My Company - The level of engagement employees feel with their job and organisation
My Company is what we call an ‘output’ factor, it focuses on people’s ‘love’ and ‘pride’ in working for your organisation.
Now unfortunately you can’t directly make people feel these emotions, but when all of the other seven factors are doing well, people will be far more likely to experience that love and pride ultimately improving the My Company factor as a result.
Volume values the voice of its people. Regular polls are carried out to check what team members think of new developments and managers make sure they get back to people through team posts and group emails as well as individual communication.
When lockdowns began to be a feature of life in the past year, Volume sent out wellbeing boxes packed with healthy snacks and treats, tips and a positive message. Yoga and high-intensity fitness classes continued online and mindfulness and motivational training was provided for the whole workforce.
Volume shared its expertise with its local authority, Wokingham Borough Council, to produce an augmented reality app which educates users about the history of the local area. The company has a strong commitment to the environment, recycling equipment and donating laptops to charities and families who needed them for homeschooling.
A pot of money is given to the directors to award to employees they feel have gone above and over expectations. This could be because they have shown integrity, worked collaboratively, taken an innovative approach to their work or exhibited exceptional customer service
Career and apprenticeship journeys published on the intranet, website and LinkedIn highlight how Watford Community Housing attracts, retains and nurtures talent. The two-year-long business graduate scheme provides the chance to learn about different areas of the organisation, while gaining extensive work experience in the housing sector.
All frontline workers were sent care packages containing hand cream, chocolates, tissues, bath bombs and thank you cards. Virtual sessions were held on mental health and working from home in the winter and December's ‘Festive Fridays' included posting advent calendars to all staff, a Christmas quiz and seasonal giveaways.
William Blair's Global Inclusion Council, created in 2017, is an advisory group of colleagues responsible for defining the firm's inclusion strategy and priorities to create a workplace where people are encouraged to bring their individual perspectives and experiences to work to drive greater creativity.
During the pandemic, it was important to keep employees up-to-date and to promote team bonding. William Blair launched a microsite dedicated to Covid-19 updates and a special edition of the firm's global electronic newsletter, Inside William Blair@Home.
Each employee received a food voucher that could be used for home deliveries while working from home. The company has a strong employee assistance programme to support every member of the workforce. Laptops were issued to all staff to enable the team to work from home over the past year.
Senior management led a series of engagement campaigns after the coronavirus emerged. These included a video series called Desert Island Lockdown, with chairperson Justine Markovitz in the finale. She also took part in 73 “Meet Justine” Skype sessions for all staff.
A graduate recruitment app is being developed to help Withers reach a wider pool of diverse candidates. The app will also help the firm meet the need to recruit differently, which became apparent during the pandemic. Social media is playing an increasing role in the search for talent.
The Withers World Tour set staff the challenge of walking the equivalent of the distance between all the firm's offices, a total of 23,000 miles. They exceeded the miles target and raised more than £30,000 for charity, including the Mental Health Foundation.
YASA likes to reward good service with bespoke gifts aligned to staff members' hobbies and passions. One worker with a passion for the sport of cycling got to meet an Olympic cyclist, thanks to an experience gift to mark his 10-year anniversary with the company.
YASA has introduced a training management system for all staff, with sessions on key topics such as working effectively remotely and longer courses on specific subjects, including corporate social responsibility. The company also sponsors qualifications and provides study leave to allow staff to prepare for exams.
Staff are given three days off a year to volunteer in the local community. This includes anything from helping to dredge canals to supporting worm farms or lending a hand at food banks. The company offers work experience to school pupils.
Yobota's engagement survey picked up that new starters felt isolated because they couldn't see their new workmates in virtual meetings. Employees are now encouraged to switch on their cameras to create a sense of cohesion, boost social interaction and, of course, meet new joiners.
Junior members of the team will receive career development support and advice from senior management in a new mentoring programme. A virtual workshop provided each member of staff with a wellbeing plan for remote working tailored to their individual needs.
Staff have been able to see an online counsellor or ask them questions via Slack. A new online portal features a large wellbeing section which includes advice on mental and physical health. Food and snacks are delivered to people's homes to enjoy during business updates.
The charity has a good mix of senior leaders who have been in the organisation for up to 20 years and those for fewer than five. This keeps some of the history and narrative of Young Devon in balance with the constant need to develop to meet young people's needs.
Young Devon has developed a set of annual workforce commitments and in the past year these have included improving public awareness of its work – achieved through changes to its marketing and partnerships with the BBC and local companies – and reviewing pay and benefits, including implementing the national living wage.
Employees get 30 days' annual leave – in effect 38, including bank holidays and the like. This amounts to 10 days more than statutory and five days more than UK average. The charity believes this is crucial recovery and rest time for staff who undertake demanding work with young people.
All managers take part in monthly 1:1s for feedback and to give them the tools they need to perform in their roles. They are also invited to undergo two further annual appraisal and review processes. Minimum expectations around communicating with their teams are in place.
Staff received Just Eat vouchers and there were gardening competitions, fun-run challenges and other company-wide events to keep team spirits high. Mental health support channels were set up and senior leaders were visible and on hand as people adjusted to remote working.
A transparent, fun, supportive and purposeful culture makes Impero a great place to work. Every quarter, the in-house awards system recognises people with can-do attitudes who embody the core company values that include “we make it possible for our people” and “we make it possible for our clients”.
In September, CEO Brendan Mooney, who joined the company as a software engineer in 1989, was given the Chairman's Award for Excellence by the IOD for his personal impact on the culture and success of his organisation through outstanding professionalism and implementation of best practice in governance and leadership.
Kainos values its people highly. When staff said they wanted more flexibility in future, senior managers reconfigured offices to allow them to work how, when and where they want. Different spaces were created in office for employees to be safe and phased returns from home working were negotiated.
Continuous training at all levels is part of its success. An Effective Manager programme has been delivered virtually to 500 managers in the past year. A new Emerging Leaders programme moves participants beyond management fundamentals to four modules dealing with commerciality, connecting people, high performing teams and influencing.
Kaplan significantly increased its two-way communication with the top 50 managers to ensure they had all the information they needed to cascade to their teams. In the early weeks of lockdown, a team status tracker quickly identified those under the most pressure. Once everyone settled into a new rhythm this was stood down.
Every year, the Kaplan Way Awards programme recognises the most outstanding individual and team contributions in four categories: Student Success, Great Place to Work, Continuous Transformation and Shared Values. Employees submit nominations and a selection panel chooses the UK winners – they are then up for global awards as part of a live broadcast.
KPUK aims to be a valued partner in the communities it serves. The group supports charity partners to build futures for people of all backgrounds and circumstances. Employees are empowered to support local good causes through paid volunteering days and fundraising activities.
