About JCW

For the first 6-12 months after graduating from JCW’s leadership programme a manager will report to one of the three directors who are responsible for their mentoring and coaching. Managers will have daily catch ups with their mentors to ensure they are on the track in terms of running their day to day business, with progress being reviewed monthly against their business plan. Where additional or supplementary training is required it will be given by the appropriate director, plus there are monthly business reviews and a six monthly competency review where structured development actions can be set, covering a range of topics from their biggest highlights to SMART actions. Through these meetings JCW are able to track what good looks like in terms of output KPI for their teams. Each manager also walks away understanding what good looks like for their teams and can then manage their business accordingly, with Director guidance always provided to achieve fee performance. Each manager his a bi-annual performance review that covers performance against JCW’s 7 key management competencies: leadership, role model, planning, monitoring and analysis, coaching, training and development, team building, drive and ambition and sales. The company also reviews their performance against financial target. They then pick two competencies to work on over the next six months and put SMART actions in place to review against, ensuring managers are constantly developing and improving throughout their time at JCW. In terms of day to day focus, each manager has a morning catch up with the MD to review progress for the week against key metrics. The MD also has regular breakfast meetings or evening drinks to get less formal feedback. JCW is also in the process of developing a second leadership programme aimed at Principal and Director level where there will be a need to manage managers.

On starting with JCW all employees receive a development plan detailing their targets and timescales on promotion. These development plans are repeatedly updated every quarter so that all employees know where they stand on reaching promotion. The business development plans are also linked to Incentive trips to Las Vegas, Miami etc.

Even though they have very high expectations of their staff, JCW also ensures that the rewards match these expectancies. Their reward system is second to none, ranging from high bonus pay-outs and a flexible benefits scheme to their annual trip to Las Vegas. The trip consists of an all-expenses paid long weekend in a 5* hotel, with pretty much every drink and bet covered by JCW! Rest assured the trip is open to all, not just the senior staff members, as individual’s at all levels have their own bespoke targets to qualify for the trip. Even the admin team have their own specific targets to come along. Last year a number of 'wildcards' meant guaranteed qualifications to individuals who were particularly deserving to qualify, for example the consultant who was voted by staff as ‘top salesman.’ JCW's Vegas trips have developed an almost legendary status within the business and they even screen a JCW Vegas movie after each trip to the wider business showing a high-quality production of the various highlights! In JCW’s experience this particular incentive has been unusually effective in rewarding our best performers.