What are companies doing with regards to 'Giving Something Back'

At monthly Foody Fridays or Munchie Mondays, depending on the teams' working patterns, takeaways are delivered to all team members. The business encourages teams to go out together and have fun at quarterly events, which it funds.

Communication is a priority within Motorpoint, and, as the organisation grows, it focuses particularly on maintaining leadership visibility. Chief executive Mark Carpenter hosts a monthly Happy Hour to update staff on the business and make sure that its values are lived. All staff can attend and questions are welcomed.

Cross-business coffee catchups, which were arranged as one-to-ones between people who would not typically engage with one another, have led to collaborations between departments on projects. As well as monthly all business updates and quarterly newsletters, the company also introduced Yammer as a way of highlighting the work of a different team each month.

The e-learning system PiiQ allows staff to access thousands of courses. The company also uses the software to upload its own training sessions and webinars so that they can be accessed at any time. During the pandemic many employees have chosen to learn a new language.

Putting employee wellbeing at the forefront of the business, PPL PRS encourages healthier habits amongst employees through its Cycle to Work scheme, healthy food and snacks initiative and discounted gym memberships. The company also offers eyecare vouchers, life assurance and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to all staff.

Based on the TV game show, Play Your Cards Right, team managers set a daily business objective, which if team team members achieve, can try their luck on a giant version of the game for a chance to win a prize from a trolley of treats.

Revere has built two separate management programmes - one for more junior managers called Boost Leap, and another for more senior managers called Boost Elevate. These bespoke programmes were designed following feedback gathered from the managers, and focuses on consistent process and best practice when it comes to recruitment, new starters and onboarding.

Regular team and all-company social events are designed to encourage communication and interaction. From a Henley Festival summer party through to go-karting, the events have been popular, helping colleagues form valuable working relationships. To further encourage interaction, employees are invited to share their personal updates, news, and views in a dedicated Teams channel.

Placing a focus on employee wellbeing, Rocksteady support employees who might be struggling with different mental health resources, such as an EAP service, mental health counselling and independent counselling sessions through its privately hired counselling agency. Teams are offered free yoga four times a week and discounted gym memberships promoting physical wellbeing.

Food is a huge cultural element and Rocksteady have designed the studio to revolve around the large open plan kitchen with communal tables brining colleagues across the business together. Caterers are hired for themed events such as the Lunar New Year, and senior managers gather to cook breakfast for the whole team once a month.

As part of its recruitment process, the firm uses social media to share content about company culture and job opportunities. Its advertising reflects the desire to open doors to a wider range of candidates and LinkedIn helps in identifying and building relationships with potential future talent.

In 2022 the firm launched its 'Brilliant Leaders' programme, focusing on growth mindset and the firms IOS philosophy, as well as a 'Leadership Fundamentals' programme for aspiring managers. Ampa has also partnered with Go MAD Thinking Ltd, which has developed a thinking and coaching toolkit based on 12 aspects of leadership.

ExcluSec employees can request training for refresher courses or to learn new skills. This empowers team members to be responsible for their own training and development. Employees are also provided with access to an array of online courses through the company's online portal.

Recognising the importance of wellbeing, ExcluSec's wellbeing package for staff includes an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24-hour GP services and a health cash plan, as well as other benefits. The company continues to promote the importance of mental and physical wellbeing throughout the organisation.

To attract more top talent, Vianet continues to partner with Teesside University's Student Futures to network and advertise roles and offer opportunities for internships. The AIM-listed company has also become an active member of the North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network.

The organisation places great value on the wellbeing of its employees, proactively encouraging them to utilise its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Mental Health First Aiders. In addition to this, Vianet sends regular wellbeing communications to colleagues and provides access to Resilience and Growth Mindset Training, along with hybrid working opportunities.

Following the success of an additional ‘wellbeing day’ gifted to all employees last year in lieu of activities that would normally be held in the office, the company is repeating the initiative. This sees all employees get an extra days’ leave to use as they wish – everything from nail appointments to long walks.

All people managers attend an internal 'Leading the Way' programme that consists of four key modules covering ‘An introduction to Leadership’, ‘Leader as a Coach’, ‘Leading Performance’, and ‘Leading the Team’. In addition, all managers are offered one-to-one personal training and support whenever needed in their roles.

An employee-run mental health and physical wellbeing group meets fortnightly to discuss and implement changes across the business, such as its 'Wellbeing Week' initiative held in January. It also provides Vitality Health Insurance for employees to encourage better physical and mental health, as well as providing mental health coaching once a month.

Each week employees are given half a day to focus on their personal growth, whether it be participating in training to further skills for a work-related project, or for their own interests outside of the business. Some of the team used this time to work on an AI recycling app, unrelated to their usual projects.