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.
The CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) provide regular strategy and business updates, encouraging employee feedback during Q&As where employees can remain anonymous, allowing them to ask questions without fear. The CEO and ELT hold 'meet and greet' sessions with all new employees, welcoming them to the organisation and providing an open and approachable workplace.
All employees have the opportunity to attend several training programmes, including in-house Client Experience training and other development courses through Phoebus Software’s Udemy licence. New leaders can also attend the organisation’s bespoke leadership course, LEAP, which provides a level 5 ILM accreditation upon completion.
Phoebus Software have introduced a wellbeing allowance which employees can use towards any activity or item that positively supports their wellbeing. The organisation also provides access to a wealth of services to support mental and physical health, including online fitness programmes, lifestyle and skills development, and an in-office games room and personal training sessions.
The organisation is committed to reducing its energy consumption, water usage, waste disposal, and carbon footprint practically and cost-effectively. Through initiatives such as recycling waste, lighting sensors, smart power switches, transitioning to paperless offices as well as energy-efficient air conditioning units.
The Leadership team set the standard in terms of conducting 1:1 meetings with all direct reports every month, part of which relates to values, which include accountability and open lines of communication. Additionally, the MD and directors meet with all new starters as part of their induction framework to illustrate and instil the company values.
As a business, Quill Pinpoint hosts quarterly meetings with all employees to bring people together remotely, it also has annual meetings, bringing everyone together face to face. These meetings include a summer social event with families and friends and regular quizzes via teams.
Millwood provides long-term employability initiatives which increase work prospects for marginalised groups, such as those with additional needs, ex-offenders and the LGBTQ community. Through these experiences, individuals receive their very own MeMovie - an evidenced-based, personally created video cv which is then shared with the UK community and its partners.
Leading by example is Millwood Servicing’s mantra, achieving this from its values of being ‘Honest, Open, Balanced, & Fair’ in everything it undertakes. Whenever the company receive invites to awards nights, client entertainment etc. The CEO, Matt always offers this out to the entire firm first, on many occasions giving up his place.
Offering careers not jobs, Millwood’s holistic ethos to personal and supported development ensures that every member of staff gets the chance they deserve. Offering 1:1 monthly check-ins across the firm, one example of this is its work with ex-military personnel and in 2021 it became an Armed Forces covenant member.
An internal network working together as a People Engagement and Wellbeing Team, run by the organisation’s employees, helps with educating and running events on a range of topics and creating a network where colleagues can support one another. Quarterly socials and regular lunch and learn sessions helps bring teams together and drive employee engagement.
Communication is at the heart of what Dufrain Consulting does. Quarterly CEO calls with all employees to discuss its sales, financial, and other business updates. Furthermore, it has regular people updates to discuss the progress of the organisation’s goals and how it support its employees. Leadership also record regular videos on progress for all employees.
The organisation has attended and supported Cash for Kids and local foodbanks. Recently Dufrain Consulting started producing branded merchandise where it purchased t-shirts and hoodies at a higher cost, sold them to employees for a discounted rate, and gave the full amount to charity. Through this approach, the organisation raised over £1000 for three charities.
There's an extensive social calendar! An awards ceremony celebrates colleagues who've gone the extra mile. There are Christmas parties and summer BBQs paid for by the firm, and each team has an 'away day,' anything from pasta making to go-karting. The wine club enjoyed a trip to Champagne, and there are regular fundraising events.
There's an 'open door' policy led from the top by Managing Partner Peter Winter. He leads bi-monthly all-employee meetings, personally welcomes new recruits, introducing the firm's vision and strategy, and attends all departmental away days. And partners sit amongst employees, so they're readily available and to strengthen the company's 'family feel'.
The firm is doing its bit to help young people become more financially literate by creating content for all school leavers that come through its doors. This includes articles and podcasts on topics including what payslips are, why National Insurance numbers are so important, and student loans, savings and pensions.
They have a Moving on Together Group, a group of staff from across the organisation who champion team interaction and communications. They group new leads on the annual staff event and have developed a communications framework based on staff feedback.
They work closely with Mencap by providing garden space for their service users to build and establish a vegetable garden. The produce they grow is used in the hospice kitchen and food waste from the kitchen and cafe is composted for use in the garden.
To improve employee engagement they introduced a monthly 'ideas hub' to generate discussion and feedback on what is going well and what is not going so well within the organisation. During these hubs, staff were encouraged to identify and introduce the topics for discussion.
Hydrock's management team always make time to listen to employees, providing direction through formal meetings, regular communications and informal interactions. This attitude is exemplified by chief executive Brian McConnell, who hosts induction events, the annual all-company event, regular live webcasts and annual roadshows.
Become a Time Jedi, Personal Resilience, Our Mental Health and Becoming Consciously Inclusive are the titles of some of the webinars staff attended last year. A programme of events was launched by the learning and development manager and a hub containing resources has been set up to support personal growth and wellbeing.
Online courses, such as The Conscious Communicator, are provided for non-management roles, along with a graduate development programme. For those progressing towards or in management roles, there is a six-month programme and aspiring or existing leaders are provided with a four-month course. One-to-one executive coaching is offered to divisional, departmental or regional leaders.
To support staff during the economic crisis, free food is being provided in the kitchens ,and staff can help themselves to breakfast and lunch. The company also supplies free hot drinks and sanitary products.
Chief executive Anthony Pearlgood stages regular town hall meetings with staff to update them on company business and he encourages senior leaders to do the same. Pearlgood and the HR and talent manager also meet staff in groups, to determine what the organisation can do to improve terms and conditions.
As well as in-house recycling and a cycle-to-work scheme, the company's efforts to combat climate change include a drive-to-work scheme. It encourages staff to car-share and allows them to claim £1 per person for each journey.
Last year, chief executive Adam Stroud had mini-exchanges with each employee across the globe and the chats provided a platform for staff to ask questions and be answered directly. The move improved engagement with staff across the company. Breakfast with directors sessions are run virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Sessions that are run as part of the managers’ network allow leaders to bring a challenge to share with their peers and support one another to find creative solutions that drive consistency across the company. The sessions include training on topics such as salary-review conversations.
Paxton aims to have an all-electric car fleet next year. All new company cars ordered last year were electric or hybrid and the fleet is now 87% hybrid or fully electric. Biodegradable packaging is used in the company cafe and a "green team" looks for new environmentally friendly ways of working.
To encourage a good work-life balance, the leadership team demonstrates that employees' home lives are just as important as work. Leaders bring their children in on company calls, make a point of doing something personal during the day and set the tone by promoting the idea that no one can do it all.
At SF the environment is high on the agenda. The organisation has ditched single-use plastics in favour of bamboo, a more sustainable material. Plastic water bottles and cutlery is banned, along with straws, bubble wrap and business card boxes. Stricter recycling methods have been brought in at all of its offices.
Staff can decide when they work their contracted hours so they can balance their work and home life more effectively. Greater emphasis has been placed on choosing to work when they are at their most productive. The 30 days’ annual leave entitlement is supplemented by ad-hoc company days off, especially when the workload is high.
