The eight companies that made it on to the shortlist for L&D Supplier of the Year each introduced schemes that successfully improved employee wellbeing, morale and workplace culture. However, Escalla’s Compassionate Conversations programme proved particularly eye-catching for the judges with its lasting impact on NHS culture. We look at their winning entry and those of our other finalists.
WINNER
Escalla
The NHS faced a rise in uncivil and violent behaviour toward staff, particularly in patient-facing roles, which negatively impacted their wellbeing. To address this, Escalla was commissioned by NHS England to develop the Compassionate Conversations training programme. The aim was to equip NHS staff with the skills to handle difficult situations with compassion while safeguarding their health.
The programme was co-designed with NHS staff and experts, focusing on frontline primary and secondary care colleagues. It provided practical skills and knowledge to manage challenging conversations compassionately, with an emphasis on workplace well-being. The pilot phase received positive feedback, with a 95.1% satisfaction rate and a 93.1% likelihood of recommendation. Over 2,400 staff participated in the pilot.
In Phase 2, the programme expanded to train an additional 5,000 staff, incorporating feedback and tailored content. This phase saw a 26.6% increase in confidence and a 24.8% increase in competence among participants, maintaining high satisfaction and recommendation rates. Phase 3 continued to deliver strong outcomes, introducing train-the-trainer sessions and e-learning modules to ensure accessibility and continuous learning.
The programme successfully increased staff confidence and competence, improved wellbeing, and embedded a culture of compassionate communication within the NHS. Its innovative and collaborative approach addressed workforce challenges, demonstrating lasting impact and resource efficiency.
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RUNNERS-UP
Bit Famous in partnership with Shawbrook Bank
Bit Famous operates in the professional development sector, offering specialised training and coaching programmes to enhance leadership, communication, and confidence among mid-level managers. It serves financial institutions, corporate entities, and other businesses aiming to improve their internal talent pipelines and employee engagement. What it says sets it apart is its bespoke group coaching approach, fostering peer support and sustainable skill development, and its commitment to ethical leadership and sustainable business practices, which align with Shawbrook Bank’s ESG principles.
Shawbrook Bank noticed that some of its talented women at mid-manager level faced significant challenges in advancing their careers. Common issues included stress, burnout, low self-belief, frustrations with impactful communication, and dealing with outdated attitudes towards women. The bank, like many in the finance sector, suffers from a lack of visible female role models and low representation at board levels, risking the loss of talented women at mid-manager levels.
The IIC Programme, running from June to December 2023, focused on boosting participants’ confidence, influence, and communication skills through individual and group coaching. It started with a client explorer session to identify priority areas and included two coaching sessions per individual, four group coaching sessions, and continuous development resources. The programme created a network of like-minded women for support and ongoing development, including a WhatsApp accountability group.
The programme yielded improved job satisfaction, enhanced leadership capabilities, and career advancements. Participants formed a peer support network, contributing to a more inclusive corporate culture. The programme also fostered continuous improvement and innovation, leading to better team management and personal development strategies, and created a “mastermind” support group that continued post-course.
Management Dynamics
Management Dynamics uses its years of HR expertise to create data-driven learning experiences that elevate leadership development and transform company culture for global brands like Pandora and PepsiCo.
In 2021, the company partnered with Eakin, a global medical equipment provider based in Northern Ireland, to address gaps in its leadership pipeline, improve talent acquisition, and retain employees, ensuring a resilient workforce. Eakin, a family-run business that has become a global leader, faced challenges with succession planning, talent retention, and leadership development as it transitioned to professional management. The company’s goals included creating a robust succession plan, reducing turnover, and fostering an inclusive culture.
To meet Eakin’s needs, Management Dynamics developed the ‘Leadership Development Inspiring Excellence’ (LDIE) programme. This bespoke initiative, using tools like Korn Ferry 360 and the Advantycs® framework, focused on self-awareness and leadership growth. Two cohorts participated in a blend of face-to-face and virtual workshops, 1-2-1 coaching, and action learning groups, with each participant receiving eight tailored coaching sessions.
The LDIE programme led to significant improvements in qualities such as leadership skills, resilience, and strategic thinking. A notable 79% of the first cohort achieved promotions, and turnover among high-potential employees dropped to 7%, far below the company-wide rate. Eakin’s CEO praised Management Dynamics for delivering a programme that provided substantial benefits to both participants and the business.
Mindset Practice
Mindset Practice focuses on helping people perform well, maintain well-being, and collaborate effectively by fostering a growth mindset. Since 2018, it has used digital learning, mindset development psychometrics, and 360-degree feedback to help individuals and teams consistently approach challenges with a mindset of growth rather than survival. Most of the workforce (69%) operates from a mindset of survival, leading to issues like imposter syndrome, blame, and burnout. In contrast, only 31% show up with a growth mindset, which is linked to better adaptability, resilience, and collaboration.
Mindset Practice has worked with various clients, including James Paget University Hospital, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Thales UK, and Virgin Atlantic. The approach involves using the same tools but tailoring them to each client’s specific needs. For example, at James Paget University Hospital, the focus was on improving relationships between consultants and midwives, leading to better collaboration and reduced distrust. For Dstl, the goal was to boost self-belief and emotional intelligence, especially among neurodiverse participants, resulting in significant growth in mindset and reduced survival behaviors.
In Thales UK, the programme improved psychological safety and team collaboration, saving costs and enhancing reputation. At Virgin Atlantic, the training helped operational leaders and teams shift from feeling overwhelmed to embracing self-responsibility and resilience.
Mintra
Mintra provides learning and development solutions, mainly for the maritime and energy industries, through its Trainingportal system. For more than 20 years, it has tailored its services to meet the specific needs of safety-critical sectors. One key feature is Trainingportal Offline (TPOS), which allows users to continue training even in remote areas without internet access, benefiting offshore clients by ensuring that critical training is not delayed.
Maritime companies, including Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), face challenges in modernising training to stay compliant and drive growth. BSM, with over 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 onshore employees, needed to streamline and enhance its expansive eLearning content. It partnered with Mintra to migrate 20,000 users to Trainingportal, ensuring 24-hour access to training, even in remote areas.
Mintra developed a bespoke Training Matrix and launched a phased rollout over three months. This involved integrating systems, configuring portals, transferring training records, and deploying 150 courses across 400 vessels. The offline version of Trainingportal was installed on vessels’ local servers, allowing learners to complete courses without internet access and syncing records once a connection was available.
The solution significantly reduced BSM’s course offerings from over 800 to 150, improving engagement and efficiency. BSM’s crew now completes an average of 15,000 courses per month across 432 vessels, with fewer technical issues and reduced manual administration, demonstrating the effectiveness of Mintra’s platform.
NKD in partnership with Australia Post
Australia Post, a cherished Australian service for over 200 years, faced challenges from changing customer expectations, declining mail volumes, and growth in online sales. To address these, it launched the Post 26 strategy, focusing on supporting each other, delighting customers, and creating a sustainable future. Recognising that success depended on its people, Australia Post partnered with NKD to develop Our AP Way, a multi-year employee engagement program.
Our AP Way was designed to motivate over 74,000 employees by celebrating Australia Post’s history, culture, and customer focus, while also preparing them for the changes ahead. The program used storytelling, behaviour navigation tools, frontline and leadership training, and digital learning to help employees embody Australia Post’s values and drive the Post 26 strategy.
NKD’s approach involved a thorough discovery process, including facility visits, focus groups, and interviews, to understand the company culture and create a compelling narrative. This narrative, called the Our AP Way Story, outlined the challenges and positioned the Post 26 strategy as essential.
Over 800 leaders were trained to facilitate the program, which included a half-day session on leading Our AP Way. The program saw strong engagement, with 93.8% of employees participating and a notable increase in team engagement and commitment to implementing the program’s principles. This partnership with NKD has helped embed a culture of positive change within Australia Post.
RightTrack Learning
RightTrack Learning works with organisations like Coventry Building Society, NHS England, and Sheffield Teaching Hospital to help them nurture talent and commit to diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives. These organisations often face the challenge of how to achieve meaningful impact and drive cultural change through training. RightTrack addresses this by offering tailor-made solutions based on thorough research. By gathering evidence, it identifies specific issues and creates bespoke content that is relevant to the organisation’s needs. This approach makes it easier for employees to apply what they learn in practical ways.
A key element of RightTrack’s method is using true stories from within the organisation. When participants see scenarios that have actually happened in their workplace, it creates powerful, unforgettable moments that drive long-lasting behaviour change. This dynamic, interactive approach engages both hearts and minds, making the learning experience more impactful.
At Sheffield Teaching Hospital, the inclusive leadership programme led to a stronger sense of shared purpose in inclusion initiatives. Through coaching sessions and actor-led simulations, leaders gained practical insights into handling real-world inclusion challenges. Feedback showed improved engagement, openness, and confidence in leading inclusively.
RightTrack’s goal is to empower employees and leaders to take ownership of their diversity efforts, moving beyond superficial compliance to build truly inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Skillsoft
Organisations today face rapidly changing skill requirements, especially in technology-related areas like generative AI (GenAI). According to Skillsoft’s IT Skills and Salary Report, 43% of tech leaders report that their teams’ AI skills are somewhat low, making learning and development (L&D) a strategic priority. However, creating an engaging learning environment is challenging due to limited budgets, evolving skills needs, and remote workforces.
Skillsoft addresses these challenges with over 180,000 learning assets delivered through an AI-driven platform designed to make learning accessible and effective. Recent innovations include CAISY™, an AI-powered coaching tool that helps learners practice real-world business scenarios, and Interactive Skills Benchmarks (ISBs), which offer hands-on skill assessments in virtual environments. Additionally, Skillsoft’s AI Skills Accelerators and AI-enhanced Codecademy help organisations develop critical AI-related skills through immersive learning experiences.
Vodafone partnered with Skillsoft to create an AI-driven learning system focused on 10 priority skills. This collaboration led to a 66% increase in learning hours per employee globally, fostering a culture of continuous learning. Similarly, Vistra, another Skillsoft partner, saw a significant rise in learning engagement, with a 368% increase in learning page views and a 586% increase in learning hours. Both companies have successfully integrated learning into their work culture, empowering employees to grow and adapt to future demands.
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