HSBC

WITH ITS FORTUNES founded on 19th-century trade between Europe and China, the world's second largest bank group became a presence on UK high streets through its acquisition of Midland Bank in 1992. One condition of the takeover was that the parent holding company relocate its world headquarters from Hong Kong to London. An imposing skyscraper was built for the purpose at Canary Wharf. Staff at the company's 1,500 UK branches say they are encouraged to get involved in charitable activities, an 81% positive score. All 39,298 employees receive a day's paid leave for volunteering. Fund-matching of up to £500 a year is offered for money they raise, with larger grants available for specific projects. Those who run activity groups, serve as governors or do other relevant unpaid work for a charity, school or faith organisation can apply for £10 an hour for the time they give. A strong social conscience is evident (70%). In 2013, the firm created the three-year, £30m Opportunity Partnership with four youth charities: Catch22, St Giles Trust, the Prince's Trust and Tomorrow's People. It works with disadvantaged young people, and in its first year more than 9,000 16- to 25-year-olds were helped into education, training and employment. Recognising that individuals are key to creating a high-performance culture, the bank gives managers mandatory coaching in how to listen and be open to others' views. The company emphasises the importance of motivating performance, coaching for improvement and inspiring development. Staff say that lines of communication from top to bottom are good, with open and honest conversations (74%) and important information freely shared (72%). No wonder 46% of the workforce have 10 years' service or more — this is a place where careers can be built. www.hsbc.com