingham Borough Council, to produce an augmented reality app which educates users about the history of the local area. The company has a strong commitment to the environment, recycling equipment and donating laptops to charities and families who needed them for homeschooling.

Employees are able to upskill on apprenticeship schemes at any grade, with professional memberships linked to internal development schemes and through the Duke of Edinburgh Business Gold Award programme. Individual development plans cover diversifications of career pathways within the company.

In April 2020, VINCI made £10m of funds available worldwide to fight Covid-19, of which £400,000 was allocated to the VINCI UK Foundation. Beneficiaries included a primary school; Awyr Las, the charitable arm for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board; and the Co Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust charity.

All apprentices are given support to carry out their duties while the office, as well as time to study. Two of the finance team are being supported through their Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualifications. A skills matrix identifies engineers' training needs

VCG has donated six new laptops to a BBC campaign to provide computer equipment for schoolchildren to learn on at home during lockdown. Staff wore yellow and took their teddy to work to raise money for Children in Need. They also joined in Save the Children's virtual ‘Christmas Jumper Day'

Senior leaders have held have held regular and ad hoc Teams calls to individuals, regardless of their line management – and live recorded sofa sessions with the CEO and team members have discussed current projects, plus veered into light-hearted chat like your favourite takeaway, film, and more.

The last engagement survey showed results consistent with previous years – at more than 90% positive sentiment. The feedback was shared with everyone during business update sessions. The group also shares results of the UMi Pulse survey and makes people aware of any relevant changes it may undertake in response to feedback.

To mark Ultima's 30th anniversary in business in 2020, the company hosted a virtual get-together and sent every employee a bottle of Champagne celebrate. At Christmas everyone received a hamper and got together for an escape room challenge.

When its charity partner, Alexander Devine Children's Hospice, had to close to visitors, Ultima donated 30 tablet devices for its care team to use during home visits. The company also supports its local food bank, ReadiFood, with monthly donations and employees raised funds with a sponsored 100km challenge and a 5km Santa Dash.

UKCloud is committed to supporting employees' development, ensuring that it is tailored towards each staff member's specific ambitions and career path. A buddy system for new recruits provides a career mentor for people as they embark on a five-week programme of on-the-job training.

Colleagues found new and interesting virtual ways to use their social budget – £75 per head every quarter – while operating remotely. UKCloud believes this initiative has been pivotal in helping to maintain strong team interaction during a challenging year.

UK Flooring incorporates its values – customer, family, professional and driven – into all stages of its recruitment and training process. The company values were reviewed and re-established in 2019 and staff members who best demonstrate the values are recognised with annual awards.

UK Flooring sponsors Burbage Rugby Club and Barwell FC, based nearby on the outskirts of Leicester. The company donated £6,000 to local food banks in the run-up to Christmas 2020 after hearing that more people were turning to them for help. Branches used the funds to give out festive hampers.

Employees at all levels are passionate about what they do. They are committed to helping people reach their goals and expanding career opportunities through learning, and nurture the company's ethos – achieving excellence, inspiring, developing talent and collaborating for success – through every project.

With access to The Skills Network's portfolio of more than 100 distance learning courses, employees have plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. All staff are encouraged to work towards a qualification relevant to their post and some take further courses for professional and personal development.

The Howard de Walden Estate promotes training and development within the wide-ranging roles in the property company, including tiers of management. Support is also available for further education where applicable to the role and the individual employee.

Daily and weekly meetings kept teams bonded in the past year using cloud technology that the company already had in place. Team members also got together online to boost morale with virtual cocktail evenings and a book club.

To encourage teamwork and create an understanding of what TDS does, new employees are introduced to the executives and key members of staff. Employees are trained to do other jobs in their department and encouraged to help out in other departments.

The TDS Charitable Foundation promotes education in the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. It has awarded grants of £54,725 to five organisations since January 2020 and £808,1000 in total since 2014. The most recent round of funding took into account the effect of the pandemic on the sector.