Fair Deal - How happy employees are with pay and benefits
Fair Deal itself doesn’t directly influence another factor. It’s classified as a hygiene factor. Sure, doubling everybody’s salary would make them happy but it wouldn’t make them feel any better about factors such as leadership and management.
Now although pay is not an engager, it is important that pay and benefits are at the right level as to not disengage employees further.
ClearScore recognises that sometimes people need support. Leave after pregnancy loss is a policy it has recently provided. The organisation understands the impact pregnancy loss can have on both parents, so should an employee experience this, if directly, with their partner, or through surrogacy, ClearScore gives them the time they need.
Its leaders articulate eight behavioural principles, which are described as the 'rules of the game'. They ensure that all employees are judged and measured against these. ClearScore's principles are communicated to new starters as part of an intensive two-day onboarding process and employees who demonstrate these principles are celebrated at the 'end-of-race' awards every quarter.
It encourages employees to create a Personal Development Plan to structure and commit to their learning and growth. Employees are given a learning budget of £500 to support their individual personal development. This is housed on a platform called Learnerbly, where employees can access a wide range of development content.
Staff can share how they’re feeling with monthly wellbeing workshops covering topics like mental health and menopause. They also have access to counselling services, massages, yoga sessions and a dedicated wellbeing app. And everyone gets private healthcare after two years. There’s also a ‘helping hand fund’ offering interest-free loans to anyone struggling to fund necessities.
Based on their feedback, staff now benefit from a revised bonus structure, with the personal performance element, which everyone got, now part of their basic salary. This has allowed for a boost in pension contributions and helps employees with mortgage applications. The bonus is now 100% based on company profit.
The company has reinvigorated its Diploma Academy to tackle a shortage of candidates – particularly paraplanners. The two-year course with a qualification at the end is open to school leavers, graduates and those who want to retrain. All exams and study materials are paid for, and they also get paid time off to study.
Fever-Tree is passionate about physical and mental health. Through its benefits package, it provides mental health resources and physical health initiatives. These include sports tennis, running, and football clubs. It also hosts hobby clubs such as baking, books, and singing. Additionally, it encourages its people to speak up if they are struggling mentally.
‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ is a golden rule. As an organisation, it is very focused on 'citizenship' and ways of being. Citizenship refers to proactivity and ideation within everyday work. Its leaders encourage people to be ‘radiators’ and solutions hunters and to be involved in community initiatives.
Fever-Tree cares about rewarding its employees. It ensures this for its people through everyone receiving a bonus potential of no less than 10%, through spot bonuses and recognition awards, share options, SAYE share schemes, and its competitive remuneration offers.
Managers can give a gift voucher to any employee they feel has gone above and beyond. Employees are recognised and rewarded for their long service with the company from 5years+. The employee is allowed to choose a gift or voucher of their choice for the value of £150-£900 depending on their long service milestone.
As well as feedback to line managers directly and an employee survey, the organisation has two dedicated email accounts for employees to make suggestions and express concerns anonymously. All questions are read out and answered by the MDs every two weeks to maintain transparency and openly share concerns that other employees may also have.
HSO has an internal Learning Management System in place for all employees to access training courses. It uses the LMS to stay abreast of new enhancements to technologies, soft skills and industry updates. The LMS gives employees the flexibility to be able to learn on the go by accessing it on their desktops or mobiles.
CEO Jamie and the leadership team regularly send out updates to the business outlining any changes. Additionally, every month in its Global Review meeting, there is a section called 'ask the CEO'. Employees can anonymously submit questions and have those answered and addressed in the meeting providing clarity for everyone.
InterEx Group has a generous commission structure and career pathways with reward schemes and incentive criteria for individual contributors and people managers in contract, permanent and delivery roles, as well as pathways for Talent Acquisition and Business Support Teams. It also prides itself in delivering world-class incentives, including trips abroad, monetary bonuses and vouchers.
Its own development program, ‘InterExcellence’, consists of 4 learning pathways. Engage ensures a smooth onboarding process. Enhance focuses on refining the initial skills needed to succeed. Excel is designed to equip those going through their first steps in mentoring. Elevate is a management development program, focusing on supporting managers to help the next generation.
Medicheck's VIBE team is tasked with arranging social events, from those celebrating Pride Month to exercise challenges and fundraising events. There are also the staple Summer BBQs and Christmas parties. And staff are encouraged into the office on wellbeing day for activities like wellness walks or a massage.
All lower-paid employees got a winter cost-of-living salary increase, with all employees getting a higher-than-usual rise in the spring. Performance-related bonus awards are on offer, and staff get £500 once a candidate they've successfully recommended for a role passes their three-month probation.
A new performance management platform supports staff with their development goals. It includes a feedback function allowing employees to give or request feedback from each other, with ‘Feedback Fridays’ encouraging staff to participate. Colleagues can also nominate each other for monthly awards, using the system to select which value they demonstrated.
The leadership team has developed a people charter. It holds an annual conference where all employees are invited to get together in person. It holds monthly team meetings which reinforce company values, mission, and objectives. These meetings have included the opportunity for employees to get involved in people and company strategies.
In terms of pay increases and rewards associated with performance, it offers a completely transparent promotion scheme to all employees. This enables consultants to fast-track their careers and reach Director-level at their own rate. The scheme is designed to be measurable and fair; employees also have promotion opportunities every six months.
Prime People continues to run its Salary Sacrifice scheme supporting a small orphanage in South Africa. One of its London team leaders has recently run a successful charity golf day to raise money for company charities. More employees have also run/walked 50 or 100k of the Thames Path to raise money.
With a recognition-led culture, as well as benefits and salary, Searchability has a range of incentives to reward its employees for their efforts. This ranges from commission, achievers meals, weekend trips away, legend of the month awards, and its most recent Be Sound award – these are all led by colleagues.
As part of its wellbeing programme, Searchability has a weekly boxercise class which has encouraged new connections between colleagues. It has continued to host First Friday events which brings the whole company together for social interaction. It also recently held a charity day that included fancy dress and a bake sale.
Searchability has recently installed eco-friendly lighting systems in its offices and continues to support recycling initiatives. Additionally, it has removed plastic cups from its offices and continuously supports plastic waste reduction, giving all employees access to glass or refillable bottles to prevent single-use plastic.
There is weekly internal email communication from the CEO and an internal newsletter which reinforces organisational clarity and purpose. Organisational performance against agreed KPI’s is shared with colleagues so everyone can see how the charity is performing and training is provided where improvements may be required. Staff are encouraged to provide feedback and ideas.
The organisation runs a number of schemes including Employee of the Quarter and Year. These are colleagues nominated by their colleagues. Winners receive vouchers. It also launched 'Because Your Roarsome' where both colleagues and those outside of the organisation can give their thanks to a member of the team for their hard work/support.
An internal CPD accredited 10 week training plan was undertaken by all employees from Team Leaders and above. Areas covered included Building Relationships, Understanding Team Behaviours, Motivation. How to Give and Receive Feedback, Constructive Criticism, Time management and Effective Delegation, Assertiveness and Dealing with Difficult Situations; Communication and Learning Skills, and Coaching.
Slack is the agency's heartbeat, with team members interacting on projects and industry developments to 'rate my plate' lunch sharing and parenting support. The office hosts' Crowded House' every Thursday to encourage social catch-ups, winter and summer company parties, and three work showcases a year to inspire and celebrate jobs well done.
Employees benefit from two bonus schemes. 'Made Born Bigger' is a performance-based annual cash bonus set against revenue goals, and 'Made Born Better' offers top-performing employees, voted for by the team, the chance to choose from a prize list including vouchers, new trainers, hotel stays and extra holidays.
Employees get time every week, month and six months to discuss their development. There's a clear progression framework so everyone can see the opportunities available and what they need to do to succeed. All staff have a learning and development budget and access to a learning library. There're also regular events on wellbeing and diversity.
