The Commitment to People Development award recognises organisations which demonstrate a firm commitment to people development. It also acknowledges the implementation and promotion of a learning and development culture, as well as how employee wellbeing is supported.
We put ourselves forward for the Commitment to People Development award when entries opened earlier this year. In July we found out that we had been shortlisted for the category.
Rothera Sharp offers the following initiatives to support staff learning, development and wellbeing, which formed the basis for our submission:
- Counselling service provided by Nottingham Workplace Chaplaincy
- Flexible working opportunities to promote good work-life balance
- Involvement in community activities and pro-bono opportunities. These include legal advice clinics for the public where trainee and newly qualified solicitors can further develop their skills and put them into practice
- The chance for secretaries to progress their careers and become paralegals
- A Staff Council which provides all employees with the chance to suggest ideas and improvements for the firm
- An Employee of the Month scheme, ensuring members of staff who go above and beyond in their role are recognised and rewarded
- Internal training so staff can build on their customer service skills
- Providing support and encouragement to staff who want to gain accreditations with external bodies
- Running our own commercial events where employees have the opportunity to progress their communication and networking skills, develop contacts and acquire potential work
- Annual staff appraisals where employees and their line managers can suggest development strategies and set goals to achieve their personal targets
- Assistance with examinations such as discretionary study leave
The application process for the award involved sending the submission in May. Rothera Sharp’s Head of Marketing Jo Walchester then presented a ten minute pitch for the application in front of a judging panel on 16th July before we attended the awards ceremony on 13th September.
Jo said: “We’re dedicated to helping our staff develop and progress in their careers and are always taking steps to improve what we can do for our employees. Being finalists for this award is recognition of how far we have come. We were delighted to be shortlisted amongst some fantastic businesses. Big congratulations to Littefish UK on winning the award and all the other finalists.
“The initiatives we have put in place such as flexible working, internal training and providing pro-bono opportunities give our staff the chance to develop their skills in ways that suit them whilst also providing a high level of support. We have seen a significant impact on the business as a result of these activities, from improved staff morale to increased growth as a result of staff having and developing their own database of contacts and referrers.”
The awards, which were held at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel provide the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the successes of businesses across the county. Similar events are also held by the chamber in Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
