Business Testimonials
Pilot Training College Ireland
"AFRESH have recently worked with the Pilot Training College of Ireland graduates to motivate and prepare them for employment in these tough economic times. The market has become increasingly more competitive and only best in class are successful in job seeking. Whilst all of our pilots meet this criteria, we wanted to give them an extra edge. As such, we engaged AFRESH to customise a programme for us to enhance their ability to network, job seek, prepare covering letters with cvs and of course execute a successful interview. A fundamental part of the course also involved motivating them to ensure they were physically and mentally prepared from a confidence and well-being perspective . This ensured they had the right mind-set to follow through and be successful. The programme was not just exceptionally beneficial but also great fun. We received unprecedented positive feedback . So much so that we now include it as part of our standard professional training programme. If you have a workforce in employement transition then AFRESH certainly have a unique proposition worth considering. Not only do they provide all of the standard tools such as CV preparation etc. but equally important if not more so, is the confidence and motivational well-being element of the programme which is superb. We highly recommend AFRESH. "
Pilot Training College – Sinead O’ Marcaigh- General Manager
National Toll Roads
"NTR partnered with AFRESH as part of the transition programme for employees on the West Link Toll bridge. The AFRESH approach was unique as in addition to the practical considerations that staff needed to prepare for, AFRESH were able to assist them on a number of other levels such as confidence building, stress management and general well-being. This was particularly important for our staff as many of them had been with us for a very long period of time and were facing what was a major change for them. The feedback from staff at exit interviews was extremely positive. Over the years NTR have also worked with AFRESH on staff motivational well-being programmes and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them into the future "
NTR – Colm Ward - Head Of Human Resources
Irish Life and Permanent
"At Irish Life and Permanent, we believe that a motivated and healthy work-force is a productive workforce. In support of this philosophy, AFRESH over the last few years have been providing programs for our in house Well-Being week encouraging employees to make more positive choices in both their professional and personal lives. They customise modules to meet our needs and always deliver them in a high quality and professional fashion. We know we can always rely on them to deliver what’s required. The programs are often over subscribed by our employees and staff always leave them with the tools to improve not only their lifestyle but also with a feel good factor that boosts morale in the organisation and brings all the associated benefits. If you want to partner with a company to achieve this, we’d recommend you try working with AFRESH."
Carol Pemberton – Human Resources General Manager
IPSI
"As we are a leading financial services organisation we are always looking for talented, energetic and professional people. Our aim is to attract employees who are motivated, customer focused and committed as well as having a strong commercial acumen. In order to achieve this we pay great attention to the training and development of our staff. In support of this policy we have worked with AFRESH. They have partnered with us in our programs to support staff in terms of motivation, well-being and assist our employees reach their full potential both at home and in work. AFRESH have a unique and integrated approach which is well received by staff. We enjoy a good relationship with them and hope it will continue into the future."
Loretta McDermott – HR
IRISHLIFE CALL CENTRE
"At Irish Life Call Centre we believe that one of our most important assets is our people. A motivated workforce who feels appreciated is in a better position to deal in a quality manner with the demands of both customers and internal day to day office duties. We show our appreciation for our staff by providing them with the comprehensive AFRESH program which assists them as individuals to efficiently cope with the challenges of their job. The program is unique in that it takes a different holistic perspective as to how one can best manage the every day hassles of both work and life. In addition to the workshops, the one to one Lifestyle and Career Consultations have really provided that extra touch getting staff to take a responsible pro-active approach to getting things done. Staff really enjoy the program and feedback has been very positive."
Anne Hearty
Permanent TSB
"As part of our overall Health & Wellbeing programme we asked AFRESH to run some fun and informative physical fitness and good nutrition workshops for Permanent TSB staff. Taking steps towards improving health and wellbeing has a positive impact on motivation, morale and productivity while the interactive workshops provide useful hints and encouragement to improve personal health & wellbeing by making simple changes and healthy lifestyle choices. We look forward to continuing our health & wellbeing programme throughout 2007."
Maria O'Sullivan - HR Department
Eagle Star
"AFRESH delivered a very professional and enjoyable program to us, which was invaluable during a time of immense change in the company – it left our staff with a great feeling and met a lot of their personal needs in relation to health and exercise and helped them cope during a challenging time in their work lives. It was the Company’s way of reaching out to show appreciation to the staff. Whilst employees benefited from both a personal and professional perspective the Company also benefited from a more motivated workforce with all the consequent spin offs.
Any company interested in boosting workforce morale and productivity would be well served by working with AFRESH. They were utterly professional, flexible and a pleasure to work with."
Caitriona Kenny - Learning and Development Officer
Dublin Institute of Technology
"AFRESH work with both our first year students and also those who are about to take time out to obtain work-experience. Life can be very challenging for first year students who are away from home for the first time and have to juggle the demands of studying, earning pocket money and partying. AFRESH provide them with the tools and more importantly the motivation to balance these sometimes conflicting demands.
For our students going on work-experience, AFRESH assist them focus on defining the goals they want to achieve whilst away from the college environment. They then work with them to put a plan in place to achieve these goals and provide them with the techniques to follow through and get the desired results.
Student feedback has been very positive. We have always found AFRESH good to work with as they really take time to understand the needs of the students and cater their programs to meet those needs. In addition, it is always a pleasure doing business with them."
Alex Gibson - Head of Department of Tourism
EBS
"The Afresh Team has provided a number of work-life balance workshops for the EBS during 2005 and 2006. The topics were selected form their impressive menu of workshops and individually tailored to match with existing programmes and events which we were running. I have always found the approach taken by AFRESH consultants to be enthusiastic, helpful and flexible. This approach is consistent from the arrangement of work right through to the delivery of workshops and subsequent feedback. Our staff members have always given very positive feedback on workshops attended. I would highly recommend AFRESH to any organisation seeking a professional service to aid in the delivery of well-being initiatives."
Damian Carley – ESB Human Resources
ESB
"The costs of accidents and illness in the Irish workplace according to Indecon, the International and Economic Consultants runs at €3.6 billion per annum. We at the ESB proactively address this not only through our comprehensive and extensive traditional health and safety practices but also through a unique initiative which we provided to our 7,000 employees nationwide called Living Well- Feeling Great.
Working with AFRESH we developed the programme over a period that embraced commissioning running a number of pilot events, and finally the formal launch and execution of the programme. This ensured that ESB staff received training pertinent to their specific needs.
The objective of the programme was to encourage employees to make healthier lifestyle choices in terms of how they spend their time and what they eat.
At ESB, we know that if we can encourage employees to eat three well-balanced meals and take as little as 30 minutes exercise a day, then this would be of enormous benefit to the health and general well-being of our entire workforce. in addition to our colleagues embracing a healthier lifestyle, ESB also gains by having a happier, healthier and more motivated workforce with reduced absenteeism”
Throughout the programme , AFRESH were both flexible and professional in their approach . They met all required deadlines comfortably. Feedback from the programme has been excellent from all levels of the organization.
The ESB has always seriously embraced corporate social responsibility. We believe that in the context of a Workplace CSR strategy, our Living Well – Feeling Great programme is a proactive and comprehensive approach to employee well-being."
Maria Sheerin - Programme Leader in Occupational Health Services
ACC
"Whenever we work with AFRESH we find them flexible, professional and thorough. Like all organisations today we face the challenges of recruiting good people, holding onto them and motivating them to perform to their best ability. AFRESH assist us achieve this by providing excellent expertise in the area of area of work life balance and present it in a fun knowledgeable way. We find they can tailor information to suit our needs both in terms of content and quick time slots. Our staff are focused and energised after a session with them. "
Brendan Deeney – ACC Human Resources
Mc Donalds Restaurant of Ireland
"The AFRESH program came about as a result of my 25 restaurant manager’s dash to catch a plane en route to a company team building event. I looked behind me and realized that my team could do with some shaping up and if they didn’t get it, well not only would they potentially face problems but so too would we as a company. My team and their staff are after all responsible for a large percentage of our bottom line! Like most valuable people in any organization they were juggling not just work demands but also personal demands. In addition to this, some also carried out shift work. I wanted to give them something practical that would enable them to make positive balanced choices around food, exercise, sleeping patterns, demanding schedules as well as other work life issues. The AFRESH team customized and developed an all embracing integrated program to meet our needs. It was also good fun and motivated staff too. Feedback has been very positive with 95% of staff saying they have made some change to enhance their well-being; 52% were making healthier food choices ,60% drinking more water. 95% experienced an improvement in their health with 38% having more energy and 28% loosing weight, 20% had a drop in cholesterol and 9% had a drop in illness. After the programme, 66% of the participants said they had a more positive attitude and 47% of them said they were grateful to Mc Donalds for running such an innovative programme So it was really a win win all around "
James Perry – Operations Manager
Dublin Bus
"Management has advised that "The Well-Being Factor" rolled out by AFRESH received extremely positive feedback from staff in assisting them to have healthier lifestyles and which in turn contributed along with other initiatives in improving levels of absenteeism "
