Holmes Report 10 Jul 2012 // 11:00PM GMT
Every consultancy says its staff are its most important asset – at Shine we live and breathe this. The most awarded UK agency for employee satisfaction, we were founded on the belief that if we look after our people and ensure their motivation, they will look after clients and the finances will follow. In 14 years Shine has consistently achieved year on year income growth and continues to expand its blue chip client base including; Paramount Films, eBay, Forever 21, Bacardi Martini, Indesit and Danone.
Our growth ambitions are significantly aided by a philosophy of basing our financial targets on the fiscal career aspirations of its staff. Everyone knows they are working not just for the prosperity of the business but to further their career growth. Shine pays particular attention to listening to and acting on its staffs’ views and opinions as well as encouraging and empowering everyone to spread the fun and learning.
Organisation Background
Shine was founded by Rachel Bell with a view to give employees a voice. Rachel’s key motivations were to create an environment where staff would not feel intimidated to be themselves and therefore in turn inspire their team. Each team chooses their own clients of interest, encouraging an environment of enthusiasm and helping people to achieve their career aspirations.
Shine’s Mission Statement
Shine’s mission statement is ‘when we let our light Shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same’, taken from Nelson Mandela’s inaugural address in 1994. This quote embodies Shine’s founding aim to build a business where every employee was given the chance to literally ‘shine’.
Business Goals
Shine has six business goals that represent Shine’s visions:
• Staff Vision; help people shine, hire the best to be the best
• Client vision; maintain an enviable client list, exceed client expectations
• Shareholder vision; achieve managed growth, be financially successful
The company creates internal business objective groups to map back against the six business goals and their focuses change annually to ensure Shine remain ‘best in class’.
These business goals also map back to Shine’s award winning ‘Shiney Happy People’ training programme and employee’s individual personal objectives (SMART objectives).
Personal Development
Staff reviews are conducted bi-annually by relevant line managers (July and December each year). All Shine employees have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) personal objectives which are reviewed quarterly by their line managers. New SMART objectives are set at annual reviews in July.
All employees have 360 review forms filled out by team members and peers before their annual reviews and six month health checks, to help line managers gain a fuller understanding of how they are perceived and progressing in the agency. Key competencies have been created for each level outlining what is expected from you at your current level and what the next level looks like.
Business planning includes Motivation Plans, which highlights every employees strengths and career goals and is used to determine and sets the following year’s financial target in correlation to employee’s career aspirations.
Training Programme
On average, each Shine employee receives 200 hours of formal training per year, with an annual spend of £1,650 per head.
Shine’s training programme is mapped against the six business objectives areas and includes leadership, craft skills and business development modules, which are all externally facilitated by experts in their field. In addition the Shine Business School provides senior level business development and coaching. All training needs are assessed at staff mid year reviews and Shine has a commitment to staff that all training requested will be catered for in the following years plan.
Staff Retention
Shine has grown to become a top ten consumer PR agency whilst still maintaining its people centric culture, still innovating at every level, and still having a lot of fun doing it. in 2011 Shine had 94% staff retention within the agency, only losing staff to go travelling, and a bunch of happy, Shiney, people.
Community Support
Putting the agency at the heart of our local community, Shine helps lead lead the work of the Amwell Street Fair working with local businesses and residents. This year saw the Shine Bake stand offer delicacies from Homemade Ketchup to cupcakes, raising over £500 for local community causes. We also have a team who work with the Finsbury & Clerkenwell Volunteers to help run their annual Christmas event for the elderly people of the local community.