Leadership - How employees feel about the head of the organisation, senior management and the organisation's values and principles
Leadership has the biggest influence on how employees feel about the organisation.
Leaders need to create inspiring visions and provide clear direction to positively Impact the My Company factor.
When it comes to Wellbeing, no amount of free fruit or stress busting classes are going to address an imbalance. Employee Wellbeing is a by-product of the leadership and management culture.
If there’s pressure at the top of your organisation, it won’t take long to be felt throughout.
Barbon Insurance Group use a bespoke Training and Competence scheme called ‘Pathway to Success’ as a framework to support development. The organisation also uses its Learning Management System (Build) as an intranet to house an array of information and where team members can go to access mandatory and elective learning, and to track CPD.
The organisation runs a management development programme call BIG leadership aimed at existing managers and aspiring leaders within the business that provides a strong understanding of the management role and develops the core skills that will help them to be a successful leader. Managers can earn their ILM Level 3 Team Leader and MBA qualifications.
The organisation has set a 5-year plan for growth, collaborating with team members, customers, and shareholders. This plan was shared with all colleagues and the leadership team, led by the CEO. The seven key objectives of the plan are discussed weekly in senior meetings and summarised for all employees in weekly updates from the CEO.
The ‘We are CBH’, 'Time to Talk' and 'Toolbox Talk' sessions provide opportunity for teams to communicate and allow colleagues to be heard. In addition to this, the People Manager group held 3 times a year provides a forum for colleagues to receive updates, understand priorities and work through any challenges collectively and collaboratively.
Business priorities and objectives have been set and clarified through the organisation’s HRA Business Plan and Performance Framework programme priorities. The Executive team filter messages down into the business via meetings with Heads of Service who then communicate these to their Managers, who then communicate to their teams.
To maintain culture regardless of where employees work, all colleagues are encouraged to live by the values of one team. Face to face meetings are encouraged throughout the course of the month so that colleagues interact with one another to assist with increased communication, collaboration and a sense of belonging to the team and organisation.
The Big Circle Move initiative was launched in support of physical health. 725 members of staff participated in a 30-day active challenge of moving for 30 minutes every day in May. A total of 40,730 miles of activity was completed and three winners received an Apple Watch in recognition of looking after their physical health.
The organisation’s values and principles are Respect, Compassion, Selflessness, Support, Agility, Bravery, Collaboration, and Commitment. The leadership team live these values and principles every day, setting an example for the staff. Every employee was invited to have candid and direct conversations with the COO about the business
The organisation has created a dedicated career development hub which enables employees to map out their professional careers within the organisation, regardless of role. Circle Health Group believes in growing and developing talent from within and there are numerous clinical and non-clinical opportunities available.
Teams come together regularly in person and virtually across the country. Whether it's lunch and learn sessions or staff networks hosting celebration events. Last Summer, as part of the organisation’s 'Creating Happy Memories Campaign', teams were given the afternoon off to hold a picnic and bring their children.
New employees attend an induction which the CEO always attends. He makes sure all new colleagues understand the organisation’s rich history, purpose, values, and strategy. Once a month it also holds an ‘open’ Executive team meeting, where all colleagues can join to hear the latest updates from the CEO and Directors.
Family Action has 43 FOOD Clubs across the country. FOOD Clubs work with local partners to source food that would otherwise go to landfill. The use of partner organisations to source food and reach local communities means that the organisation is helping to improving economic and social wellbeing.
Care, compassion, and commitment are the values that the senior management team tries to instil into every employee at PJ Care. They all support their individual teams but also work hard to build strong relationships with other teams across all areas of the business, whether that's the frontline staff or the support teams.
The average hourly rate for PJ Care’s staff for males was £12.35, and for females, it was £12.81, showing that gender has no bearing on pay. Almost all of the company’s registered managers and senior clinical staff are female, selected solely on merit, with development plans in place for all to achieve higher positions.
Over the past 12 months, PJ Care has donated over £15,000 to charity. Members of staff participate in various events e.g. London to Brighton Cycle Ride, marathons, and half marathons. One member of staff lost her son to suicide so she and her family ran a virtual marathon during May, raising funds for Mind.
There is a dedicated team that focuses on mental health and overall wellbeing for all team members. The agency also offer all managers Mental Health for Managers training. This course includes modules that cover the fundamentals of mental health, diminishing stigma, and cultivating a sense of assurance when engaging in conversations with their teams.
The agency's underlying value is People First. By practising open communication, inclusivity, and providing channels for feedback and employee representation, it creates a supportive and engaging work environment. To encourage open dialogue, the organisation established an Ask the Board channel. This platform allows all employees to directly ask questions or provide feedback to board members.
Rocketmill has launched its Academy; a structured 3-month training programme across its 2 largest departments. Each attendee has a mentor and works through the same syllabus with the aim to complete a final test and be awarded a permanent contract. This programme has allowed the agency to nurture and grow talent.
SMS offers a number of different forms of leave depending on an employee’s circumstance including compassionate leave, fertility treatment, miscarriage, bereavement, and other unfortunate or unforeseen circumstances. Paid time for dependents - emergency cover, unpaid. It has 2023 increased our paternity leave package to two weeks of full pay.
SMS has continued to ensure engagement with its people. Organisational clarity has come from the CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief People Officer having regular contact with employees via short video updates, e-mails, texts, pulse surveys, and five employee resource groups. The organisation’s mission, vision, and purpose were communicated via annual performance and development reviews.
It has also recently introduced a bespoke management development programme (MDP) - which has been designed to ensure its managers and team leaders have the core skills and competencies needed to perform their jobs successfully. The programme consists of a number of managerial, coaching, and developmental modules.
Employees at The Pedder Group have a clear pathway mapped out that demonstrates how progression can be attained and how the organisation will provide the tools and support to do this. It has established a ‘Fast-track to Manager’ programme which provides year-round training and clear targets to help the employee towards management positions.
The organisation values communicating clearly to employees who it is, what it does, and how it does it. To achieve this, it maintains open lines of communication from the top to the bottom through its Brand Book and Corporate Brochure. These resources are regularly updated ensuring employees have access to the latest organisation information.
Giving back to the community is a core value of the organisation. It has continued to support multiple charities and community causes such as through its local schools’ sponsorship; Cancer Research UK fundraising; its pledge to its local hospice, St. Cristopher’s; Peckham and Dulwich festivals; and clothes and supplies donations to Ukraine.
Company Directors and the Senior Management Team provide an open and honest approach by regularly visiting different locations so that all the team can benefit from consistent communication and support. All team members are kept up to date on news and achievements through the company intranet and monthly team newsletter.
The organisation is committed to promoting from within, ensuring that team members feel supported and understand the development opportunities available to them. Team members are encouraged to make training requests on a regular basis, and to support external training that will allow them to develop in their existing role or future.
Verdant Leisure encourages supportive peer management, and for all managers to talk to each other and communicate across teams. Verdant Leisure managers have an open door policy and their culture encourages managers to talk directly with the Directors if they have any concerns. The organisation continues to train Mental Health First Aiders across every location.
Employee wellbeing is a key focus for Vindis Group’s Board of Directors; and, as such, the implementation of many initiatives has been supported. These include: a robust internal wellbeing programme, including optional ‘Welfare Meetings’; access to Occupational Health Therapists, funded by the Company; four Mental Health First Aiders; and mandatory mental health training.
The Vindis Group launched a new 'Vision Cube' for the organisation, to provide clarity and direction with respect to the vision and values of the Company. The Vision Cube has six distinct elements: Pioneering Mindset; Sustainable Process; Outstanding Outcomes; Customer Obsession; High Performance Culture; and Exceptional People.
The Vindis Group offers access to leadership development programmes – accredited by the Institute of the Motor Industry. ‘Aspire’ seeks to further develop individuals who are beginning to demonstrate the mindset and behaviours intrinsic to potential future leadership roles. It has a comprehensive application and enrolment process, and welcomes 30 individuals each year.
