This award celebrated commitment to employee engagement through innovative approaches to motivating and retaining professional staff. The judges looked for originality in the policies and practices adopted by firms and organisations that recognised that achieving employee engagement requires more than offering flexible working, or competitive salaries and benefits packages.
Shoosmiths' enthusiasm for training, coaching and 1-2-1s, together with the sheer number of opportunities for staff to get involved impressed all the judges. The list of benefits for staff was very impressive including weekly fruit deliveries, stress management sessions, mentoring schemes for new lawyers and a counselling service.
Shortlisted: Allen & Overy (London)
Allen & Overy were dedicated to providing a workplace that provided a good quality of life for all staff. One of the initiatives taken by Allen & Overy was to establish an associate working party, comprising 8 associates at varying stages of their careers, who met with the management team to address issues of retention and career progression. As a result a new career and reward structure for London associates, including two new positions between association and partner, was introduced and a new global competency framework and career management support programme. In the previous twelve months turnover of London associates dropped by 9%.
Shortlisted: Keoghs LLP (Bolton)
By bringing together a team of representatives from each business unit Keoghs developed seven shared behaviours which summed up their culture and open attitude to staff and the way they do business. These shared behaviours focused on how individuals should act and behave towards each other, acting as a team and contributing to a positive, friendly and rewarding workplace. Staff responded favourably and were 'proud' to work at Keogh.
Shortlisted: Nicholas Moore (Somerset)
This firm undertook a lot of initiatives to ensure they retained and attracted high calibre employees. There was no written flexible working policy, but a common understanding of shared professional values and trust with personal and professional needs being reassessed together regularly, lawyers were able to work up to three days a week remotely. They also used psychometric profile analyses to help recognise and satisfy individual motivators and develop team contribution.
Shortlisted: Pannone LLP (Manchester)
Pannone provided staff with innovative training by subsidising course fees for those wishing to pursue a legal qualification. They also developed leadership and development programmes and non law training for lawyers. An Information & Consultation group of elected staff was established to provide a forum for staff to consult on important issues. The firm's culture encouraged open communication which was supported by the Managing Partner – everyone was told everything which created a culture of trust. Pannone has consistently achieved low staff turnover which was just 8% in 2006.