2004 WINNER
Steve Boley(l), Andrew Smith, Sarah Clark and Roger Thomas of PwC
Work-life balance is a great subject for talking about in HR
circles - but often only leads to a few token gestures or
doing nothing. More often than not implicitly it does not
apply to “senior managers”. It is taken for granted that they
will give of their all, all the time.
PwC have taken this issue very seriously in respect of their
partners as part of a wider initiative called “Developing Our
Partnership” - a firm-wide business focused development
framework with six elements. They are called “joining” and
“moving on”, “cycles of experience”, “partnership ethos”,
“personal development” and “evaluation and recognition”.
Overall it is one of the best integrated initiatives for a
defined population that we have seen. First mooted in
2001, the final material was launched this year. It includes
a booklet to help aspiring staff to understand what is
needed for partnership, an excellent “Life is for Living”
guide to healthy existence, and a comprehensive partner
development guide. The regular surveys carried out in PwC
show a significant increase in partner perceptions of the
firm as a place to work. The Partner Evaluation Survey has
shown consistent improvements over the last three years
in partner performance.
RUNNER UP
DLA is a frequent winner of awards for its forward thinking and innovative policies.
It continues to expand and is now at number seven in the UK law firms, overtaking well known names. Its approach to people management is enlightened and leading edge – the connection between this and its performance seems too great to be coincidence. It was a hard decision not to give them the first prize in HR.
This year’s submission is a benefits package, linked to the company values, and aimed at recruiting and retaining the best people. It’s the same benefit package for all – no distinctions based on role, promoting teamwork. Amongst the innovations is the statement “we decided to give time back to our people” – reducing hours, providing a “concierge” service, a free assistance service on every aspect of life’s stresses, extra holidays for extra service, and leading edge benefits on almost every other count, including a wedding present from the firm.
For the third year running DLA has been voted as one of the best companies to work for in the Sunday Times survey and – for employees and for more and more clients - they put reality behind the rhetoric the firm of choice.
3RD PLACE
This award is for the way in which, two years after Berwin Leighton and Paisner & Co came together, the new firm decided to take a completely new look at its future direction. Nothing magical in that one might say, but it is the way that it was done that makes the difference. At the Partners Conference in 2003, Managing Partner Neville Eisenberg initiated project Leo – the establishment of 5 year goals and a complete zero basing of everything the firm did.
The involvement of everyone in the firm was comprehensive. There were some 140 taskforces, ten in HR. This has resulted in a range of new policies and practices – with visible intangible benefits, and very tangible ones too in the substantial growth in new clients, fee income and profitability. The firm is well set on its future course, with everyone pulling in the same direction.