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.
Staff receive a 15% discount at Card Factory, as well as reduced prices on a range of goods and services, from holidays and mobile phone contracts, to shopping, through Mycardfactory. Annual leave is at least 28 days.
Through its charitable arm, Card Factory Foundation, the company has raised more than £7 million for Macmillan Cancer Support since 2006. It is the lead sponsor of the Wakefield 10k and has been supporting Wakefield Hospice for the past four years. Staff help to sort stock in the warehouse or undertake gardening work.
Colleague connection days where colleagues were encouraged to come into the office and reconnect with those they may not have seen for a while were launched. They were a great success. Food vans provided meals, there were skips so staff could clear out the office space and various activities they could join.
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.
As well as promoting regular team meetings, the firm hosts events that are designed to get staff communicating and energised, such as summer and Christmas parties, quizzes, pizza lunches and coffee mornings. The events help to promote a friendly culture and environment.
The firm encourages staff to live by its values by celebrating those who set good examples regularly. It includes testimonials in the weekly update or rewards individuals directly. Senior leaders provide role models by acting on the values when dealing with colleagues and clients.
Staff are given an extra day's leave that can be used to support their wellbeing. Fisher Jones Greenwood has also developed a wellbeing programme that focuses on mental, physical and financial wellness, lifestyle and work behaviour.
Employees can access free external mental health and wellbeing support services, including counselling, an online GP and a sleep and meditation app. There's also subsidised gym membership and free activities such as badminton and football at head office. Many staff are also trained Mental Health First Aiders, always on hand to offer support.
The company's meeting structure balances the virtual and face-to-face, with set meet-up locations for hybrid and in-person meetings. And staff have plenty of opportunities to feedback on this and other issues, including the yearly engagement survey, working groups on new initiatives and pulse surveys to give instant feedback on things like the summer conference.
There are many opportunities to progress, with a vast library of online learning and prizes for completing 'courses of the month'. There are horticulture and arborist apprenticeships, a GC Leadership Academy and technical training. And the induction programme for new starters sets them up with training to hit the ground running.
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.
There are central inductions for new starters, held quarterly. It's a chance for them to get to know each other and learn more about the charity, its values, processes and projects through group exercises and an intro from the senior leadership team. New recruits also get a 'buddy' to help them have a smooth start.
A performance management framework guides learning and development needs. A dedicated skills centre with an extensive training catalogue provides a range of learning activities to uphold the values and gives front-line staff and managers chance to grow and develop through job-specific training. There's also accredited management and leadership training on offer.
The Charity is giving by its nature. The St Giles Pantry food hubs offer more than a meal to those struggling to feed themselves. Hundreds of households are supported every year with face-to-face support to overcome barriers. As part of its Christmas Appeal, St Giles Trust pledged to provide 50,000 meals to families.
Employee wellbeing underpins day-to-day life at Staysure Group. There's a dedicated quarterly newsletter, trained mental health first aiders, wellbeing champions, a wellbeing room for staff in need of quiet time and walking route maps for those who could do with stepping away from their desks and getting some fresh air and exercise.
Online channels and apps keep everyone part of the social goings-on and activities, even if they're not in the office. They're also forums for people to comment and share ideas. At Christmas, small local businesses were invited to sell their products – an event encouraging staff into the office.
When employees get excellent service, they're encouraged to hand out 'we're looking for great people like you' cards showcasing Staysure job opportunities. Everyone who accepts a job offer gets a welcome pack, including a travel mug and snacks. And they get paid a 'set up' day, so they're ready to go on their first day.
Employees can recommend candidates for advertised positions, receiving £2000 if the person is successful and passes their three-month probation period. It benefits EMJ as it sources great-fit candidates via people who know the roles and the skills required. And staff feel trusted and valued by supporting the company's growth and success.
New and existing managers are supported through the new Manager Skills Toolkit. It involves monthly sessions with an HR professional, and covers a variety of content in bite-sized chunks, including handling difficult conversations, situational leadership, managing performance and personal effectiveness. The company also runs a Future Leaders Programme focused on building successful teams.
A dedicated Charity Board organises fundraising events for the team, including those for its community charity Kids Inspire, which awarded EMJ' Corporate Supporter of the Year' for raising more than £20,000 in 2021. Fundraising activities have included the 100k Thames Path Challenge and a fancy dress Halloween event.
To help with living costs, a staff travel loan allows staff to borrow up to £250 at a time to cover costs such as new tyres, repair costs or a multi-trip travel ticket. It allows staff to spread big costs over six months. A season-ticket loan scheme of up to £3,000 is also available.
The trust launched its first management development programme last year. It also piloted a line-manager induction and development scheme. The training introduces key processes line managers are accountable for, as well as developing capabilities in the areas of coaching, feedback and development.
To further its aim of reaching net zero by 2030, the trust carried out energy audits of venues and provided energy-management training sessions to help staff build the skills and knowledge to implement energy reduction. It also undertook a biodiversity study to identify opportunities to manage sites with green space in a nature-positive way.
