Independent publication by raconteur.

net # 0340 29 / 09 / 2015

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
& BENEFITS
03 Flexible thinking is 07 10 15
Peacemaking Special treats Technology
at work is a to reward is engaging
key to keeping staff valuable skill extra effort employees
Successful companies must get the most from a flexible Staff conflict can fester and affect the Benefits tailored to your team can be the Informed use of technology isn’t just
company culture or risk losing out in the war for talent bottom line unless it is dealt with properly decisive differentiator which attracts staff a way of monitoring staff morale

3% Pay Rise
Help your employees become this much richer. FOR FREE.
www.SalaryFinance.com
RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015
OVERVIEW
GIDEON SPANIER
M
otivating and retaining
staff has never been so diffi-
cult for companies because
we live in a fast-changing
world where jobs are less secure, benefits
such as pensions have been cut, and peo-
ple are more mobile.
Employees are better informed and
able to communicate, thanks to digital
media, and they expect more of a dia-
logue with their employer, rather than
one-way, top-down communication.
For some employers, it means chang-
ing radically to adapt to new, tech-savvy
ways of working more flexibly. Old, es-
tablished practices such as fixed desks
and presentee-ism may need to be chal-
lenged. New skills and new technology
must be learnt.
Despite the UK’s reputation as eth-
nically diverse and tech-savvy, it
does not have a strong record on
employee engagement.
The UK ranked 18th out of 20 leading
countries, behind only Japan and Hong
Kong, in a survey of 7,000 employees last
year, carried out by research firm ORC In-
ternational. Only 37 per cent of UK workers
surveyed felt they were encouraged to be
innovative and fewer than half felt valued
at work, according to HR magazine.
Workplace culture matters because, as
Paul Frampton, chief executive of Havas
Media, an advertising-buying agency,
says: “Culture is the one thing that a
Distributed in
BUSINESS
Although this publication is funded through advertising and sponsorship, all editorial
is without bias and sponsored features are clearly labelled. For an upcoming schedule,
partnership inquiries or feedback, please call +44 (0)20 3428 5230 or e-mail
info@raconteur.net
Flexible thinking is
key to keeping staff
Successful companies must invest in the workplace to engage with employees
and get the most from company culture – or risk losing out in the war for talent
competitor cannot steal or replicate.” He
quotes Simon Sinek, a business thinker,
who argues companies should focus on
“why they exist, not what they do”.
Silicon Valley tech companies are seen
as pioneers in fostering a modern work-
place, from “20 per cent time”, one day
a week when an employee can work on
any new idea they like, to benefits such
as free, organic meals in the canteen. Sal-
aries and share awards are generous, plus
there is a sense of purpose in working on
technology that can shape the future.
Little wonder that Google and Face-
book regularly top surveys of employee
satisfaction by Glassdoor, the website
that lets workers rate their employer.
The rise of social media means employees
should be a company’s best advocates. Mr
Frampton cites IBM as a company that has
encouraged its staff “to share inspiration
and views on how they could work smarter”.
Enlightened employers see this
as part of a wider trend as staff ben-
efit from more flexible working
and independence.
RACONTEUR
Publishing Manager Head of Production
Richard Sexton Natalia Rosek
Production Editor Digital and
Benjamin Chiou Social Manager
Rebecca McCormick
Managing Editor
Peter Archer Design
Vjay Lad
Grant Chapman
Kellie Jerrard
CULTURE FINANCE HEALTHCARE
Raconteur is a leading publisher of special-interest content and research. Its publications
and articles cover a wide range of topics, including business, finance, sustainability,
healthcare, lifestyle and technology. Raconteur special reports are published exclusively
in The Times and The Sunday Times as well as online at raconteur.net
raconteur.net
Darren Childs, the chief executive of
UKTV, the broadcaster behind TV chan-
nels such as Dave and Gold, has tried
to foster collaboration by mixing up
teams, getting a creative to sit next to
an accountant, and encouraging people
to move desks every three months. He
also hosts a weekly “all-hands” ques-
tion-and-answer session.
Too many CEOs are
resolutely burying their
heads in the sand and
not shifting from the
command-and-control
management style they
grew up with
It’s not just about a flexible workspace
and a more creative environment. Netf-
lix, the online TV streaming site, allows
CONTRIBUTORS
JO FARAGHER
Freelance business journal-
ist, she specialises in em-
ployment and recruitment
issues, and contributes to
Personneltoday.com.
PADRAIG FLOYD
Former editor in chief of the
UK pensions and investment
group at the Financial Times,
and ex-editor of Pensions
Management, he is now a
freelance business writer.
LIFESTYLE SUSTAINABILITY
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 03
Employees using the break-out area at Facebook’s
office in Menlo Park, California
LinkedIn, to engage employees as well as
customers. Fewer than one in ten FTSE
100 chief executives are on Twitter.
Mr Frampton, a keen tweeter, says: “Too
many CEOs are resolutely burying their
heads in the sand and not shifting from
the command-and-control management
style they grew up with. Being accessible
enough and prepared to enter into conver-
sations and learn from others is key.”
James Rossiter, joint managing direc-
tor of business communications firm
employees to take as much holiday as Morgan Rossiter, agrees: “Companies
they want, so long as they get their work should communicate frequently with
done, as part of a “policy of trust”. staff and keep it short and simple. Sound
Sir Richard Branson was so impressed he like a human, don’t use business jargon
copied Netflix at his Virgin Group. “Flexi- that would never be understood in a
ble working has revolutionised how, where crowded bar.”
and when we all do our jobs,” he says. “So, Sceptics say that flexible working and a
if working nine to five no longer applies, more open approach are a sop to employees
then why should strict annual leave pol- who have seen wages lag the cost of living
icies?” He argues that improved morale, and final-salary pension schemes axed.
creativity and productivity can all be In an acknowledgment that pension
linked to more flexible treatment of staff. provision has weakened, the government
Few bosses have the Virgin showman’s has demanded that companies auto-en-
abilities to communicate, but smart em- rol every worker. However, the impact
ployers know they need to try harder on employee engagement is tempered
through face-to-face “town hall” meet- by the fact that these defined contribu-
ings, online video messages, employee tion pensions are worth far less than a
appraisals and social media. final-salary scheme.
Some experts claim that millennials, Havas Media boss Mr Frampton con-
those born from the early 1980s onwards cludes with two pieces of advice on em-
who came of age after the millennium, ployee engagement: “Number one is to
are more likely read social media than be clear on your purpose, and number
e-mail or a company blog. two is to over-communicate when you
An interesting question is whether are on that journey to your talent and
any chief executive can afford not to use your customers – plus be honest about
social tools, such as Twitter, Instagram or where there is still work to do.”
ALEC MARSH CHARLES ORTON-JONES GIDEON SPANIER
Writer and award-winning Award-winning journalist, Journalist and commentator
editor, he contributes to he was editor-at-large of on business and the media,
The Daily Telegraph, The LondonlovesBusiness.com he is chairman of the
Guardian, Daily Mail and and editor of EuroBusiness. Broadcasting Press Guild.
The Spectator.
NICK MARTINDALE BRID-AINE PARNELL
Award-winning writer and Science, technology and
editor, he contributes to business writer, on the staff
national business and of The Register, she also con-
trade press on a wide tributes to Forbes.com.
range of issues.
TECHNOLOGY INFOGRAPHICS raconteur.net/employee-engagement-benefits-sep-2015
The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the
Proprietors believe to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted for any
errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the
Publisher. © Raconteur Media
RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015
OVERVIEW
GIDEON SPANIER
M
otivating and retaining
staff has never been so diffi-
cult for companies because
we live in a fast-changing
world where jobs are less secure, benefits
such as pensions have been cut, and peo-
ple are more mobile.
Employees are better informed and
able to communicate, thanks to digital
media, and they expect more of a dia-
logue with their employer, rather than
one-way, top-down communication.
For some employers, it means chang-
ing radically to adapt to new, tech-savvy
ways of working more flexibly. Old, es-
tablished practices such as fixed desks
and presentee-ism may need to be chal-
lenged. New skills and new technology
must be learnt.
Despite the UK’s reputation as eth-
nically diverse and tech-savvy, it
does not have a strong record on
employee engagement.
The UK ranked 18th out of 20 leading
countries, behind only Japan and Hong
Kong, in a survey of 7,000 employees last
year, carried out by research firm ORC In-
ternational. Only 37 per cent of UK workers
surveyed felt they were encouraged to be
innovative and fewer than half felt valued
at work, according to HR magazine.
Workplace culture matters because, as
Paul Frampton, chief executive of Havas
Media, an advertising-buying agency,
says: “Culture is the one thing that a
Distributed in
BUSINESS
Although this publication is funded through advertising and sponsorship, all editorial
is without bias and sponsored features are clearly labelled. For an upcoming schedule,
partnership inquiries or feedback, please call +44 (0)20 3428 5230 or e-mail
info@raconteur.net
Flexible thinking is
key to keeping staff
Successful companies must invest in the workplace to engage with employees
and get the most from company culture – or risk losing out in the war for talent
competitor cannot steal or replicate.” He
quotes Simon Sinek, a business thinker,
who argues companies should focus on
“why they exist, not what they do”.
Silicon Valley tech companies are seen
as pioneers in fostering a modern work-
place, from “20 per cent time”, one day
a week when an employee can work on
any new idea they like, to benefits such
as free, organic meals in the canteen. Sal-
aries and share awards are generous, plus
there is a sense of purpose in working on
technology that can shape the future.
Little wonder that Google and Face-
book regularly top surveys of employee
satisfaction by Glassdoor, the website
that lets workers rate their employer.
The rise of social media means employees
should be a company’s best advocates. Mr
Frampton cites IBM as a company that has
encouraged its staff “to share inspiration
and views on how they could work smarter”.
Enlightened employers see this
as part of a wider trend as staff ben-
efit from more flexible working
and independence.
RACONTEUR
Publishing Manager Head of Production
Richard Sexton Natalia Rosek
Production Editor Digital and
Benjamin Chiou Social Manager
Rebecca McCormick
Managing Editor
Peter Archer Design
Vjay Lad
Grant Chapman
Kellie Jerrard
CULTURE FINANCE HEALTHCARE
Raconteur is a leading publisher of special-interest content and research. Its publications
and articles cover a wide range of topics, including business, finance, sustainability,
healthcare, lifestyle and technology. Raconteur special reports are published exclusively
in The Times and The Sunday Times as well as online at raconteur.net
raconteur.net
Darren Childs, the chief executive of
UKTV, the broadcaster behind TV chan-
nels such as Dave and Gold, has tried
to foster collaboration by mixing up
teams, getting a creative to sit next to
an accountant, and encouraging people
to move desks every three months. He
also hosts a weekly “all-hands” ques-
tion-and-answer session.
Too many CEOs are
resolutely burying their
heads in the sand and
not shifting from the
command-and-control
management style they
grew up with
It’s not just about a flexible workspace
and a more creative environment. Netf-
lix, the online TV streaming site, allows
CONTRIBUTORS
JO FARAGHER
Freelance business journal-
ist, she specialises in em-
ployment and recruitment
issues, and contributes to
Personneltoday.com.
PADRAIG FLOYD
Former editor in chief of the
UK pensions and investment
group at the Financial Times,
and ex-editor of Pensions
Management, he is now a
freelance business writer.
LIFESTYLE SUSTAINABILITY
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 03
Employees using the break-out area at Facebook’s
office in Menlo Park, California
LinkedIn, to engage employees as well as
customers. Fewer than one in ten FTSE
100 chief executives are on Twitter.
Mr Frampton, a keen tweeter, says: “Too
many CEOs are resolutely burying their
heads in the sand and not shifting from
the command-and-control management
style they grew up with. Being accessible
enough and prepared to enter into conver-
sations and learn from others is key.”
James Rossiter, joint managing direc-
tor of business communications firm
employees to take as much holiday as Morgan Rossiter, agrees: “Companies
they want, so long as they get their work should communicate frequently with
done, as part of a “policy of trust”. staff and keep it short and simple. Sound
Sir Richard Branson was so impressed he like a human, don’t use business jargon
copied Netflix at his Virgin Group. “Flexi- that would never be understood in a
ble working has revolutionised how, where crowded bar.”
and when we all do our jobs,” he says. “So, Sceptics say that flexible working and a
if working nine to five no longer applies, more open approach are a sop to employees
then why should strict annual leave pol- who have seen wages lag the cost of living
icies?” He argues that improved morale, and final-salary pension schemes axed.
creativity and productivity can all be In an acknowledgment that pension
linked to more flexible treatment of staff. provision has weakened, the government
Few bosses have the Virgin showman’s has demanded that companies auto-en-
abilities to communicate, but smart em- rol every worker. However, the impact
ployers know they need to try harder on employee engagement is tempered
through face-to-face “town hall” meet- by the fact that these defined contribu-
ings, online video messages, employee tion pensions are worth far less than a
appraisals and social media. final-salary scheme.
Some experts claim that millennials, Havas Media boss Mr Frampton con-
those born from the early 1980s onwards cludes with two pieces of advice on em-
who came of age after the millennium, ployee engagement: “Number one is to
are more likely read social media than be clear on your purpose, and number
e-mail or a company blog. two is to over-communicate when you
An interesting question is whether are on that journey to your talent and
any chief executive can afford not to use your customers – plus be honest about
social tools, such as Twitter, Instagram or where there is still work to do.”
ALEC MARSH CHARLES ORTON-JONES GIDEON SPANIER
Writer and award-winning Award-winning journalist, Journalist and commentator
editor, he contributes to he was editor-at-large of on business and the media,
The Daily Telegraph, The LondonlovesBusiness.com he is chairman of the
Guardian, Daily Mail and and editor of EuroBusiness. Broadcasting Press Guild.
The Spectator.
NICK MARTINDALE BRID-AINE PARNELL
Award-winning writer and Science, technology and
editor, he contributes to business writer, on the staff
national business and of The Register, she also con-
trade press on a wide tributes to Forbes.com.
range of issues.
TECHNOLOGY INFOGRAPHICS raconteur.net/employee-engagement-benefits-sep-2015
The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the
Proprietors believe to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted for any
errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the
Publisher. © Raconteur Media
04 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS
We still need to save
more for retirement
Automatic enrolment in a workplace pension scheme has launched successfully but is only
the beginning of the government’s drive to get people saving more for later life
PENSIONS
PADRAIG FLOYD
T
he UK has seen major reforms
in pension policy, but it is
almost three years since the
government launched the
most significant social engineering
project for several generations.
Auto-enrolment (AE) is a simple idea,
to ensure every UK worker is enrolled
in an occupational pension scheme.
Employers are required to enrol staff
automatically and make contributions
to their pension funds. Employees also
contribute and there is tax credit top
up from the government.
More than 5.2 million UK workers
have been auto-enrolled since Octo-
ber 2012, an increase in numbers of
almost 60 per cent. “Three years in
and we can safely say so far, so good,”
says Helen Dean, executive director
of product and marketing at provider
Nest, which itself has enrolled 2.3 mil-
lion savers.
Thousands of employers have suc-
cessfully staged their businesses in
the AE schedule, but there are still
more than a million to come. More
than 141,000 are expected to stage this
year, leaving around half a million mi-
cro-employers from 2016.
Getting started is easier than it has
ever been as providers have entered the
market focusing on the small and mid-
sized business market.
Part of AE’s success has been to stim-
ulate a huge amount of innovation in
terms of investment, but also technolo-
gy, says Tim Banks, managing director,
sales and client relations, UK and Ire-
land, at investment manager AB. This
will have a lasting legacy.
“AE has forced innovation, changed
business models and driven down charg-
es, which means those who succeed in
this market will be offering better prod-
ucts than ever before,” he says.
That said, not all technology is born
equal, says Mr Banks. Even if the kit is
up to the job, the vast volume of em-
ployers coming through in the next
couple of years will present considera-
ble data issues.
“Most of our clients are getting people
into the system and making sure of
data integrity. That can be a costly
WORKERS ELIGIBLE
FOR ENROLMENT
IN A WORKPLACE
PENSION SCHEME
raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 05
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
join the pension scheme after a period
of six months or more, as the maximum
EXPERT
postponement is now three months.
The Pensions Regulator has to date
been understanding about mistakes
made by employers.
INDEPENDENT
Between April and June 2015, it
issued 119 compliance notices, 50
unpaid contributions notices, 68 fixed
ONLINE ADVICE
penalty notices, but no escalating pen-
alty notices.
But enforcement is increasing– there
TO HELP YOUR
were twice the number of referrals and
cases raised in 2014 against the previ-
ous year – and the regulator is likely
EMPLOYEES PLAN
to be less lenient in the future. This is
because employees who do not wish
to save with AE must opt-out on a
FOR THE FUTURE
three-year cycle and this starts again
in October.
However, this may not be as prob-
lematic as once feared, at least for the
NUMBER OF WORKING-AGE PEOPLE FOR EVERY PENSIONER large firms, says Andrew Cheseldine, a
People of working age Pensioner partner at consultants LCP. His clients
With auto-enrolment and pension freedoms,
have an average opt-out of 8 per cent,
yet only 3 or 4 per cent of those individ-
1901 uals still work for them. it has never been more critical for employees to
The big problem will be the national
living wage from 2016, as it will bring receive advice
many more into the eligible worker cat-
egory. “By 2020, when it hits the £9 an
2010 hour rate, it will mean qualifying earn-
ings will be about 40 per cent higher
In 1901 there were ten people working than they are now in real terms, making
for every pensioner in the UK. the funding of the pension much more
By 2050 it is expected that this will expensive,” says Mr Cheseldine.
2050
change to just two workers AE may cover 20 million workers, but
there are more than five million who
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
have fallen through the cracks as they
do not qualify for automatic enrolment. Major changes to the UK pension system designed for the average employee. But And once an investment strategy is in place,
are underway. In particular, auto-enrolment who is really average?” a regular review should be as routine as get- HOW IT WORKS
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION RATE FOR THE MAJORITY OF STAFF There are nearly as many self-em-
and the new pension freedoms mean it’s im-
Pension advice should be Clearly there is an urgent need for quality ting an MOT for your car. However, without
ployed who are also bypassed, meaning
around ten million economically active portant employees make decisions about as much a core element pensions advice, yet few employers are cur- a formal checkpoint or legal requirement,
1% of salary 12%
individuals are not saving into a pen- their workplace pensions that are right for of the employee benefits rently providing their staff with access to it. The Mr Webster believes employees need to be
2% of salary 7% sion plan. them. As online independent financial ad- package as things main barrier, now that commissions have dis- chivvied into looking at their pension annually
While many are not entitled to viser Wealth Wizards points out, now more appeared, is the cost and availability of face-to- and accessing professional advice in order to
3% of salary 11%
than ever there is a need for expert advice
like health insurance, face advice, which has to be paid for explicitly. check their investments are still right for them
employer contributions, says Tom
4% of salary 7% McPhail, head of pensions research to make the most of pension savings and get sick pay and income Wealth Wizards has pioneered a com- and that their pension pot is on track.
5% of salary 18% at Hargreaves Lansdown, that doesn’t the best retirement outcome. protection pletely new approach. Their online services The benefits to the employer of offering
mean they shouldn’t be saving. The last three years have seen significant deliver expert advice in the workplace or at such services are clear. By helping employ-
6-10% of salary 32% “The worst case scenario is they reforms for the pensions sector, nowhere home, cost effectively and inclusively for all ees take control of their pension finances,
would only get tax relief, but as they more so than in the workplace pensions In spite of these changes, many organi- members of staff, advising on accumulation they are sending a message that they value Matthew Starks, director of human re-
More than 10% of salary 14%
could take their money out at age arena, where employers have had to get to sations report that employees are still not investment strategies, at retirement advice their staff. This is key to employee engage- sources at First Rate Exchange Services, a
Source: Employee Benefits 2014
55 and shelter in a tax-free fund, I grips with auto-enrolment and all the chal- engaging with workplace pensions. and encouraging take up of tax efficient op- ment, motivation and retention, all of which leading supplier of foreign currency, says:
can’t think of anyone who shouldn’t lenges that come with it. “It’s not really a surprise,” says Ben Web- tions such as salary exchange. are linked to increased productivity and bot- “Our employees were asking for help with
be taking advantage of this,” says They, and their employees, have had to get ster, managing director of employer solu- The first true online independent financial tom-line benefits. their pensions. They wanted something
business, but it does mean the process lems, says Mr Reid. A hotel group the staff ”, he says. Mr McPhail. their heads around the government’s pen- tions at Wealth Wizards. “Employees are adviser or “roboadviser” in the UK, Wealth Another key benefit to employers is a re- easy and quick to use, and to get quality
can run very smoothly,” he says. client had three enrolled employees The AE rules are complex and com- Employers must start budgeting for sion reforms that came into force in April, faced with bewildering choice and complex- Wizards’ advice has been developed with duction in the risk from any liability connect- and professional advice, given the com-
Even businesses that have their data with learning difficulties who were panies will make mistakes. The main pension saving more systematically.
transforming the very notion of retirement ity when it comes to pensions, and we don’t input from leading experts and consultan- ed with unsuitable pension arrangements plexity of pensions and the difficulty they
sorted out are still experiencing diffi- unable to do the enrolment online. cause of compliance failure has not As the living wage swells the ranks of
planning by giving those approaching retire- expect anyone except a small minority to be cies, as well as in-house chartered financial as the liability for any advice sits with the were having in making decisions on where
culties, says Robert Reid, director of When Mr Reid spoke to the provider, been implementing a pension or getting enrolled employees, so contribution
ment far more choice in how to use their pen- in a position to understand their investments planners and actuaries. adviser. Finally, offering advice can help in- to invest their money for the future.
Syndaxi Chartered they confessed they payroll lined up, but through omissions levels must also increase. Employers
sion savings. While that freedom has been or make informed choices without advice. The advice is delivered through simple crease take-up of schemes, such as salary “First Rate researched the market and
Financial Planners. hadn’t thought there in the compliance process, says Chris must contribute a minimum 3 per cent
welcomed, it has also created dilemmas for “For example, many employers select to online apps, using the latest technology. exchange, which benefit both employee chose to work with Wealth Wizards be-
Mr Reid says the would be any need Daems, director of AE in a Box. by October 2018 to raise total contribu-
Pensions Regulator Auto-enrolment has for a manual pro- These are often minor tasks such as tions up to 8 per cent (employee 4 per
those who’ve only ever considered using enrol employees into default funds. While Once registered, employees answer a stand- and employer. cause of the independent, professional
has failed to come to forced innovation, cess. “It was a total registering with the regulator or nom- cent, government 1 per cent). their pension pot to buy an annuity. there’s nothing wrong with these, they are ard set of questions, which typically takes ten The biggest winners, however, are the advice they offer and shared company
grips with the needs to fifteen minutes. In most cases a full advice many employees who need real help. values around innovation. We also liked
changed business models mess,” he says. inating a contact, but were omitted This is only the start, as the long-
report, including a recommendation on how Providing them with independent advice the fact that Wealth Wizards work with
of group companies. Another example because the employer was focused on term aim is to drive that rate higher
“I had one with
and driven down charges, of a lack of foresight the big picture and wasn’t aware of the still, in line with other nations such to invest their pension, is instantly available. means they are no longer faced with making our existing employee benefit consult-
five different stag- which means those who presented itself with small, but important, details. as Australia’s 9.5 per cent. Even so, it difficult choices they feel confused about or ants and pension provider to action em-
ing dates [due to the succeed in this market a client where 70 per “These are jobs that take 15 or 20 is widely accepted this is not enough simply ill-equipped to make. ployees’ wishes once the advice was ac-
relative size of each cent of the work- minutes for someone familiar with the to provide a secure income in retire- The biggest winners, “We believe that workplace pension cepted, ensuring a seamless experience
operating compa-
will be offering better force doesn’t speak process to complete,” says Mr Daems, ment and, as pressure continues for advice should no longer be an aspirational for our people.
products than ever before English as a first lan- however, are the many offering,” says Mr Webster. “The pensions “We’ve found Wealth Wizards’ services
ny],” he says. “I had “but they were overlooked or left to an an increase in contribution rates,
to explain to them guage. After getting accountant or payroll bureau that are some of this new burden may fall employees who need landscape has changed dramatically and in to be a really valuable addition to our em-
I was going to stage nowhere with the great at payroll, but not due diligence on employers. real help doing so has put employees in a position of ployee benefits package.”
them all on a single day, meaning some provider, Mr Reid simply had the doc- on AE.” having to make important decisions about
of them would be done early.” umentation translated into Polish and Another simple check employers Share this article on social media the way they plan for their retirement. We
Providers’ desire for fully electronic Hungarian, which “made a massive dif- should make is to ensure their con- via raconteur.net While technology is opening up advice at believe that employers, pension consultants,
administration has also caused prob- ference and was greatly appreciated by tracts no longer specify employees can scale, Mr Webster recognises that the over- providers and technology companies need fits associated with supporting staff around
all complexity of pensions means a degree to work together to increase engagement in their retirement finance planning and the
of handholding is necessary to engage em- workplace pensions. Pension advice should quality of life they can expect in later life,
ployees fully. That’s why the apps will identify be as much a core element of the employee can they really afford not to provide their
anyone who may need to provide more infor- benefits package as things like health insur- employees with advice on their pension?”
Not already in mation or speak to an adviser directly. A help- ance, sick pay and income protection.”
their employer’s
Aged 22 Under the Earn more than Work, or usually
or over state-pension age £10,000 a year work, in the UK line and Skype support is also available, along “And from the employer’s point of view,
pension scheme
with employer training and on-the-ground given that a simple and cost-effective online thewizard@wealthwizards.com
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
help for employees from the client team. service is available, and the business bene- wealthwizards.com
04 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS
We still need to save
more for retirement
Automatic enrolment in a workplace pension scheme has launched successfully but is only
the beginning of the government’s drive to get people saving more for later life
PENSIONS
PADRAIG FLOYD
T
he UK has seen major reforms
in pension policy, but it is
almost three years since the
government launched the
most significant social engineering
project for several generations.
Auto-enrolment (AE) is a simple idea,
to ensure every UK worker is enrolled
in an occupational pension scheme.
Employers are required to enrol staff
automatically and make contributions
to their pension funds. Employees also
contribute and there is tax credit top
up from the government.
More than 5.2 million UK workers
have been auto-enrolled since Octo-
ber 2012, an increase in numbers of
almost 60 per cent. “Three years in
and we can safely say so far, so good,”
says Helen Dean, executive director
of product and marketing at provider
Nest, which itself has enrolled 2.3 mil-
lion savers.
Thousands of employers have suc-
cessfully staged their businesses in
the AE schedule, but there are still
more than a million to come. More
than 141,000 are expected to stage this
year, leaving around half a million mi-
cro-employers from 2016.
Getting started is easier than it has
ever been as providers have entered the
market focusing on the small and mid-
sized business market.
Part of AE’s success has been to stim-
ulate a huge amount of innovation in
terms of investment, but also technolo-
gy, says Tim Banks, managing director,
sales and client relations, UK and Ire-
land, at investment manager AB. This
will have a lasting legacy.
“AE has forced innovation, changed
business models and driven down charg-
es, which means those who succeed in
this market will be offering better prod-
ucts than ever before,” he says.
That said, not all technology is born
equal, says Mr Banks. Even if the kit is
up to the job, the vast volume of em-
ployers coming through in the next
couple of years will present considera-
ble data issues.
“Most of our clients are getting people
into the system and making sure of
data integrity. That can be a costly
WORKERS ELIGIBLE
FOR ENROLMENT
IN A WORKPLACE
PENSION SCHEME
raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 05
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
join the pension scheme after a period
of six months or more, as the maximum
EXPERT
postponement is now three months.
The Pensions Regulator has to date
been understanding about mistakes
made by employers.
INDEPENDENT
Between April and June 2015, it
issued 119 compliance notices, 50
unpaid contributions notices, 68 fixed
ONLINE ADVICE
penalty notices, but no escalating pen-
alty notices.
But enforcement is increasing– there
TO HELP YOUR
were twice the number of referrals and
cases raised in 2014 against the previ-
ous year – and the regulator is likely
EMPLOYEES PLAN
to be less lenient in the future. This is
because employees who do not wish
to save with AE must opt-out on a
FOR THE FUTURE
three-year cycle and this starts again
in October.
However, this may not be as prob-
lematic as once feared, at least for the
NUMBER OF WORKING-AGE PEOPLE FOR EVERY PENSIONER large firms, says Andrew Cheseldine, a
People of working age Pensioner partner at consultants LCP. His clients
With auto-enrolment and pension freedoms,
have an average opt-out of 8 per cent,
yet only 3 or 4 per cent of those individ-
1901 uals still work for them. it has never been more critical for employees to
The big problem will be the national
living wage from 2016, as it will bring receive advice
many more into the eligible worker cat-
egory. “By 2020, when it hits the £9 an
2010 hour rate, it will mean qualifying earn-
ings will be about 40 per cent higher
In 1901 there were ten people working than they are now in real terms, making
for every pensioner in the UK. the funding of the pension much more
By 2050 it is expected that this will expensive,” says Mr Cheseldine.
2050
change to just two workers AE may cover 20 million workers, but
there are more than five million who
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
have fallen through the cracks as they
do not qualify for automatic enrolment. Major changes to the UK pension system designed for the average employee. But And once an investment strategy is in place,
are underway. In particular, auto-enrolment who is really average?” a regular review should be as routine as get- HOW IT WORKS
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION RATE FOR THE MAJORITY OF STAFF There are nearly as many self-em-
and the new pension freedoms mean it’s im-
Pension advice should be Clearly there is an urgent need for quality ting an MOT for your car. However, without
ployed who are also bypassed, meaning
around ten million economically active portant employees make decisions about as much a core element pensions advice, yet few employers are cur- a formal checkpoint or legal requirement,
1% of salary 12%
individuals are not saving into a pen- their workplace pensions that are right for of the employee benefits rently providing their staff with access to it. The Mr Webster believes employees need to be
2% of salary 7% sion plan. them. As online independent financial ad- package as things main barrier, now that commissions have dis- chivvied into looking at their pension annually
While many are not entitled to viser Wealth Wizards points out, now more appeared, is the cost and availability of face-to- and accessing professional advice in order to
3% of salary 11%
than ever there is a need for expert advice
like health insurance, face advice, which has to be paid for explicitly. check their investments are still right for them
employer contributions, says Tom
4% of salary 7% McPhail, head of pensions research to make the most of pension savings and get sick pay and income Wealth Wizards has pioneered a com- and that their pension pot is on track.
5% of salary 18% at Hargreaves Lansdown, that doesn’t the best retirement outcome. protection pletely new approach. Their online services The benefits to the employer of offering
mean they shouldn’t be saving. The last three years have seen significant deliver expert advice in the workplace or at such services are clear. By helping employ-
6-10% of salary 32% “The worst case scenario is they reforms for the pensions sector, nowhere home, cost effectively and inclusively for all ees take control of their pension finances,
would only get tax relief, but as they more so than in the workplace pensions In spite of these changes, many organi- members of staff, advising on accumulation they are sending a message that they value Matthew Starks, director of human re-
More than 10% of salary 14%
could take their money out at age arena, where employers have had to get to sations report that employees are still not investment strategies, at retirement advice their staff. This is key to employee engage- sources at First Rate Exchange Services, a
Source: Employee Benefits 2014
55 and shelter in a tax-free fund, I grips with auto-enrolment and all the chal- engaging with workplace pensions. and encouraging take up of tax efficient op- ment, motivation and retention, all of which leading supplier of foreign currency, says:
can’t think of anyone who shouldn’t lenges that come with it. “It’s not really a surprise,” says Ben Web- tions such as salary exchange. are linked to increased productivity and bot- “Our employees were asking for help with
be taking advantage of this,” says They, and their employees, have had to get ster, managing director of employer solu- The first true online independent financial tom-line benefits. their pensions. They wanted something
business, but it does mean the process lems, says Mr Reid. A hotel group the staff ”, he says. Mr McPhail. their heads around the government’s pen- tions at Wealth Wizards. “Employees are adviser or “roboadviser” in the UK, Wealth Another key benefit to employers is a re- easy and quick to use, and to get quality
can run very smoothly,” he says. client had three enrolled employees The AE rules are complex and com- Employers must start budgeting for sion reforms that came into force in April, faced with bewildering choice and complex- Wizards’ advice has been developed with duction in the risk from any liability connect- and professional advice, given the com-
Even businesses that have their data with learning difficulties who were panies will make mistakes. The main pension saving more systematically.
transforming the very notion of retirement ity when it comes to pensions, and we don’t input from leading experts and consultan- ed with unsuitable pension arrangements plexity of pensions and the difficulty they
sorted out are still experiencing diffi- unable to do the enrolment online. cause of compliance failure has not As the living wage swells the ranks of
planning by giving those approaching retire- expect anyone except a small minority to be cies, as well as in-house chartered financial as the liability for any advice sits with the were having in making decisions on where
culties, says Robert Reid, director of When Mr Reid spoke to the provider, been implementing a pension or getting enrolled employees, so contribution
ment far more choice in how to use their pen- in a position to understand their investments planners and actuaries. adviser. Finally, offering advice can help in- to invest their money for the future.
Syndaxi Chartered they confessed they payroll lined up, but through omissions levels must also increase. Employers
sion savings. While that freedom has been or make informed choices without advice. The advice is delivered through simple crease take-up of schemes, such as salary “First Rate researched the market and
Financial Planners. hadn’t thought there in the compliance process, says Chris must contribute a minimum 3 per cent
welcomed, it has also created dilemmas for “For example, many employers select to online apps, using the latest technology. exchange, which benefit both employee chose to work with Wealth Wizards be-
Mr Reid says the would be any need Daems, director of AE in a Box. by October 2018 to raise total contribu-
Pensions Regulator Auto-enrolment has for a manual pro- These are often minor tasks such as tions up to 8 per cent (employee 4 per
those who’ve only ever considered using enrol employees into default funds. While Once registered, employees answer a stand- and employer. cause of the independent, professional
has failed to come to forced innovation, cess. “It was a total registering with the regulator or nom- cent, government 1 per cent). their pension pot to buy an annuity. there’s nothing wrong with these, they are ard set of questions, which typically takes ten The biggest winners, however, are the advice they offer and shared company
grips with the needs to fifteen minutes. In most cases a full advice many employees who need real help. values around innovation. We also liked
changed business models mess,” he says. inating a contact, but were omitted This is only the start, as the long-
report, including a recommendation on how Providing them with independent advice the fact that Wealth Wizards work with
of group companies. Another example because the employer was focused on term aim is to drive that rate higher
“I had one with
and driven down charges, of a lack of foresight the big picture and wasn’t aware of the still, in line with other nations such to invest their pension, is instantly available. means they are no longer faced with making our existing employee benefit consult-
five different stag- which means those who presented itself with small, but important, details. as Australia’s 9.5 per cent. Even so, it difficult choices they feel confused about or ants and pension provider to action em-
ing dates [due to the succeed in this market a client where 70 per “These are jobs that take 15 or 20 is widely accepted this is not enough simply ill-equipped to make. ployees’ wishes once the advice was ac-
relative size of each cent of the work- minutes for someone familiar with the to provide a secure income in retire- The biggest winners, “We believe that workplace pension cepted, ensuring a seamless experience
operating compa-
will be offering better force doesn’t speak process to complete,” says Mr Daems, ment and, as pressure continues for advice should no longer be an aspirational for our people.
products than ever before English as a first lan- however, are the many offering,” says Mr Webster. “The pensions “We’ve found Wealth Wizards’ services
ny],” he says. “I had “but they were overlooked or left to an an increase in contribution rates,
to explain to them guage. After getting accountant or payroll bureau that are some of this new burden may fall employees who need landscape has changed dramatically and in to be a really valuable addition to our em-
I was going to stage nowhere with the great at payroll, but not due diligence on employers. real help doing so has put employees in a position of ployee benefits package.”
them all on a single day, meaning some provider, Mr Reid simply had the doc- on AE.” having to make important decisions about
of them would be done early.” umentation translated into Polish and Another simple check employers Share this article on social media the way they plan for their retirement. We
Providers’ desire for fully electronic Hungarian, which “made a massive dif- should make is to ensure their con- via raconteur.net While technology is opening up advice at believe that employers, pension consultants,
administration has also caused prob- ference and was greatly appreciated by tracts no longer specify employees can scale, Mr Webster recognises that the over- providers and technology companies need fits associated with supporting staff around
all complexity of pensions means a degree to work together to increase engagement in their retirement finance planning and the
of handholding is necessary to engage em- workplace pensions. Pension advice should quality of life they can expect in later life,
ployees fully. That’s why the apps will identify be as much a core element of the employee can they really afford not to provide their
anyone who may need to provide more infor- benefits package as things like health insur- employees with advice on their pension?”
Not already in mation or speak to an adviser directly. A help- ance, sick pay and income protection.”
their employer’s
Aged 22 Under the Earn more than Work, or usually
or over state-pension age £10,000 a year work, in the UK line and Skype support is also available, along “And from the employer’s point of view,
pension scheme
with employer training and on-the-ground given that a simple and cost-effective online thewizard@wealthwizards.com
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
help for employees from the client team. service is available, and the business bene- wealthwizards.com
06 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 07

Good leaders empower their employees Peacemaking

Business leaders face the difficult balance of letting go to empower managers and boost staff motivation, while staying in at work is a Great leaders make
firm control of the company’s aims and strategic goals
valuable skill great days at work...
LEADERSHIP
motivate, engage and empower em- knowing yourself and knowing the
JO FARAGHER ployees; and finally, whether they prac- company. If people know who they Staff conflict can fester and affect the bottom

I
tise networked leadership. are, what their strengths are and who
t’s tougher than ever to be a lead- Jean Martin, CEB talent solutions they work best with, they can be their line unless it is dealt with in a speedy,
er in today’s business climate. architect, explains: “Networked lead- most successful,” explains Eugen-
Thanks to a string of commercial ers know how to get things from io Pirri, the hotel group’s vice pres- sensitive and professional way
scandals at institutions such as the organization, but also give stuff ident for people and organisational
the Co-operative Bank and RBS, there back; they pull information from development.
is intense scrutiny of executive de- employees rather than just pushing The idea here is to empower staff to
cisions and trust in senior managers directions down.” make their own decisions, but within
has decreased. Jane Sunley, chief executive of HR the context of the company’s values,
At the same time, the context in consultancy PurpleCubed, believes he adds. “It doesn’t work when you tell
which leaders operate has become this more collaborative style is better people what to do or you put them in a
more complex. Companies are more suited to the leadership challenges of box. We spend time looking at how we
geographically dispersed, managers today. “A good leader asks questions, deliver five-star service, but if some-
have more direct lines of reporting observes, allows people to speak up if one wants to serve a coffee in their own
and often a much wider remit than there’s a problem,” she says. “In a man- way, with their own spark, they can
before. A study by best practice insight agement culture where all the focus is do that.”
company CEB found that 85 per cent on metrics and measurement, people This empowerment will become all
of leaders felt there was an increase will massage the figures because they the more important as employees rely
in the number of job responsibilities, dread getting it wrong.” It’s also a style less on leadership from the very top
while 61 per cent that Generation Y or and more on relationships with local
reported they had the millennials – the managers. “Our research has shown CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
to consult with future generation of that organisations will become a more rector of restaurant chain Byron Ham-
JO FARAGHER
more people before Getting leadership right managers and lead- loosely connected group of people burgers, has run mediation meetings

H
making a decision. ers – prefer, she adds. whose primary experience is not with internally before, asking the individuals
“There’s expo-
will pay dividends in When it comes to the ‘logo’, but with the leader they work ealthy disagreement and involved to write down four things they
nential technology terms of employees’ training and devel- most closely with,” says Tania Lennon, challenge at work is not al- need from the person they’re in conflict
change, too, which happiness at work and oping leaders, em- associate director of leadership and ways a bad thing but, past with. Both sides make a commitment to
creates more trans- bedding this style of talent at Hay Group. a certain point, conflict can doing something to improve the situa-
willingness to do well
parency around lead- leadership requires What could hold them back, however, become damaging. tion, put the commitment in writing and
ership,” says Simon a more nuanced ap- are systems that don’t fit with a more As Bev White, managing director of Penna review it with their manager 12 weeks
Hayward, chief ex- proach than before. agile style of working, for example ap- Career Services, explains: “It’s important down the line. “The trick is to get them
TOP 5 TIPS FOR ENGAGING EMPLOYEES
ecutive of Cirrus Group, a leadership The one-size-fits-all approach of send- praisal processes that only look at per- to deal with conflict because trust breaks to hear what the other person is saying
consultancy. “If a customer has a bad ing groups of managers to a residential formance once a year. “We see many down and people stop collaborating. Stress and for them to make that commitment
experience, we find out about it more course where they learn how things are
quickly, and industries are rapidly done may no longer be as effective. 01 04 organisations starting to lead in a way
that gives employees more freedom,
builds up and people lose respect for their
leaders; they may even leave the business.”
to doing something,” he says.
Mr Williams chose to handle mediation
Senior leadership
changing and innovating – take Uber “You have to articulate what lead- Senior leadership must should continuously but systems haven’t caught up,” adds However, with so many policies and internally, but there are advantages to
articulate a clear vision demonstrate that
for example.” ership looks like in your company. It to all employees
Ms Lennon. “It can mean they’re trying procedures in businesses designed to bringing in mediators from outside the
employees have an
With this backdrop, the qualities we will mean different things to different impact on their work to lead with one hand tied behind deal with conflict – not to mention com- organisation, says Ms White. “Someone
expect of a great leader have changed, people,” argues Ms Sunley. She advo- environment their back.” plex and long drawn-out grievance pro- fresh to the situation can stand back and
argues Mr Hayward. The authoritarian, cates appointing internal mentors and Getting leadership right will pay div- cedures – it’s not surprising that manag- take the heat out of the problem,” she
command-and-control leadership style facilitators, who can share examples of DATA idends in terms of employees’ happi- ers often shy away from dealing with it adds. “Mediators can help people artic-
that used to dominate corporate life is good leadership, and “tell stories about 02 05 ness at work and willingness to do well. before it’s too late. ulate their ideas in a way that’s not ag-
no longer relevant. “Under that style how they solved problems”. Employees should Managers should CEB’s research shows, for example, gressive and doesn’t prohibit them from

...and we help them do it!

be encouraged to show employees that
of leadership, people follow instruc- Hotel group Dorchester Collection communicate openly and they are valued as that employees who operate in a more listening to others’ ideas.”
tions, but they’re dependent. That’s aims to train future leaders from an influence the company’s true contributors, networked leadership environment External mediators can also be brought
vision through their input giving them a sense
fine if the leader is always right, but it early stage in their involvement with of empowerment tend to show 35 per cent higher em- in to train staff in mediation skills, so res-

29%
depends on the wisdom of that leader,” the company. Its Dorchester Acade- ployee engagement. olution becomes more ingrained in their
he adds. my has five different levels, and the “When employees sense their work workplace culture. The TCM Group did this We design, build and manage bespoke employee engagement solutions.
CEB’s research has identified three focus is on building emotional intelli- 03 is aligned with the company’s goals, with Lancaster London hotel, where me- Tailor-made solutions that are as unique as your business.
ways great leaders can be effective: how gence and learning through experience Direct managers should that’s a real driver of engagement. of UK employees reported at diation is now one of the first steps offered
foster healthy relationships
they manage the transactional side of rather than decreeing how things are Rather than blaming or pointing at least one workplace conflict when problems arise. It’s a far cry from the
leadership, that is how efficient they done. “Only one of our programmes
with their employees
problems, good leaders empower em- over the last 12 months old system, where there were multiple dis-
Combining genuine creativity and industry-leading technology, we help
are at getting things done; how trans- looks at how we run the service side Source: Dale Carnegie Training ployees to fix things along the way,”
Source: CIPD 2015
ciplinary procedures, each taking up time some of the world’s most forward-thinking brands emotionally engage their
formational they are in style, how they of the business, the rest focuses on CEB’s Ms Martin concludes. and resources, and not always solving
the problem. people. So, if you want to make great days at work, we’d love to talk to you.
HR officer Harriette Wolff, who has
David Liddle, chief executive of the TCM trained as an in-house mediator, says: “It
Group, a mediation specialist, says that has given people a platform to speak before info@riveragency.com riveragency.com @RiverAgency
instead employers ought to see conflict something turns into a conflict.” Introduc-
as part of business as usual, and equip ing mediation training has led to a dramat-
managers to “act as diplomats, rather than ic drop in formal grievance procedures and
sticking their head in the sand and hoping staff are happier, according to Ms Wolff.
that HR will come and sort it out for them”. And while it can be daunting to deal
“Conflict can be an opportunity and with issues as they arise, not addressing
leaders need to create conditions where conflict can be damaging for business.
people can have a dialogue,” he says. Leave it too long and productivity dips,
When relationships do break down, customer service deteriorates, and others
companies can either support managers in the team may be drawn in – so better to
to run a mediation process with those in- deal with it up front. Making great days at work
volved or call in the services of external
mediators who are experienced in dealing Share this article on social media
with conflict objectively and sensitively. via raconteur.net
Mike Williams, human resources di-
06 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 07

Good leaders empower their employees Peacemaking

Business leaders face the difficult balance of letting go to empower managers and boost staff motivation, while staying in at work is a Great leaders make
firm control of the company’s aims and strategic goals
valuable skill great days at work...
LEADERSHIP
motivate, engage and empower em- knowing yourself and knowing the
JO FARAGHER ployees; and finally, whether they prac- company. If people know who they Staff conflict can fester and affect the bottom

I
tise networked leadership. are, what their strengths are and who
t’s tougher than ever to be a lead- Jean Martin, CEB talent solutions they work best with, they can be their line unless it is dealt with in a speedy,
er in today’s business climate. architect, explains: “Networked lead- most successful,” explains Eugen-
Thanks to a string of commercial ers know how to get things from io Pirri, the hotel group’s vice pres- sensitive and professional way
scandals at institutions such as the organization, but also give stuff ident for people and organisational
the Co-operative Bank and RBS, there back; they pull information from development.
is intense scrutiny of executive de- employees rather than just pushing The idea here is to empower staff to
cisions and trust in senior managers directions down.” make their own decisions, but within
has decreased. Jane Sunley, chief executive of HR the context of the company’s values,
At the same time, the context in consultancy PurpleCubed, believes he adds. “It doesn’t work when you tell
which leaders operate has become this more collaborative style is better people what to do or you put them in a
more complex. Companies are more suited to the leadership challenges of box. We spend time looking at how we
geographically dispersed, managers today. “A good leader asks questions, deliver five-star service, but if some-
have more direct lines of reporting observes, allows people to speak up if one wants to serve a coffee in their own
and often a much wider remit than there’s a problem,” she says. “In a man- way, with their own spark, they can
before. A study by best practice insight agement culture where all the focus is do that.”
company CEB found that 85 per cent on metrics and measurement, people This empowerment will become all
of leaders felt there was an increase will massage the figures because they the more important as employees rely
in the number of job responsibilities, dread getting it wrong.” It’s also a style less on leadership from the very top
while 61 per cent that Generation Y or and more on relationships with local
reported they had the millennials – the managers. “Our research has shown CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
to consult with future generation of that organisations will become a more rector of restaurant chain Byron Ham-
JO FARAGHER
more people before Getting leadership right managers and lead- loosely connected group of people burgers, has run mediation meetings

H
making a decision. ers – prefer, she adds. whose primary experience is not with internally before, asking the individuals
“There’s expo-
will pay dividends in When it comes to the ‘logo’, but with the leader they work ealthy disagreement and involved to write down four things they
nential technology terms of employees’ training and devel- most closely with,” says Tania Lennon, challenge at work is not al- need from the person they’re in conflict
change, too, which happiness at work and oping leaders, em- associate director of leadership and ways a bad thing but, past with. Both sides make a commitment to
creates more trans- bedding this style of talent at Hay Group. a certain point, conflict can doing something to improve the situa-
willingness to do well
parency around lead- leadership requires What could hold them back, however, become damaging. tion, put the commitment in writing and
ership,” says Simon a more nuanced ap- are systems that don’t fit with a more As Bev White, managing director of Penna review it with their manager 12 weeks
Hayward, chief ex- proach than before. agile style of working, for example ap- Career Services, explains: “It’s important down the line. “The trick is to get them
TOP 5 TIPS FOR ENGAGING EMPLOYEES
ecutive of Cirrus Group, a leadership The one-size-fits-all approach of send- praisal processes that only look at per- to deal with conflict because trust breaks to hear what the other person is saying
consultancy. “If a customer has a bad ing groups of managers to a residential formance once a year. “We see many down and people stop collaborating. Stress and for them to make that commitment
experience, we find out about it more course where they learn how things are
quickly, and industries are rapidly done may no longer be as effective. 01 04 organisations starting to lead in a way
that gives employees more freedom,
builds up and people lose respect for their
leaders; they may even leave the business.”
to doing something,” he says.
Mr Williams chose to handle mediation
Senior leadership
changing and innovating – take Uber “You have to articulate what lead- Senior leadership must should continuously but systems haven’t caught up,” adds However, with so many policies and internally, but there are advantages to
articulate a clear vision demonstrate that
for example.” ership looks like in your company. It to all employees
Ms Lennon. “It can mean they’re trying procedures in businesses designed to bringing in mediators from outside the
employees have an
With this backdrop, the qualities we will mean different things to different impact on their work to lead with one hand tied behind deal with conflict – not to mention com- organisation, says Ms White. “Someone
expect of a great leader have changed, people,” argues Ms Sunley. She advo- environment their back.” plex and long drawn-out grievance pro- fresh to the situation can stand back and
argues Mr Hayward. The authoritarian, cates appointing internal mentors and Getting leadership right will pay div- cedures – it’s not surprising that manag- take the heat out of the problem,” she
command-and-control leadership style facilitators, who can share examples of DATA idends in terms of employees’ happi- ers often shy away from dealing with it adds. “Mediators can help people artic-
that used to dominate corporate life is good leadership, and “tell stories about 02 05 ness at work and willingness to do well. before it’s too late. ulate their ideas in a way that’s not ag-
no longer relevant. “Under that style how they solved problems”. Employees should Managers should CEB’s research shows, for example, gressive and doesn’t prohibit them from

...and we help them do it!

be encouraged to show employees that
of leadership, people follow instruc- Hotel group Dorchester Collection communicate openly and they are valued as that employees who operate in a more listening to others’ ideas.”
tions, but they’re dependent. That’s aims to train future leaders from an influence the company’s true contributors, networked leadership environment External mediators can also be brought
vision through their input giving them a sense
fine if the leader is always right, but it early stage in their involvement with of empowerment tend to show 35 per cent higher em- in to train staff in mediation skills, so res-

29%
depends on the wisdom of that leader,” the company. Its Dorchester Acade- ployee engagement. olution becomes more ingrained in their
he adds. my has five different levels, and the “When employees sense their work workplace culture. The TCM Group did this We design, build and manage bespoke employee engagement solutions.
CEB’s research has identified three focus is on building emotional intelli- 03 is aligned with the company’s goals, with Lancaster London hotel, where me- Tailor-made solutions that are as unique as your business.
ways great leaders can be effective: how gence and learning through experience Direct managers should that’s a real driver of engagement. of UK employees reported at diation is now one of the first steps offered
foster healthy relationships
they manage the transactional side of rather than decreeing how things are Rather than blaming or pointing at least one workplace conflict when problems arise. It’s a far cry from the
leadership, that is how efficient they done. “Only one of our programmes
with their employees
problems, good leaders empower em- over the last 12 months old system, where there were multiple dis-
Combining genuine creativity and industry-leading technology, we help
are at getting things done; how trans- looks at how we run the service side Source: Dale Carnegie Training ployees to fix things along the way,”
Source: CIPD 2015
ciplinary procedures, each taking up time some of the world’s most forward-thinking brands emotionally engage their
formational they are in style, how they of the business, the rest focuses on CEB’s Ms Martin concludes. and resources, and not always solving
the problem. people. So, if you want to make great days at work, we’d love to talk to you.
HR officer Harriette Wolff, who has
David Liddle, chief executive of the TCM trained as an in-house mediator, says: “It
Group, a mediation specialist, says that has given people a platform to speak before info@riveragency.com riveragency.com @RiverAgency
instead employers ought to see conflict something turns into a conflict.” Introduc-
as part of business as usual, and equip ing mediation training has led to a dramat-
managers to “act as diplomats, rather than ic drop in formal grievance procedures and
sticking their head in the sand and hoping staff are happier, according to Ms Wolff.
that HR will come and sort it out for them”. And while it can be daunting to deal
“Conflict can be an opportunity and with issues as they arise, not addressing
leaders need to create conditions where conflict can be damaging for business.
people can have a dialogue,” he says. Leave it too long and productivity dips,
When relationships do break down, customer service deteriorates, and others
companies can either support managers in the team may be drawn in – so better to
to run a mediation process with those in- deal with it up front. Making great days at work
volved or call in the services of external
mediators who are experienced in dealing Share this article on social media
with conflict objectively and sensitively. via raconteur.net
Mike Williams, human resources di-
08 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 09

Do benefits really improve staff loyalty and morale?

Rewarding staff isn’t just about money, it’s winning trust and loyalty with a relevant package of benefits to make their lives - and time at work - better

BENEFITS
EMPLOYEES’ MOST DESIRED BENEFITS (%) TOP 10 MOST COMMON BENEFITS EMPLOYERS’ PERCEIVED TOP 10 MORALE RAISERS lieve that those different components to these groups, you can help attract
ALEC MARSH add to attracting and retaining the and retain such individuals, so you can

W
Above-average earners Below-average earners best talent.” better reflect your market. “That helps
hen my great-grand-
father Ernest Drabble,
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 01 06 And his UK Jivers, as they’re known, us look at the UK from a customer-base
clearly agree. So what’s his advice? perspective,” says Ms Farrell. “We can
Recognition from management Better working environment
a textile manufacturer Contributory pension scheme “Number one, solicit feedback from use that insight in an inclusive way to
in Derbyshire, dropped your employee base,” he says, “and drive intelligence and build different
Childcare vouchers
dead from a heart attack while walk-
ing in the Peak District in 1928, his Private medical insurance 01 02 07 be specific to the locality where you propositions for different customers.”
are looking to augment your benefits, In other words, a more diverse work-
Belonging to a successful team Independence
staff went into mourning. In fact 250 CRECHE/CHILDCARE so you can make sure you’re spending force will spot newer, diversity-related
of them went to the funeral. The Life insurance
10 VOUCHERS your benefits pound where it’s going to business opportunities.
Derbyshire Times opined: “[Drabble]
was an ideal employer, and intro-
Cash plan HEALTHCARE 03 08 have the most employee impact.” Then there’s the big sell – benefits
And delivering impact will deliver help capture that ever-harder-to-find
PLAN Increased salary Option to work from home
duced many reforms and amenities Income protection insurance you loyalty, according to Zoe Spicer, an talent in the first place. “Ensuring that
which were greatly appreciated by the Counselling service or employee HR consultant and lecturer at Ashridge [the benefits proposition] is focused in
firm’s employees.” assistance programme 09 04 09 Business School. “What we used to call the right way allows me to sell a story
A staunch Liberal, Drabble was also Increased rewards/bonuses Greater choice of benefits a work-life balance isn’t a work-life about what it’s like to work for Zurich.
farsighted – for his day. Staff got break-
Company car scheme PERFORMANCE- 02 balance any more,” she explains. “Most It’s not about coming in to do a job
Health screening RELATED 25+ DAYS’
fast and lunch, and his wife was said employers expect their employees to of underwriting; actually it’s about
to distribute food and coal or even to Critical illness cover
BONUSES HOLIDAY 05 10 be absolutely engaged with their work coming in to have an employment ex-
pay for medical care for workers who Training and development Help with childcare 24/7 and, if that’s the case, it’s about perience,” adds Ms Farrell.
were off sick. As a result his people Source: PMI Health Group 2015 helping them arrange their busy lives Finally, she even regards the build-
didn’t just shed a tear for him when Source: Kingston Smith W1 2014 around longer and longer hours.” ings her people work in as part of the
he died, they also stayed. In 1928, fully This means offering benefits such as benefits. “It’s about ensuring you’re
a hundred of the firm’s 300 staff had
THE EFFECT OF BENEFITS ON EMPLOYEES (%) emergency child and elderly care or protecting the wellbeing of your em-
been with the company for more than REASONS WHY EMPLOYERS PROVIDE BENEFITS access to 24/7 private doctors – or risk ployees in order to be productive and
Above-average earners Below-average earners
20 years. losing out. “There is a lot of evidence for them to be in the right frame of
HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR DO BENEFITS INFLUENCE DECISIONS TO that you really do not get the right mind to deal with customers,” she says.
03 Effective retention tool 84%
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS? WORK FOR A COMPANY? 08 people through the door if you are not Mark Batey, an expert in organisa-
doing this,” she says. “Also, if you are not tional psychology from Manchester
0 0 20 40 60 80 FLEXIBLE MOBILE Effective recruitment tool 83%
What a benefits 5 WORKING HOURS PHONES doing these things for your employees Business School and an adviser to
package does is it buys Very satisfied
10
Employee health and wellbeing 72% then they’re spending precious min- Zurich, admits it’s hard to prove the
Yes
utes or hours in their efficacy of benefits
a conversation that will Fairly satisfied Because competitors do 47%
working life admin- per se. “There are so
help me understand my Neutral 15
07 They promote work-life balance 45% istering such things many other ingredi-
employees even better Fairly disatisfied No SEASON
They have to by law 40% themselves. It in- It’s about ensuring you’re ents that go into the
TICKET LOANS
Very disatisfied
20 04 Seen as entitlement by staff 35%
creases their produc-
tivity if you can make
protecting the wellbeing mix that teasing out
individual effects of
LIFE COVER
life as easy for them of your employees for a benefits package is
(DEATH IN Reduce the national insurance bill 34%
Times have changed, but business 25 HAS YOUR EMPLOYER EVER CONSULTED YOU as you can.” them to be in the right extremely difficult,”
is still seeking to quantify the value ON YOUR BENEFITS/REWARDS PREFERENCES? 06 SERVICE)
Drive desired employee behaviours 32% But it does much frame of mind to deal he concedes.
of benefits within a broader package CYCLE-TO- more than boost pro- Looking at the
of pay and compensation. It also still 30
0 20 40 60 80
WORK SCHEME 05 Control sickness absence 27% ductivity. “The sup- with customers example of, say,
wants to get the best from its people, Yes 21+ DAYS’ They feel they have to 12% port generates loyal- Facebook, Dr Batey
just as my great-grandfather did. HOLIDAY ty and retention, and points out: “We
Reading-based Jive Software recently 35
They provide a measurable ROI 11% quite frankly makes the employee feel can’t infer causation from correlation.
occupied one of the top spots – pipped To meet TUPE obligations 11% that you really care,” adds Ms Spicer. The question is: is it a positive work-
to the post by Facebook – in a list of 40 No At the insurer Zurich, the UK’s head ing culture that means the company
the top 25 companies to work for in Source: Employee Benefits 2014 of HR Georgina Farrell puts the case has better benefits? It’s often the case
45
the UK, measured by pay and benefits. 50 for benefits in even more strident that the underlying factor is whether
The survey, by the jobs and recruiting Source: PMI Health Group 2015 Source: Kingston Smith W1 2014
terms. “Money doesn’t buy me loyalty,” as an organisation you see yourself as
website Glassdoor, was based on em- METHODS EMPLOYERS USE TO MEASURE SUCCESS OF THEIR she says. “Money is cold. What a bene- primarily existing with the employees
ployee insights. fits package does is it buys a conversa- there to do a job for you, versus an or-
BENEFIT SCHEMES
For Jive, a specialist in business tion that will help me understand my ganisation that sees itself existing for
social networking platforms, benefits employees even better.” the benefit of its own employees.”
WAYS YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER COULD KEEP YOU WORKING FOR THEIR COMPANY TOP 7 RETENTION DRIVERS – EMPLOYEE VERSUS EMPLOYER VIEWS
are an essential HR tool. “We use the In her case, that’s a dialogue with And that goes to the heart of your
Staff motivation/engagement
benefits offering as just one of many 79% 7,200 employees across 16 UK loca- business culture and what Dr Batey
Asked of employees that said they hoped to be working for another employer within a year Views of employers and their staff are not wholly aligned
levers to attract and retain the best tions, 87 per cent of whom take advan- calls a more collaborative, individu-
talent,” says Christian Reed, Jive’s 34% 42% 44% 54% Retention
tage of one or more of the core staff ated approach to management. “It all
senior total rewards manager. Reduce my Offer Contribute more to my retirement plan Provide me with EMPLOYEES’ VIEW EMPLOYERS’ VIEW 59% benefits. And clearly Zurich gets it needs to be joined up,” he says. “What
As well as core benefits covering work stress flexible work advancement right because employees typically stay we’re finding is organisations that get
healthcare, income protection, life arrangements opportunities Employees’ understanding/ for 15 to 18 years. the whole package are much more
insurance and pensions, Jive focus- 01 Base pay/salary Base pay/salary appreciation of benefits 49% “Benefits form a huge part of creat- likely to win the war for talent, to get
es on wellness, including giving staff ing the culture of the organisation,” the best people and to retain them.”
a monthly wellness allowance, and 31% 02 Career advancement opportunities Career advancement opportunities Recruitment says Ms Farrell. “If you think about In his essential 1970 business bible,
offers a plethora of other benefits, Improve
46% where we’re going in the future, and Up the Organisation: How to Stop the
including paternity leave, childcare my job 57% 03 Relationship with supervisor/manager Trust/confidence in senior leadership
the blend between home and work, Corporation Stifling People and Stran-
Improve my Reward or cost
vouchers and even adoption assis- security they add to more of a lifestyle choice gling Profits, Robert Townsend had
tance. These are attuned locally so that
benefits package 04 Manage/limit work-related stress Job security containment/reduction 36% that an individual might make around a few choice words on the subject of
in the UK, for instance, staff can get flu how they live personally, but also how employee benefits. “True leadership
jabs and on-site massages. 79% 05 Learning and development opportunities Length of commute Employees’ understanding of
they bring their whole life to work. It must be for the benefit of the follow-
the cash value of their benefits 31%
“We take a holistic approach,” says Increase my salary absolutely drives loyalty and morale.” ers, not the enrichment of the leaders,”
Mr Reed. “We want to be competitive
06 Short-term incentives Relationship with supervisor/manager
And accordingly benefits can be he wrote. “In combat, officers eat last.”
Helped the organisation
from the perspective of compensation, 9% 07 Challenging work Manage/limit work-related stress remain competitive 23% good for the bottom line in an even
our benefits offering, career develop- Other more direct way. Take two issues – the Share this article and infographic
ment opportunities and the awesome Source: Towers Watson 2014 Source: Towers Watson 2014 Source: Employee Benefits 2014 ageing workforce and growing cultural on social media via raconteur.net
culture that we offer at Jive. We be- diversity. By offering benefits tailored
08 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 09

Do benefits really improve staff loyalty and morale?

Rewarding staff isn’t just about money, it’s winning trust and loyalty with a relevant package of benefits to make their lives - and time at work - better

BENEFITS
EMPLOYEES’ MOST DESIRED BENEFITS (%) TOP 10 MOST COMMON BENEFITS EMPLOYERS’ PERCEIVED TOP 10 MORALE RAISERS lieve that those different components to these groups, you can help attract
ALEC MARSH add to attracting and retaining the and retain such individuals, so you can

W
Above-average earners Below-average earners best talent.” better reflect your market. “That helps
hen my great-grand-
father Ernest Drabble,
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 01 06 And his UK Jivers, as they’re known, us look at the UK from a customer-base
clearly agree. So what’s his advice? perspective,” says Ms Farrell. “We can
Recognition from management Better working environment
a textile manufacturer Contributory pension scheme “Number one, solicit feedback from use that insight in an inclusive way to
in Derbyshire, dropped your employee base,” he says, “and drive intelligence and build different
Childcare vouchers
dead from a heart attack while walk-
ing in the Peak District in 1928, his Private medical insurance 01 02 07 be specific to the locality where you propositions for different customers.”
are looking to augment your benefits, In other words, a more diverse work-
Belonging to a successful team Independence
staff went into mourning. In fact 250 CRECHE/CHILDCARE so you can make sure you’re spending force will spot newer, diversity-related
of them went to the funeral. The Life insurance
10 VOUCHERS your benefits pound where it’s going to business opportunities.
Derbyshire Times opined: “[Drabble]
was an ideal employer, and intro-
Cash plan HEALTHCARE 03 08 have the most employee impact.” Then there’s the big sell – benefits
And delivering impact will deliver help capture that ever-harder-to-find
PLAN Increased salary Option to work from home
duced many reforms and amenities Income protection insurance you loyalty, according to Zoe Spicer, an talent in the first place. “Ensuring that
which were greatly appreciated by the Counselling service or employee HR consultant and lecturer at Ashridge [the benefits proposition] is focused in
firm’s employees.” assistance programme 09 04 09 Business School. “What we used to call the right way allows me to sell a story
A staunch Liberal, Drabble was also Increased rewards/bonuses Greater choice of benefits a work-life balance isn’t a work-life about what it’s like to work for Zurich.
farsighted – for his day. Staff got break-
Company car scheme PERFORMANCE- 02 balance any more,” she explains. “Most It’s not about coming in to do a job
Health screening RELATED 25+ DAYS’
fast and lunch, and his wife was said employers expect their employees to of underwriting; actually it’s about
to distribute food and coal or even to Critical illness cover
BONUSES HOLIDAY 05 10 be absolutely engaged with their work coming in to have an employment ex-
pay for medical care for workers who Training and development Help with childcare 24/7 and, if that’s the case, it’s about perience,” adds Ms Farrell.
were off sick. As a result his people Source: PMI Health Group 2015 helping them arrange their busy lives Finally, she even regards the build-
didn’t just shed a tear for him when Source: Kingston Smith W1 2014 around longer and longer hours.” ings her people work in as part of the
he died, they also stayed. In 1928, fully This means offering benefits such as benefits. “It’s about ensuring you’re
a hundred of the firm’s 300 staff had
THE EFFECT OF BENEFITS ON EMPLOYEES (%) emergency child and elderly care or protecting the wellbeing of your em-
been with the company for more than REASONS WHY EMPLOYERS PROVIDE BENEFITS access to 24/7 private doctors – or risk ployees in order to be productive and
Above-average earners Below-average earners
20 years. losing out. “There is a lot of evidence for them to be in the right frame of
HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR DO BENEFITS INFLUENCE DECISIONS TO that you really do not get the right mind to deal with customers,” she says.
03 Effective retention tool 84%
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS? WORK FOR A COMPANY? 08 people through the door if you are not Mark Batey, an expert in organisa-
doing this,” she says. “Also, if you are not tional psychology from Manchester
0 0 20 40 60 80 FLEXIBLE MOBILE Effective recruitment tool 83%
What a benefits 5 WORKING HOURS PHONES doing these things for your employees Business School and an adviser to
package does is it buys Very satisfied
10
Employee health and wellbeing 72% then they’re spending precious min- Zurich, admits it’s hard to prove the
Yes
utes or hours in their efficacy of benefits
a conversation that will Fairly satisfied Because competitors do 47%
working life admin- per se. “There are so
help me understand my Neutral 15
07 They promote work-life balance 45% istering such things many other ingredi-
employees even better Fairly disatisfied No SEASON
They have to by law 40% themselves. It in- It’s about ensuring you’re ents that go into the
TICKET LOANS
Very disatisfied
20 04 Seen as entitlement by staff 35%
creases their produc-
tivity if you can make
protecting the wellbeing mix that teasing out
individual effects of
LIFE COVER
life as easy for them of your employees for a benefits package is
(DEATH IN Reduce the national insurance bill 34%
Times have changed, but business 25 HAS YOUR EMPLOYER EVER CONSULTED YOU as you can.” them to be in the right extremely difficult,”
is still seeking to quantify the value ON YOUR BENEFITS/REWARDS PREFERENCES? 06 SERVICE)
Drive desired employee behaviours 32% But it does much frame of mind to deal he concedes.
of benefits within a broader package CYCLE-TO- more than boost pro- Looking at the
of pay and compensation. It also still 30
0 20 40 60 80
WORK SCHEME 05 Control sickness absence 27% ductivity. “The sup- with customers example of, say,
wants to get the best from its people, Yes 21+ DAYS’ They feel they have to 12% port generates loyal- Facebook, Dr Batey
just as my great-grandfather did. HOLIDAY ty and retention, and points out: “We
Reading-based Jive Software recently 35
They provide a measurable ROI 11% quite frankly makes the employee feel can’t infer causation from correlation.
occupied one of the top spots – pipped To meet TUPE obligations 11% that you really care,” adds Ms Spicer. The question is: is it a positive work-
to the post by Facebook – in a list of 40 No At the insurer Zurich, the UK’s head ing culture that means the company
the top 25 companies to work for in Source: Employee Benefits 2014 of HR Georgina Farrell puts the case has better benefits? It’s often the case
45
the UK, measured by pay and benefits. 50 for benefits in even more strident that the underlying factor is whether
The survey, by the jobs and recruiting Source: PMI Health Group 2015 Source: Kingston Smith W1 2014
terms. “Money doesn’t buy me loyalty,” as an organisation you see yourself as
website Glassdoor, was based on em- METHODS EMPLOYERS USE TO MEASURE SUCCESS OF THEIR she says. “Money is cold. What a bene- primarily existing with the employees
ployee insights. fits package does is it buys a conversa- there to do a job for you, versus an or-
BENEFIT SCHEMES
For Jive, a specialist in business tion that will help me understand my ganisation that sees itself existing for
social networking platforms, benefits employees even better.” the benefit of its own employees.”
WAYS YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER COULD KEEP YOU WORKING FOR THEIR COMPANY TOP 7 RETENTION DRIVERS – EMPLOYEE VERSUS EMPLOYER VIEWS
are an essential HR tool. “We use the In her case, that’s a dialogue with And that goes to the heart of your
Staff motivation/engagement
benefits offering as just one of many 79% 7,200 employees across 16 UK loca- business culture and what Dr Batey
Asked of employees that said they hoped to be working for another employer within a year Views of employers and their staff are not wholly aligned
levers to attract and retain the best tions, 87 per cent of whom take advan- calls a more collaborative, individu-
talent,” says Christian Reed, Jive’s 34% 42% 44% 54% Retention
tage of one or more of the core staff ated approach to management. “It all
senior total rewards manager. Reduce my Offer Contribute more to my retirement plan Provide me with EMPLOYEES’ VIEW EMPLOYERS’ VIEW 59% benefits. And clearly Zurich gets it needs to be joined up,” he says. “What
As well as core benefits covering work stress flexible work advancement right because employees typically stay we’re finding is organisations that get
healthcare, income protection, life arrangements opportunities Employees’ understanding/ for 15 to 18 years. the whole package are much more
insurance and pensions, Jive focus- 01 Base pay/salary Base pay/salary appreciation of benefits 49% “Benefits form a huge part of creat- likely to win the war for talent, to get
es on wellness, including giving staff ing the culture of the organisation,” the best people and to retain them.”
a monthly wellness allowance, and 31% 02 Career advancement opportunities Career advancement opportunities Recruitment says Ms Farrell. “If you think about In his essential 1970 business bible,
offers a plethora of other benefits, Improve
46% where we’re going in the future, and Up the Organisation: How to Stop the
including paternity leave, childcare my job 57% 03 Relationship with supervisor/manager Trust/confidence in senior leadership
the blend between home and work, Corporation Stifling People and Stran-
Improve my Reward or cost
vouchers and even adoption assis- security they add to more of a lifestyle choice gling Profits, Robert Townsend had
tance. These are attuned locally so that
benefits package 04 Manage/limit work-related stress Job security containment/reduction 36% that an individual might make around a few choice words on the subject of
in the UK, for instance, staff can get flu how they live personally, but also how employee benefits. “True leadership
jabs and on-site massages. 79% 05 Learning and development opportunities Length of commute Employees’ understanding of
they bring their whole life to work. It must be for the benefit of the follow-
the cash value of their benefits 31%
“We take a holistic approach,” says Increase my salary absolutely drives loyalty and morale.” ers, not the enrichment of the leaders,”
Mr Reed. “We want to be competitive
06 Short-term incentives Relationship with supervisor/manager
And accordingly benefits can be he wrote. “In combat, officers eat last.”
Helped the organisation
from the perspective of compensation, 9% 07 Challenging work Manage/limit work-related stress remain competitive 23% good for the bottom line in an even
our benefits offering, career develop- Other more direct way. Take two issues – the Share this article and infographic
ment opportunities and the awesome Source: Towers Watson 2014 Source: Towers Watson 2014 Source: Employee Benefits 2014 ageing workforce and growing cultural on social media via raconteur.net
culture that we offer at Jive. We be- diversity. By offering benefits tailored
10 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 11

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

1. Atomic employee Katie Hudson paragliding in this is one of our employees who recently
Turkey as part of a rewards programme undertook the Hajj-to-Mecca pilgrimage,”
2. Black Pepper Software staff on a bike tour

of Amsterdam
3. Crunch Accounting created breakout areas for
their staff to create a healthier office environment
HERE’S A SIMPLE
says Michael Bennett, managing director
and co-founder. “While the pilgrimage
itself lasts a week, the visits to various
religious sites and everything that comes

WAY TO IMPROVE
with it can take up to a month, which is
obviously very difficult to plan around.
“When our employee came to us with

YOUR EMPLOYEES’
this request, we realised it was of signifi-
cant importance to her and looked to find
a solution. We were able to grant her an

FINANCIAL HEALTH
extended period of leave; after all, the al-
ternative was potentially losing or demo-
tivating a valuable member of our team.”
The employee returned more focused
and committed, prompting the business
to make such trips available to all staff,
regardless of the length of service. Money worries can hamper staff performance so
it’s in everyone’s interest to find a better way to
Recognition is very pay down personal debt
important – it’s as
1 2
revered as the ‘players’
player of the year’
award at the end of a

Special treats
football season

to reward
For Crunch Accounting, the focus is on
creating a more vibrant and healthy office
environment. “We realised that lots of our
team were eating their lunches at their

extra effort
desks while they worked and spending
the entire day in front of their screens,”
says Helena Mann, operations manager.
“We recognised this wasn’t a good situa-
tion so we did a few things to address it.”
The business set about creating a
number of breakout areas where people
Benefits tailored to your team can be the could go to have time away from their desk
and eat their lunch, and also introduced
decisive differentiator which attracts the free breakfasts. “Going straight from a
stressful commute into work isn’t good
best recruits and retains star staff members for anyone’s wellbeing, so we encourage
3 people to grab a bowl of cereal or some
fruit and chat with colleagues before they
start the day,” says Ms Mann. “It’s a much
CREATIVE BENEFITS more relaxed way to start the day.”
also offers wedding and baby bonuses, of For Black Pepper Software, the em- Digital marketing agency Ph.Creative,
NICK MARTINDALE
£1,000 and £500 respectively, designed to phasis is on building up a strong social GLOBAL EMPLOYERS’ meanwhile, has developed a system de-
Yoga is a popular staff benefit. After work,
employees unwind with a spot of group
ashtanga. It’s great for building team
morale, and even better for keeping em-
ployees limber in body and mind.
Bee keeping is booming too. You’ll find
hives on the roofs of many City firms.
Both are great. But are they addressing
what staff really want? The answer is: it’s
unlikely. For a growing number of workers
their chief concern is something far more
practical: their personal finances.
We all know consumer lending is a se-
rious problem in the UK. So serious that
many workers can think about little else.
A PwC report called Precious Plastic:
How Britons Fell Back in Love with Bor-
The Bank of England has offered its
staff salary deductible loans for years, as
have credit unions. Now a fintech startup,
SalaryFinance, co-founded by Google UK
former head Dan Cobley, banking consult-
ant Asesh Sarkar, and entrepreneur and
social finance expert Daniel Shakhani, is
taking the concept to other interested em-
ployers, with grand plans.
Here’s how it works. Staff are offered
loans up to 20 per cent of salary, subject
to affordability. The rate is typically one
third of the market average and the aim is
to reduce the cost of existing staff lending,
rather than introduce new lending.
Everyone gets the same interest rate, ir-
respective of income and status. There are

M
ore organisations are wak-
ing up to the need to engage
employees and offer at least
some form of benefit pack-
ages. But with pensions becoming less of
a differentiator in the wake of auto-enrol-
ment, it is perhaps no surprise businesses
are seeking more creative ways to stand out
from the crowd – to attract and retain staff.
As a provider of rewards itself, Reward
Gateway knows it has to put into practice
what it preaches to others. As well as ben-
efits including an employee share plan,
staff lottery and the ability for staff to pur-
chase iPads through interest-free loans, it
REDESIGNING REWARDS STRATEGY
ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNING TO TAKE
23%
Differentiation by employee
group (workforce segmentation)
18%
We have not redesigned
our rewards strategy
14%
Differentiation by
business unit
8%
Significantly reducing
rewards investment
help employees meet the costs associated
with getting married and starting a family.
“When we were founded back in 2007,
the majority of employees were in their
early-20s,” recalls Tracy Mellor, group
people director. “As we developed, so
did our staff’s priorities and we realised
that what had been important to staff
previously – team lunches and drinks on
a Friday night – weren’t quite as high on
their to-do list any more. So we asked em-
ployees directly to find out what would
really make a difference to them, and the
answer was financial help to ease them
through the beginnings of married life
and parenthood.”
34%
Alignment with
organisation
strategy
40%
Definition, mix of
and brand
components, and/or
total redesign
43%
Increasing health and
wellbeing initiatives
Source: Deloitte 2014
scene, with regular team away-days and
an annual trip to a major European city.
This year, employees and their partners
will head to Dusseldorf, while previous
trips have seen them travel to Florence,
Copenhagen and Amsterdam. “The team
is encouraged to split off into groups,
enjoy themselves and self-organise group
activities, although we do have one meal
together as a business during this time,”
says company director Mark Stevenson.
The company offers more regular in-
formal away-days, where the emphasis
is also on socialising and team-bonding.
“These are a great way to build rapport
and increase morale throughout the
business, as well as rewarding staff for
the incredibly hard work they put in
throughout the year,” he adds.
Communications agency Atomic has
taken the experience concept a stage
further, allowing staff to create their own
“bucket list” and contributing money to
help make this a reality. “We wanted to
offer a benefit that challenges the norm
and inspires our people to think big
and stretch their comfort zones,”
says director Julie Wilks. “So far,
people have chosen everything
from skydiving and swimming
with dolphins to cake decorating
and piano lessons.” One employee
used her allowance to trek to Ev-
erest base camp, Ms Wilks adds,
while her own ambitions are more
TOP 5 PRIORITIES FOR
REWARDS PROGRAMMES
01 Aligning rewards with business
strategy by attracting, motivating,
and retaining employees
02 Costs of providing healthcare and
other non-cash benefits to employees
03 Motivating staff when pay increases
are flat/non-existent
04 Demonstrating appropriate return on
investment for reward expenditures
05 Creating a rewards programme that
reflects the culture and goals of
the organisation
Source: Deloitte 2014
modest – she’s planning an “owl encoun-
ter” later this year.
The business also whisks its staff away
just before Christmas each year to a
secret location. “People get told to turn
up at, for example, Gatwick Airport at
7am with their passports,” says Ms Wilks.
“Last year we all went to Munich. People
get really excited about it, to the extent of
googling any details sent out beforehand
to try to figure out where we’re going.”
Not all initiatives have to cost money,
however. Talent management business
Rethink Group has helped to motivate and
reward staff by offering them the ability to
take a sabbatical. “The best example of
signed to enable staff to reward colleagues
for their efforts and encourage them to
demonstrate the kind of behaviour it ex-
pects. Employees are given five poker chips
at the start of each month, which they can
then give to others in recognition of their
hard work or help on a particular issue. At
the end of the month those with the most
chips are rewarded, both through a treat
and the recognition that comes with it.
“There’s anything from a crate of Peroni
to a dinner date for two, a family day out
or a weekend away, through to cold, hard
cash,” says Bryan Adams, chief executive
and founder. “We find more than anything,
though, that having your name called out
and celebrated with the wider team is as
much a reward as the physical ones. Rec-
ognition is very important – it’s as revered
as the ‘players’ player of the year’ award at
the end of a football season.”
Peer recognition is important at cater-
ing firm Lexington, which runs an annual
chef of the year and barista competition.
“These help galvanise and engage our
team, as well as encourage innovation
and creativity,” says chief executive Mike
Sunley. “They are a fantastic way to show-
case the fabulous work our team is doing
and it gives us another opportunity to rec-
ognise those who stand out.”
Share this article on social media
via raconteur.net
rowing reveals consumer lending has hit an
all-time high. Credit card debt, bank loans,
peer-to-peer borrowing and pay-day loans
rose 9 per cent to £239 billion last year. One
in five Brits say they are worried about how
they will make future payments.
Naturally, most borrowers hide their
money worries. But it nags away. The con-
nection between financial problems and
low performance at work is well chronicled.
Insomnia can hammer productivity.
So what can you do as an employer?
SalaryFinance is a new platform to help
employees reduce the cost of their lend-
ing, with no risk or contribution from their
company. Repayments are made direct
from the payroll. By creating an automatic
monthly repayment, paid like clockwork,
the interest rate can be dramatically low-
ered. It’s an effective way for employees to
get out of debt quicker.
1 in 3 employees report money worries
impact their work productivity
Source: Sodexo
no fees. The current rate is 7.9 per cent APR,
far lower than the average 22 per cent rate
offered by the big four high street banks in
the UK, for loans less than £5,000, or the
outrageous demands of pay-day lenders.
Participants therefore slash their debt
burden from day one. Each month a pay-
ment is taken from the pay check to repay
the debt until it is gone.
It must be stressed that there is no li-
ability for the company. The sole role for
employers is to enable the payroll deduc-
tions, as they do for pensions, health insur-
ance and other benefits. The SalaryFinance
platform integrates smoothly with all major
payroll packages.
SalaryFinance is able to offer a low
rate because of the cost-savings associ-
ated with deducting repayments directly
from payroll. Administration costs are cut.
Missed payments and timing irregulari-
91% of employers agree that workplace financial
solutions lead to more satisfied employees
Source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch
ties are eliminated. In essence, the model
lowers risk, rather than prices it in. The bor-
rower reaps the benefit.
Now you may ask, if it’s so great why
aren’t more firms offering it? “The Bank
of England has been offering it for years,”
says SalaryFinance co-founder Mr Sarkar.
“And credit unions too. In countries such as
Brazil, the majority of consumer loans are
done through the payroll system, and it is
widespread in Italy and the United States.
It’s the UK which is behind. We want to
change that.”
The way to do that is to show compa-
nies how they will benefit by taking part.
“Since there are no fees, no liability, and
no new admin processes over and above
other deductions like pensions, there is no
downside for companies,” says Mr Sarkar.
“Signing up should be a no-brainer.
“The reason companies ought to offer
this benefit to their employees is that it
can help to reduce employee stress and
increase productivity, benefiting everyone.
By making repayments directly through
their payroll, workers can dramatically cut
the interest they owe and start winning back
their hard-earned money. Employers will
find the scheme quick and easy to imple-
ment thanks to our innovative technology.
We urge companies to take a close look.”
By making repayments
directly through their
payroll, workers can
dramatically cut the
interest they owe and
start winning back their
hard-earned money
The SalaryFinance model is the exact in-
verse of pay-day lenders. Everything is de-
voted to offering the lowest possible APR.
“Our model, which has been developed by
Britain’s leading financial and technology
innovators, means we can under-cut other
lenders,” says Mr Sarkar.
“Our mission is to be a progressive force
for good, offering British workers a fairer,
more transparent and more affordable way
to borrow. We are dedicated to helping
people to lower their repayments and get
their debt under control. It’s in our DNA – for
every £1 we make, our customers save £25.”
The platform ensures employers don’t
know how much each person owes. Partici-
pants will demand that level of privacy. “The
model is also great for automated savings
and it’s an area we are considering,” says Mr
Sarkar. “Staff could allocate a fixed amount
of their salary to be paid into a savings ac-
count each month.”
SalaryFinance is pitching at a big market.
More than £15 billion is paid in interest on
loans annually. For an average employer with
4,000 staff, and salaries between £25,000
and £50,000, the model can save employees
over £500,000 a year or the equivalent of a
3 per cent pay rise. If interest rates rise, em-
ployers may feel duty bound to help workers
struggling to keep their cash flowing.
For a new company, SalaryFinance has
an impressive array of companies already
signed up, including FTSE-listed Saga,
public sector services company Agilisys
and internet retailer AO.
The feedback is also encouraging. Karen
Caddick, Saga’s group HR director, com-
ments: “At Saga, we are committed to pro-
viding our employees with benefits that will
help to make their money go further. We
want to provide a positive work environment
where our people feel valued and rewarded.
“SalaryFinance is an excellent way to do
just that. It will help our staff to make the
most of their salaries, to live well and to save
for the longer term as well.”
To find out more visit
www.SalaryFinance.com
10 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 11

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

1. Atomic employee Katie Hudson paragliding in this is one of our employees who recently
Turkey as part of a rewards programme undertook the Hajj-to-Mecca pilgrimage,”
2. Black Pepper Software staff on a bike tour

of Amsterdam
3. Crunch Accounting created breakout areas for
their staff to create a healthier office environment
HERE’S A SIMPLE
says Michael Bennett, managing director
and co-founder. “While the pilgrimage
itself lasts a week, the visits to various
religious sites and everything that comes

WAY TO IMPROVE
with it can take up to a month, which is
obviously very difficult to plan around.
“When our employee came to us with

YOUR EMPLOYEES’
this request, we realised it was of signifi-
cant importance to her and looked to find
a solution. We were able to grant her an

FINANCIAL HEALTH
extended period of leave; after all, the al-
ternative was potentially losing or demo-
tivating a valuable member of our team.”
The employee returned more focused
and committed, prompting the business
to make such trips available to all staff,
regardless of the length of service. Money worries can hamper staff performance so
it’s in everyone’s interest to find a better way to
Recognition is very pay down personal debt
important – it’s as
1 2
revered as the ‘players’
player of the year’
award at the end of a

Special treats
football season

to reward
For Crunch Accounting, the focus is on
creating a more vibrant and healthy office
environment. “We realised that lots of our
team were eating their lunches at their

extra effort
desks while they worked and spending
the entire day in front of their screens,”
says Helena Mann, operations manager.
“We recognised this wasn’t a good situa-
tion so we did a few things to address it.”
The business set about creating a
number of breakout areas where people
Benefits tailored to your team can be the could go to have time away from their desk
and eat their lunch, and also introduced
decisive differentiator which attracts the free breakfasts. “Going straight from a
stressful commute into work isn’t good
best recruits and retains star staff members for anyone’s wellbeing, so we encourage
3 people to grab a bowl of cereal or some
fruit and chat with colleagues before they
start the day,” says Ms Mann. “It’s a much
CREATIVE BENEFITS more relaxed way to start the day.”
also offers wedding and baby bonuses, of For Black Pepper Software, the em- Digital marketing agency Ph.Creative,
NICK MARTINDALE
£1,000 and £500 respectively, designed to phasis is on building up a strong social GLOBAL EMPLOYERS’ meanwhile, has developed a system de-
Yoga is a popular staff benefit. After work,
employees unwind with a spot of group
ashtanga. It’s great for building team
morale, and even better for keeping em-
ployees limber in body and mind.
Bee keeping is booming too. You’ll find
hives on the roofs of many City firms.
Both are great. But are they addressing
what staff really want? The answer is: it’s
unlikely. For a growing number of workers
their chief concern is something far more
practical: their personal finances.
We all know consumer lending is a se-
rious problem in the UK. So serious that
many workers can think about little else.
A PwC report called Precious Plastic:
How Britons Fell Back in Love with Bor-
The Bank of England has offered its
staff salary deductible loans for years, as
have credit unions. Now a fintech startup,
SalaryFinance, co-founded by Google UK
former head Dan Cobley, banking consult-
ant Asesh Sarkar, and entrepreneur and
social finance expert Daniel Shakhani, is
taking the concept to other interested em-
ployers, with grand plans.
Here’s how it works. Staff are offered
loans up to 20 per cent of salary, subject
to affordability. The rate is typically one
third of the market average and the aim is
to reduce the cost of existing staff lending,
rather than introduce new lending.
Everyone gets the same interest rate, ir-
respective of income and status. There are

M
ore organisations are wak-
ing up to the need to engage
employees and offer at least
some form of benefit pack-
ages. But with pensions becoming less of
a differentiator in the wake of auto-enrol-
ment, it is perhaps no surprise businesses
are seeking more creative ways to stand out
from the crowd – to attract and retain staff.
As a provider of rewards itself, Reward
Gateway knows it has to put into practice
what it preaches to others. As well as ben-
efits including an employee share plan,
staff lottery and the ability for staff to pur-
chase iPads through interest-free loans, it
REDESIGNING REWARDS STRATEGY
ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNING TO TAKE
23%
Differentiation by employee
group (workforce segmentation)
18%
We have not redesigned
our rewards strategy
14%
Differentiation by
business unit
8%
Significantly reducing
rewards investment
help employees meet the costs associated
with getting married and starting a family.
“When we were founded back in 2007,
the majority of employees were in their
early-20s,” recalls Tracy Mellor, group
people director. “As we developed, so
did our staff’s priorities and we realised
that what had been important to staff
previously – team lunches and drinks on
a Friday night – weren’t quite as high on
their to-do list any more. So we asked em-
ployees directly to find out what would
really make a difference to them, and the
answer was financial help to ease them
through the beginnings of married life
and parenthood.”
34%
Alignment with
organisation
strategy
40%
Definition, mix of
and brand
components, and/or
total redesign
43%
Increasing health and
wellbeing initiatives
Source: Deloitte 2014
scene, with regular team away-days and
an annual trip to a major European city.
This year, employees and their partners
will head to Dusseldorf, while previous
trips have seen them travel to Florence,
Copenhagen and Amsterdam. “The team
is encouraged to split off into groups,
enjoy themselves and self-organise group
activities, although we do have one meal
together as a business during this time,”
says company director Mark Stevenson.
The company offers more regular in-
formal away-days, where the emphasis
is also on socialising and team-bonding.
“These are a great way to build rapport
and increase morale throughout the
business, as well as rewarding staff for
the incredibly hard work they put in
throughout the year,” he adds.
Communications agency Atomic has
taken the experience concept a stage
further, allowing staff to create their own
“bucket list” and contributing money to
help make this a reality. “We wanted to
offer a benefit that challenges the norm
and inspires our people to think big
and stretch their comfort zones,”
says director Julie Wilks. “So far,
people have chosen everything
from skydiving and swimming
with dolphins to cake decorating
and piano lessons.” One employee
used her allowance to trek to Ev-
erest base camp, Ms Wilks adds,
while her own ambitions are more
TOP 5 PRIORITIES FOR
REWARDS PROGRAMMES
01 Aligning rewards with business
strategy by attracting, motivating,
and retaining employees
02 Costs of providing healthcare and
other non-cash benefits to employees
03 Motivating staff when pay increases
are flat/non-existent
04 Demonstrating appropriate return on
investment for reward expenditures
05 Creating a rewards programme that
reflects the culture and goals of
the organisation
Source: Deloitte 2014
modest – she’s planning an “owl encoun-
ter” later this year.
The business also whisks its staff away
just before Christmas each year to a
secret location. “People get told to turn
up at, for example, Gatwick Airport at
7am with their passports,” says Ms Wilks.
“Last year we all went to Munich. People
get really excited about it, to the extent of
googling any details sent out beforehand
to try to figure out where we’re going.”
Not all initiatives have to cost money,
however. Talent management business
Rethink Group has helped to motivate and
reward staff by offering them the ability to
take a sabbatical. “The best example of
signed to enable staff to reward colleagues
for their efforts and encourage them to
demonstrate the kind of behaviour it ex-
pects. Employees are given five poker chips
at the start of each month, which they can
then give to others in recognition of their
hard work or help on a particular issue. At
the end of the month those with the most
chips are rewarded, both through a treat
and the recognition that comes with it.
“There’s anything from a crate of Peroni
to a dinner date for two, a family day out
or a weekend away, through to cold, hard
cash,” says Bryan Adams, chief executive
and founder. “We find more than anything,
though, that having your name called out
and celebrated with the wider team is as
much a reward as the physical ones. Rec-
ognition is very important – it’s as revered
as the ‘players’ player of the year’ award at
the end of a football season.”
Peer recognition is important at cater-
ing firm Lexington, which runs an annual
chef of the year and barista competition.
“These help galvanise and engage our
team, as well as encourage innovation
and creativity,” says chief executive Mike
Sunley. “They are a fantastic way to show-
case the fabulous work our team is doing
and it gives us another opportunity to rec-
ognise those who stand out.”
Share this article on social media
via raconteur.net
rowing reveals consumer lending has hit an
all-time high. Credit card debt, bank loans,
peer-to-peer borrowing and pay-day loans
rose 9 per cent to £239 billion last year. One
in five Brits say they are worried about how
they will make future payments.
Naturally, most borrowers hide their
money worries. But it nags away. The con-
nection between financial problems and
low performance at work is well chronicled.
Insomnia can hammer productivity.
So what can you do as an employer?
SalaryFinance is a new platform to help
employees reduce the cost of their lend-
ing, with no risk or contribution from their
company. Repayments are made direct
from the payroll. By creating an automatic
monthly repayment, paid like clockwork,
the interest rate can be dramatically low-
ered. It’s an effective way for employees to
get out of debt quicker.
1 in 3 employees report money worries
impact their work productivity
Source: Sodexo
no fees. The current rate is 7.9 per cent APR,
far lower than the average 22 per cent rate
offered by the big four high street banks in
the UK, for loans less than £5,000, or the
outrageous demands of pay-day lenders.
Participants therefore slash their debt
burden from day one. Each month a pay-
ment is taken from the pay check to repay
the debt until it is gone.
It must be stressed that there is no li-
ability for the company. The sole role for
employers is to enable the payroll deduc-
tions, as they do for pensions, health insur-
ance and other benefits. The SalaryFinance
platform integrates smoothly with all major
payroll packages.
SalaryFinance is able to offer a low
rate because of the cost-savings associ-
ated with deducting repayments directly
from payroll. Administration costs are cut.
Missed payments and timing irregulari-
91% of employers agree that workplace financial
solutions lead to more satisfied employees
Source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch
ties are eliminated. In essence, the model
lowers risk, rather than prices it in. The bor-
rower reaps the benefit.
Now you may ask, if it’s so great why
aren’t more firms offering it? “The Bank
of England has been offering it for years,”
says SalaryFinance co-founder Mr Sarkar.
“And credit unions too. In countries such as
Brazil, the majority of consumer loans are
done through the payroll system, and it is
widespread in Italy and the United States.
It’s the UK which is behind. We want to
change that.”
The way to do that is to show compa-
nies how they will benefit by taking part.
“Since there are no fees, no liability, and
no new admin processes over and above
other deductions like pensions, there is no
downside for companies,” says Mr Sarkar.
“Signing up should be a no-brainer.
“The reason companies ought to offer
this benefit to their employees is that it
can help to reduce employee stress and
increase productivity, benefiting everyone.
By making repayments directly through
their payroll, workers can dramatically cut
the interest they owe and start winning back
their hard-earned money. Employers will
find the scheme quick and easy to imple-
ment thanks to our innovative technology.
We urge companies to take a close look.”
By making repayments
directly through their
payroll, workers can
dramatically cut the
interest they owe and
start winning back their
hard-earned money
The SalaryFinance model is the exact in-
verse of pay-day lenders. Everything is de-
voted to offering the lowest possible APR.
“Our model, which has been developed by
Britain’s leading financial and technology
innovators, means we can under-cut other
lenders,” says Mr Sarkar.
“Our mission is to be a progressive force
for good, offering British workers a fairer,
more transparent and more affordable way
to borrow. We are dedicated to helping
people to lower their repayments and get
their debt under control. It’s in our DNA – for
every £1 we make, our customers save £25.”
The platform ensures employers don’t
know how much each person owes. Partici-
pants will demand that level of privacy. “The
model is also great for automated savings
and it’s an area we are considering,” says Mr
Sarkar. “Staff could allocate a fixed amount
of their salary to be paid into a savings ac-
count each month.”
SalaryFinance is pitching at a big market.
More than £15 billion is paid in interest on
loans annually. For an average employer with
4,000 staff, and salaries between £25,000
and £50,000, the model can save employees
over £500,000 a year or the equivalent of a
3 per cent pay rise. If interest rates rise, em-
ployers may feel duty bound to help workers
struggling to keep their cash flowing.
For a new company, SalaryFinance has
an impressive array of companies already
signed up, including FTSE-listed Saga,
public sector services company Agilisys
and internet retailer AO.
The feedback is also encouraging. Karen
Caddick, Saga’s group HR director, com-
ments: “At Saga, we are committed to pro-
viding our employees with benefits that will
help to make their money go further. We
want to provide a positive work environment
where our people feel valued and rewarded.
“SalaryFinance is an excellent way to do
just that. It will help our staff to make the
most of their salaries, to live well and to save
for the longer term as well.”
To find out more visit
www.SalaryFinance.com
12 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 13

Enrolling in the u niversity of work Engage your team

Companies are employing intranet learning to educate, train and develop employees, thereby raising standards as well as morale
with our brand
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CHARLES ORTON-JONES
groups of eight to thirteen people to
ensure we provide an intimate setting
rotas and allowing staff to volunteer “Believe it or not, we’ve already dis-
themselves to expand their knowledge. covered hidden talents within the team.
new, ready-to-go
elearning
U
whereby we can cater for all abilities This, as you can imagine, was a disas- One of our graduates turned out to be
niversities are in turmoil. and experiences within the pet indus- ter. We would have some staff members a video and audio-editing expert – an
The internet has undermined try. Currently we have 378 different putting themselves forward with a real extremely handy set of skills for any
the old ways of educating manuals for staff, 25 of which are nu- drive and thirst for learning and knowl- company, but especially relevant when
students. Professors used to trition-specific for learning on the shop edge, which was fantastic. But those you’re working in the media sector.”
stand in an auditorium and deliver a floor. The manuals are continuously who were less confident in A key question is how
lecture. But what is the point when stu- updated so that our staff can keep their their knowledge felt over- much training to give. Too

Only a third of UK employees are dents can download the entire series to knowledge current and relevant.
peruse at their leisure? “Our current sessions cover 12 differ-
whelmed or even perhaps
lazy and would not volun-
little, and the impact is di-
minished. Too much, and

highly engaged at work So what should universities do? A ent topics. These are mammal husband- teer themselves,” she says. staff are distracted from
simple way to discover how learning can ry, reptile husbandry, aquatics care and
be reinvented for the 21st century is to maintenance, aquatic product knowledge,
A persistent criticism of
university teaching is that it
15% their job. McDonald’s is
known for its exemplary
Research confirms engagement can be improved by: take a look at what’s wild bird and home is too desk-bound. Business- of employers in record on training. It always
happening in the farming, treatments es can’t afford to have staff England reported ranks as one of the best
Letting your staff get on with their job business sector. and grooming, pets competent only in the theory. a skills gap in places to work in the UK and
Giving your staff opportunities to grow Commvault, a data Staff are taught in and parasites, dog Stone Junction, a techni- their workforce is overall rated “good” by
Praising your staff and recognising good performance management com- small groups of eight to training and prod- cal PR agency, is typical of Ofsted, and “outstanding”
pany, created Com- ucts, cat behaviour the way the best companies for apprenticeships. The ap-
Giving your staff regular training thirteen people to ensure
mvault University and care, the pets approach training. Richard prenticeships are scheduled
Making sure your staff know what is expected of to train employees. we provide an intimate corner difference and Stone, managing director, to take five years. The pro-
them each day It embraces teach- setting whereby we can customer service, says: “We apply the 70/20/10 gramme includes qualifica-
ing methods mil- systems and policies, model in our training: 70 per tions in maths and English,
cater for all abilities
47%
lennials – 20 and and management cent consists of getting em- and foundation degrees.
30-somethings – will training – so it’s a ployees to actually practise Half of current managers
Want to know more? Download the full enjoy most. In es-
sence Commvault University is an in- broad schedule.
very intensive and what they learnt, 20 per cent
consists of being told how reported a skills
started as apprentices. The
full training and develop-
report for free at redletterdaysforbusiness.co.uk

Enjoyable, bitesize
tranet-based portal that allows all em- “On completion of each session staff to do new things and 10 per under-use ment budget runs to £40
ployees to browse a library of resources. are required to pass a test to ensure they cent is desk research.” million a year, an average of
“There is a lot of evidence that shows Mr Stone makes sure his 75 hours per employee.

training for
that millennials, having grown up with understand the subject and possess the protégés get out of the office. At law firm Osborne Clarke,
COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Google and YouTube, are far more used core knowledge necessary for delivering “Our training programme the average training time is
to resourcing their own personal devel- the Pets Corner standard. To keep up to is also complemented with similar at 70 hours a year.
Highly customised 45%

multi-device use
opment and doing so through multiple date with changes, each member of staff external training days, webi- That might seem a lot, but it
channels,” says Commvault HR director Learner-driven 44% will then need to repeat these sessions nars and tech talks, industry amounts to an hour and half
Susie Andrew.
“What we’re doing at Commvault is Good value for money 43%
within 18 months.” events and trade shows, as
well as trade body member- 66% a week. At HCSS Education,
an education finance special-
we’re replicating that. The Commvault Popular and enjoyable ship and continuing profes- said they had ist, employees fit in tuition at
University allows students to work among attendees
42% sional development,” he says. “lunch and learns”. The slot
trained their staff
at their own pace, in a way that is in- Uses new technologies
Since implementing our Staff get a lot of autonomy can cover a variety of skills
38% over the previous
teresting to them and not just limited
Always on/accessible whenever
new training programme through an annual grant 12 months from time management to “This new style of elearning is
to their specific role. Every learning 36% and incentive scheme, to spend on non-vocation- lessons learnt from a compa-
module they complete is logged on
needed by employees
we’ve seen employee al training. They also train ny project. It proves that lack some of the very best we have
their profile, so at the same time as Well-organised/reliable process 33% each other. “We encourage Source:
of time need be no excuse.
learning, they are creating an internal Balance what the employee satisfaction go through everyone to share any skills
UK Commission for
Employment and Companies innovate in evaluated. It is an exemplary
32% the roof
CV which shows their commitment and the business wants
and achievements.” Short/sharp training
or knowledge they have with
the rest of the team. This
Skills 2014 education because their fu-
tures depend on it. Univer-
example of learning materials...
30%
It’s not all static; there are interactive we- (concise and timely)
binars and guest speakers, such as man-
way the trainee becomes the
trainer,” says Mr Stone.
sities, operating in an envi-
ronment where students queue to sign
making mobile learning a reality!”
Directly impacts the bottom line 28%
agement gurus Clayton Christensen and There’s no tolerance for a failure to The net result is a workforce constant- up and then almost never transfer to an-
Marcus Buckingham, hold workshops. Choice in how it is delivered 27% learn. All staff must pass a written ly engaged and learning. Mr Stone adds: other provider, have mostly been slower LEARNING LIGHT, ELEARNING CONSULTANCY
Pets Corner runs a tuition programme exam before they are allowed to sell to “Since implementing our new train- to adapt. They and their students would
to put Russell Group universities to
Measured in terms of their ROI 27% the public. Ms Ross tried the softly-soft- ing programme and incentive scheme, do well to observe – and learn.
shame. Ten training staff run courses None of these 2% ly approach. It didn’t work. “We have we’ve seen employee satisfaction go
for employees located in 100 pet stores
around the UK. Head of training Lucy Source: KnowledgePool 2014
made our in-house curriculum manda-
tory. Before this we have tried setting
through the roof. It’s also helped our
staff retention, which is crucial for any
Share this article on social media
via raconteur.net Access your free trial:
http://bit.ly/essentialsplus
Ross says: “Staff are taught in small certain sessions within the working small company.

CASE STUDY: WOLFF OLINS

Wolff Olins is the leg- curriculum of training Curve. The key to its “We’re currently attitude to learning, as interesting schools plan and contribute to the benefit.
endary branding agency courses across our four popularity and impact launching our own creativity and team- such as the Institute of their current and future “We find that the
behind famous logos such offices in London, New is keeping it refreshed Leadership Devel- work. Externally, we Interaction and Design work. The amount we variety of learning
as Orange mobile and York, Dubai and San Fran- with new content which opment Programme invite people to attend in Copenhagen. contribute is flexible de- options helps to create
the London 2012 Olympic cisco, designed and led by is aligned to our business too, an evolution Omnicom University, “Everyone at Wolff pendent on the course high engagement, and
Games. It runs a phenom- experts internally. At the needs. Our people love of everything we’re which is run by the Olins can apply for and our perceived value by empowering our
enally broad and deep moment 3D Printing 101 is learning from each already doing. parent company of our a personal learning of those skills within people to teach, we’ve
education programme. really capturing people’s other, and our faculty love “We also have more group, offer courses grant as part of their the business. We have established a shared
Ellen O’Connor, head of imaginations and our Pre- developing their skills social learning groups at places such as Gen- development plan; an agreement with sense of responsibility
learning and development, senting course is always a in presenting, facilitat- such as our Cook- eral Assembly, a great individuals make a case those attending longer for learning and teach-
explains her approach: favourite. ing and sharing their ery Club, run by our school for new skills in for the training they courses that they will ing, and beyond that
“We have a peer-to-peer “We call this selection knowledge. It’s a double head chef Sam, which programming, design want to do, and how share their learnings helping others and the
learning programme – a of on and offline courses learning loop. cements a positive and marketing, as well it will support their afterwards, so we all get business grow.”
12 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS raconteur.net 29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015 raconteur.net EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 13

Enrolling in the u niversity of work Engage your team

Companies are employing intranet learning to educate, train and develop employees, thereby raising standards as well as morale
with our brand
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CHARLES ORTON-JONES
groups of eight to thirteen people to
ensure we provide an intimate setting
rotas and allowing staff to volunteer “Believe it or not, we’ve already dis-
themselves to expand their knowledge. covered hidden talents within the team.
new, ready-to-go
elearning
U
whereby we can cater for all abilities This, as you can imagine, was a disas- One of our graduates turned out to be
niversities are in turmoil. and experiences within the pet indus- ter. We would have some staff members a video and audio-editing expert – an
The internet has undermined try. Currently we have 378 different putting themselves forward with a real extremely handy set of skills for any
the old ways of educating manuals for staff, 25 of which are nu- drive and thirst for learning and knowl- company, but especially relevant when
students. Professors used to trition-specific for learning on the shop edge, which was fantastic. But those you’re working in the media sector.”
stand in an auditorium and deliver a floor. The manuals are continuously who were less confident in A key question is how
lecture. But what is the point when stu- updated so that our staff can keep their their knowledge felt over- much training to give. Too

Only a third of UK employees are dents can download the entire series to knowledge current and relevant.
peruse at their leisure? “Our current sessions cover 12 differ-
whelmed or even perhaps
lazy and would not volun-
little, and the impact is di-
minished. Too much, and

highly engaged at work So what should universities do? A ent topics. These are mammal husband- teer themselves,” she says. staff are distracted from
simple way to discover how learning can ry, reptile husbandry, aquatics care and
be reinvented for the 21st century is to maintenance, aquatic product knowledge,
A persistent criticism of
university teaching is that it
15% their job. McDonald’s is
known for its exemplary
Research confirms engagement can be improved by: take a look at what’s wild bird and home is too desk-bound. Business- of employers in record on training. It always
happening in the farming, treatments es can’t afford to have staff England reported ranks as one of the best
Letting your staff get on with their job business sector. and grooming, pets competent only in the theory. a skills gap in places to work in the UK and
Giving your staff opportunities to grow Commvault, a data Staff are taught in and parasites, dog Stone Junction, a techni- their workforce is overall rated “good” by
Praising your staff and recognising good performance management com- small groups of eight to training and prod- cal PR agency, is typical of Ofsted, and “outstanding”
pany, created Com- ucts, cat behaviour the way the best companies for apprenticeships. The ap-
Giving your staff regular training thirteen people to ensure
mvault University and care, the pets approach training. Richard prenticeships are scheduled
Making sure your staff know what is expected of to train employees. we provide an intimate corner difference and Stone, managing director, to take five years. The pro-
them each day It embraces teach- setting whereby we can customer service, says: “We apply the 70/20/10 gramme includes qualifica-
ing methods mil- systems and policies, model in our training: 70 per tions in maths and English,
cater for all abilities
47%
lennials – 20 and and management cent consists of getting em- and foundation degrees.
30-somethings – will training – so it’s a ployees to actually practise Half of current managers
Want to know more? Download the full enjoy most. In es-
sence Commvault University is an in- broad schedule.
very intensive and what they learnt, 20 per cent
consists of being told how reported a skills
started as apprentices. The
full training and develop-
report for free at redletterdaysforbusiness.co.uk

Enjoyable, bitesize
tranet-based portal that allows all em- “On completion of each session staff to do new things and 10 per under-use ment budget runs to £40
ployees to browse a library of resources. are required to pass a test to ensure they cent is desk research.” million a year, an average of
“There is a lot of evidence that shows Mr Stone makes sure his 75 hours per employee.

training for
that millennials, having grown up with understand the subject and possess the protégés get out of the office. At law firm Osborne Clarke,
COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Google and YouTube, are far more used core knowledge necessary for delivering “Our training programme the average training time is
to resourcing their own personal devel- the Pets Corner standard. To keep up to is also complemented with similar at 70 hours a year.
Highly customised 45%

multi-device use
opment and doing so through multiple date with changes, each member of staff external training days, webi- That might seem a lot, but it
channels,” says Commvault HR director Learner-driven 44% will then need to repeat these sessions nars and tech talks, industry amounts to an hour and half
Susie Andrew.
“What we’re doing at Commvault is Good value for money 43%
within 18 months.” events and trade shows, as
well as trade body member- 66% a week. At HCSS Education,
an education finance special-
we’re replicating that. The Commvault Popular and enjoyable ship and continuing profes- said they had ist, employees fit in tuition at
University allows students to work among attendees
42% sional development,” he says. “lunch and learns”. The slot
trained their staff
at their own pace, in a way that is in- Uses new technologies
Since implementing our Staff get a lot of autonomy can cover a variety of skills
38% over the previous
teresting to them and not just limited
Always on/accessible whenever
new training programme through an annual grant 12 months from time management to “This new style of elearning is
to their specific role. Every learning 36% and incentive scheme, to spend on non-vocation- lessons learnt from a compa-
module they complete is logged on
needed by employees
we’ve seen employee al training. They also train ny project. It proves that lack some of the very best we have
their profile, so at the same time as Well-organised/reliable process 33% each other. “We encourage Source:
of time need be no excuse.
learning, they are creating an internal Balance what the employee satisfaction go through everyone to share any skills
UK Commission for
Employment and Companies innovate in evaluated. It is an exemplary
32% the roof
CV which shows their commitment and the business wants
and achievements.” Short/sharp training
or knowledge they have with
the rest of the team. This
Skills 2014 education because their fu-
tures depend on it. Univer-
example of learning materials...
30%
It’s not all static; there are interactive we- (concise and timely)
binars and guest speakers, such as man-
way the trainee becomes the
trainer,” says Mr Stone.
sities, operating in an envi-
ronment where students queue to sign
making mobile learning a reality!”
Directly impacts the bottom line 28%
agement gurus Clayton Christensen and There’s no tolerance for a failure to The net result is a workforce constant- up and then almost never transfer to an-
Marcus Buckingham, hold workshops. Choice in how it is delivered 27% learn. All staff must pass a written ly engaged and learning. Mr Stone adds: other provider, have mostly been slower LEARNING LIGHT, ELEARNING CONSULTANCY
Pets Corner runs a tuition programme exam before they are allowed to sell to “Since implementing our new train- to adapt. They and their students would
to put Russell Group universities to
Measured in terms of their ROI 27% the public. Ms Ross tried the softly-soft- ing programme and incentive scheme, do well to observe – and learn.
shame. Ten training staff run courses None of these 2% ly approach. It didn’t work. “We have we’ve seen employee satisfaction go
for employees located in 100 pet stores
around the UK. Head of training Lucy Source: KnowledgePool 2014
made our in-house curriculum manda-
tory. Before this we have tried setting
through the roof. It’s also helped our
staff retention, which is crucial for any
Share this article on social media
via raconteur.net Access your free trial:
http://bit.ly/essentialsplus
Ross says: “Staff are taught in small certain sessions within the working small company.

CASE STUDY: WOLFF OLINS

Wolff Olins is the leg- curriculum of training Curve. The key to its “We’re currently attitude to learning, as interesting schools plan and contribute to the benefit.
endary branding agency courses across our four popularity and impact launching our own creativity and team- such as the Institute of their current and future “We find that the
behind famous logos such offices in London, New is keeping it refreshed Leadership Devel- work. Externally, we Interaction and Design work. The amount we variety of learning
as Orange mobile and York, Dubai and San Fran- with new content which opment Programme invite people to attend in Copenhagen. contribute is flexible de- options helps to create
the London 2012 Olympic cisco, designed and led by is aligned to our business too, an evolution Omnicom University, “Everyone at Wolff pendent on the course high engagement, and
Games. It runs a phenom- experts internally. At the needs. Our people love of everything we’re which is run by the Olins can apply for and our perceived value by empowering our
enally broad and deep moment 3D Printing 101 is learning from each already doing. parent company of our a personal learning of those skills within people to teach, we’ve
education programme. really capturing people’s other, and our faculty love “We also have more group, offer courses grant as part of their the business. We have established a shared
Ellen O’Connor, head of imaginations and our Pre- developing their skills social learning groups at places such as Gen- development plan; an agreement with sense of responsibility
learning and development, senting course is always a in presenting, facilitat- such as our Cook- eral Assembly, a great individuals make a case those attending longer for learning and teach-
explains her approach: favourite. ing and sharing their ery Club, run by our school for new skills in for the training they courses that they will ing, and beyond that
“We have a peer-to-peer “We call this selection knowledge. It’s a double head chef Sam, which programming, design want to do, and how share their learnings helping others and the
learning programme – a of on and offline courses learning loop. cements a positive and marketing, as well it will support their afterwards, so we all get business grow.”
14 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
AND THE RISE OF THE
SOCIAL INTRANET
Could this blend of modern and traditional communication finally solve
the employee engagement problem?
Are you the type of boss who inspires your
employees? If so, you are a rarity. The Har-
vard Business Review recently published
research on employees’ top complaints
about their leaders. A thumping 91 per
cent of employees said communication
can drag executives down. The employees
in the survey listed the following failings of
bosses: not giving clear directions (57 per
cent), not knowing employees’ names (36
per cent) and not recognising employee
achievements (63 per cent).
The magazine noted: “The data shows
that the vast majority of leaders are not
engaging in crucial moments that could
help employees see them as trustworthy.”
It added: “This is startling, considering
how much money organisations spend
conducting employee surveys and reor-
ganisations, engaging consultants and
implementing change initiatives.” That last
sentence is worth reading twice, as none of
the solutions listed is likely to work. Imple-
menting change initiatives? When did that
help connect staff?
The traditional way of connecting staff is
through the company intranet. This should
be the hub of communication and a foun-
tain of knowledge for staff. It should be.
The reality is that many intranets are stale,
underused and not valued by employees.
“Traditional intranets tend to be dull and
limiting,” says Pancentric’s product direc-
tor Martin Boswell. “People are told to log
on and find stuff. Employees barely use
them.” So if it doesn’t engage staff and
it’s wasting valuable resource time, why
bother at all?
Research by the McKinsey Global Insti-
tute found that using social tools to boost
communications can raise productivity
by 20 to 25 per cent. In today’s digital
workplace, companies such as Bluefin are
replacing the traditional intranet with the
social intranet and it’s easy to see why. The
social intranet takes the core functionality
of the traditional intranet – new starter in-
formation, contact directory, team charts
and so on – and incorporates the engage-
ment features of social networking tools.
raconteur.net
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
Using social tools to
boost communications
can raise productivity by
20 to 25 per cent
This enables staff to form groups for particular
projects, communicate online, share resourc-
es, “like” and comment on articles, and crucial-
ly, contribute content themselves.
Providing employees with this kind of
access automatically builds a community
and, like Slack, Twitter or LinkedIn, boosts
engagement because they become part of
the conversation. For chief executives and
senior management, a social intranet with
clever reporting and metrics provides instant
information on employee engagement, with-
out the need to wait for annual survey results.
You can see which projects and documents
are generating buzz, who is contributing, and
vitally, which teams are really engaged and
which areas of the business have gone quiet.
Senior management can communicate via
video messaging and blogs – much more en-
gaging than traditional methods of e-mail or
newsletters that take weeks to compile and
endless resources to produce.
So who’s using social intranets and what are
the results? Pancentric Digital recognised the
need for a new type of intranet, and spent the
past six years building and developing the Hub,
a social intranet and flexible portal system used
by FTSE 100 member RSA, as well as Ralph
Lauren, Bluefin and Direct Line Group.
Mr Boswell believes the Hub can change
the way companies perform. “The Hub is a
powerful way to boost engagement in a short
space of time,” he says.
Bluefin’s head of marketing and public rela-
tions Amy Smith says the main thing she notic-
es is that employees really feel like it’s “their”
intranet, not just a marketing or HR tool. Em-
powering staff to contribute ensures content
is constantly changing, retaining interest and
sparking further engagement. Showcasing
results and highlighting employee events,
such as charity fundraisers, gives teams a
boost and reinforces the community feel.
Mr Boswell maintains that a social intranet
must be easily accessible and intuitive enough
for all employees to use without the involve-
ment of the IT department. It should be agile
enough to allow rapid evolution. “That’s
essential for the way modern workplaces
function,” he says. “Employees can access
secure resources and collaborate no matter
where they’re located. Gone are the days
when teams of key stakeholders needed to
attend endless planning sessions about the
intranet. In today’s low-code world, compa-
nies equipped with agile intranets empower
employees to participate, enabling two-way
communication that can offer real insight and
build employee engagement fast.”
To find out more about the Hub,
e-mail hub@pancentric.com
or call 020 7099 6370
www.hub.pancentric.com
@thehubportal
29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR
CASE STUDY
National insurance broker Bluefin em-
ploys 1,400 people, split across 49 offic-
es. Bluefin operates in a heavily regulat-
ed, process-driven industry with multiple
systems and portals for staff to access.
They are actively making acquisitions,
bringing on board teams and businesses
across the UK. They need to induct new
employees efficiently, share best prac-
tice, store information and drive staff to
their intranet, known as BITE.
Using the Hub, Bluefin were able to
rapidly reshape BITE into a social intranet
with no interruption to business. They
created bespoke home pages and con-
tent for newly acquired companies, en-
hancing the on-boarding process. Video
streaming and blogging gave senior
management the ability to supplement
their traditional communications chan-
nels and give messaging a more personal
feel, which is especially important due to
the geographical spread of offices. Their
Hub provides a central log-in for vari-
ous systems, streamlining process and
avoiding confusion over systems access.
“One of the things that works best for
us is that staff feel like it’s ‘their’ intranet.
It’s constantly evolving; a lot of the
content is generated by the individual
departments. We have a small internal
communications team so the ability to
provide various levels of editorial control
is key,” says Amy Smith, Bluefin’s head of
marketing and public relations.
RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015
MAKE A GOOD START
Smart firms are looking at employee
engagement right from the beginning with
the hiring process. Basic recruitment tech-
nology has evolved a lot in the last few years
and the new crop of intelligent hiring tools,
such as Connectifier and Firefish, pull in huge
amounts of data on candidates from social
media presence to interviews, background
and experience. This kind of analysis tells
prospective employers not just how suitable
they are for the job, but how the candidate’s
ethos matches up with that of the company.
Firms can see what they’re passionate about,
what they’re interested in and how well they
will fit into the company culture. It’s a lot
simpler to integrate new workers when they
share the same values as existing staff and the
firm, instead of trying to change the candidate
to fit their new environment.
JUST ASK
For years, the easiest way for companies to
figure out how motivated their workers were
was to just ask them, usually in infrequent
employee surveys or once-a-year reviews. The
logic behind this is still sound, but technology
now allows firms to do it continuously and
less obtrusively with online platforms. Instead
of a long survey at the end of the year or a
one-off opportunity at the yearly appraisal,
staff can give feedback daily or weekly with
mini-questionnaires on platforms such as
TINYPulse or even just emotional respons-
es – a simple click on a smiley, angry or sad
emoticon with software such as Morale.me or
emooter. Real-time feedback like this can help
companies to pinpoint any problems before
they get serious, something that’s particularly
useful when the issue is a minor one. If dirty
coffee cups in the kitchen are enraging your
staff to the point where it’s a distraction,
that’s valuable information with an easy fix.
WORK TOGETHER
Getting staff to collaborate is a pillar of good
employee engagement. When employees
can easily work together and see what their
hard work is achieving, it’s good for social
bonding, good for their motivation and good
for the business. From the simple solutions
such as Google Drive and Dropbox, which
allow workers to share and work on the same
documents, to more complex collaboration
platforms, such as Incentive, having easy
access to what the team is working on and
how a project is progressing removes a lot of
the frustrations of daily interactions. Being
able to pin a question to the exact place in the
document you’re confused about can often
be a lot easier than a string of e-mails or even
trying to explain in person. On top of that,
most of these tools can be accessed remotely
or on mobile devices, allowing collaboration
across geographical regions and even while
key workers are out of the office.
raconteur.net
Technology
is engaging
employees
Informed use of technology isn’t just a way of
monitoring staff morale, it can also help to
encourage and support employee engagement
TECHNOLOGY
BRID-AINE PARNELL
T
he explosion in the use of
data analytics to monitor
every aspect of business
from logistics to customer
satisfaction has also seen compa-
nies turn their attention internally
to monitoring staff and their en-
gagement with the firm. But tech-
nology isn’t just a way of keeping
tabs on how motivated and engaged
your workers are – it can also help to
encourage and support that engage-
ment. From the ubiquitous, but now
updated, employee survey to social
media platforms and collaboration
tools, technology offers businesses
a way to get staff working together,
discussing the firm’s mission and
bonding socially, all in ways that
are quantifiable and observable
by management.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 15
SOCIALLY SPEAKING
The days of gathering around the water cooler
for the latest gossip or talking business over
a cigarette break are long gone. Now staff are
more likely to chat online or by e-mail, but
this causes the same problems as the coffee
breaks used to – news may travel faster, but
not everyone is involved. Companies can solve
this with an internal social network that allows
employees to chat, share personal infor-
mation, organise social events and discuss
business ideas at the same time. The network
can be available both in and outside the office
and facilitate everything from quiz night at
the local to mentoring from colleagues to
incorporating tweets or other traditional
social media. These interactions help workers
to bond more easily, share information quickly
and feel work is more a part of their life as a
whole, rather than something that’s encased
inside the four walls of their workplace.
PLAY A GAME
Employers have long realised that cash
benefits are not all that motivate their staff;
workers want recognition, progression and
status as well, and gamification can help to
provide all that. The oft-cited example is US
store Target, which introduced a game for
cashiers to help improve their performance
and make their rather isolated job a bit more
interactive. A simple game shows the cashier
in red or green depending on whether they’ve
scanned an item in the optimum time. The
game also keeps track of their score so they
get immediate feedback. Employees are
more engaged and they’re motivated by the
very thing that their boss wants them to do –
checking people out faster. Gamification ideas
like this make workers’ jobs more fun while at
the same time incentivising them to do well
at their work, and recognising and rewarding
good work in real time.
PEER REVIEW
Marrying social media and gamification
techniques are social communication and
recognition platforms such as Jostle and
Globoforce. The basic idea behind these
intranets is to allow workers to share their
achievements with each other and not just
with management. Staff can nominate each
other to be recognised or see what others
are doing that’s gaining recognition. Whether
there’s some kind of reward system attached
or not, staff generally enjoy having their work
appreciated by their peers, and bosses get the
added benefits of workers hearing first-hand
about best practices and spotting influencers
who may have leadership potential in their
employee pool. It also helps employers to
acknowledge the small ways that people do
their jobs well. Happy customers, for example,
may not be immediately recognisable in sales
or deserving of staff promotion, but they are
of huge value to the company’s brand and the
workers, who send people away with a smile
on their face, deserve to be commended.
14 | EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
AND THE RISE OF THE
SOCIAL INTRANET
Could this blend of modern and traditional communication finally solve
the employee engagement problem?
Are you the type of boss who inspires your
employees? If so, you are a rarity. The Har-
vard Business Review recently published
research on employees’ top complaints
about their leaders. A thumping 91 per
cent of employees said communication
can drag executives down. The employees
in the survey listed the following failings of
bosses: not giving clear directions (57 per
cent), not knowing employees’ names (36
per cent) and not recognising employee
achievements (63 per cent).
The magazine noted: “The data shows
that the vast majority of leaders are not
engaging in crucial moments that could
help employees see them as trustworthy.”
It added: “This is startling, considering
how much money organisations spend
conducting employee surveys and reor-
ganisations, engaging consultants and
implementing change initiatives.” That last
sentence is worth reading twice, as none of
the solutions listed is likely to work. Imple-
menting change initiatives? When did that
help connect staff?
The traditional way of connecting staff is
through the company intranet. This should
be the hub of communication and a foun-
tain of knowledge for staff. It should be.
The reality is that many intranets are stale,
underused and not valued by employees.
“Traditional intranets tend to be dull and
limiting,” says Pancentric’s product direc-
tor Martin Boswell. “People are told to log
on and find stuff. Employees barely use
them.” So if it doesn’t engage staff and
it’s wasting valuable resource time, why
bother at all?
Research by the McKinsey Global Insti-
tute found that using social tools to boost
communications can raise productivity
by 20 to 25 per cent. In today’s digital
workplace, companies such as Bluefin are
replacing the traditional intranet with the
social intranet and it’s easy to see why. The
social intranet takes the core functionality
of the traditional intranet – new starter in-
formation, contact directory, team charts
and so on – and incorporates the engage-
ment features of social networking tools.
raconteur.net
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
Using social tools to
boost communications
can raise productivity by
20 to 25 per cent
This enables staff to form groups for particular
projects, communicate online, share resourc-
es, “like” and comment on articles, and crucial-
ly, contribute content themselves.
Providing employees with this kind of
access automatically builds a community
and, like Slack, Twitter or LinkedIn, boosts
engagement because they become part of
the conversation. For chief executives and
senior management, a social intranet with
clever reporting and metrics provides instant
information on employee engagement, with-
out the need to wait for annual survey results.
You can see which projects and documents
are generating buzz, who is contributing, and
vitally, which teams are really engaged and
which areas of the business have gone quiet.
Senior management can communicate via
video messaging and blogs – much more en-
gaging than traditional methods of e-mail or
newsletters that take weeks to compile and
endless resources to produce.
So who’s using social intranets and what are
the results? Pancentric Digital recognised the
need for a new type of intranet, and spent the
past six years building and developing the Hub,
a social intranet and flexible portal system used
by FTSE 100 member RSA, as well as Ralph
Lauren, Bluefin and Direct Line Group.
Mr Boswell believes the Hub can change
the way companies perform. “The Hub is a
powerful way to boost engagement in a short
space of time,” he says.
Bluefin’s head of marketing and public rela-
tions Amy Smith says the main thing she notic-
es is that employees really feel like it’s “their”
intranet, not just a marketing or HR tool. Em-
powering staff to contribute ensures content
is constantly changing, retaining interest and
sparking further engagement. Showcasing
results and highlighting employee events,
such as charity fundraisers, gives teams a
boost and reinforces the community feel.
Mr Boswell maintains that a social intranet
must be easily accessible and intuitive enough
for all employees to use without the involve-
ment of the IT department. It should be agile
enough to allow rapid evolution. “That’s
essential for the way modern workplaces
function,” he says. “Employees can access
secure resources and collaborate no matter
where they’re located. Gone are the days
when teams of key stakeholders needed to
attend endless planning sessions about the
intranet. In today’s low-code world, compa-
nies equipped with agile intranets empower
employees to participate, enabling two-way
communication that can offer real insight and
build employee engagement fast.”
To find out more about the Hub,
e-mail hub@pancentric.com
or call 020 7099 6370
www.hub.pancentric.com
@thehubportal
29 / 09 / 2015 | RACONTEUR
CASE STUDY
National insurance broker Bluefin em-
ploys 1,400 people, split across 49 offic-
es. Bluefin operates in a heavily regulat-
ed, process-driven industry with multiple
systems and portals for staff to access.
They are actively making acquisitions,
bringing on board teams and businesses
across the UK. They need to induct new
employees efficiently, share best prac-
tice, store information and drive staff to
their intranet, known as BITE.
Using the Hub, Bluefin were able to
rapidly reshape BITE into a social intranet
with no interruption to business. They
created bespoke home pages and con-
tent for newly acquired companies, en-
hancing the on-boarding process. Video
streaming and blogging gave senior
management the ability to supplement
their traditional communications chan-
nels and give messaging a more personal
feel, which is especially important due to
the geographical spread of offices. Their
Hub provides a central log-in for vari-
ous systems, streamlining process and
avoiding confusion over systems access.
“One of the things that works best for
us is that staff feel like it’s ‘their’ intranet.
It’s constantly evolving; a lot of the
content is generated by the individual
departments. We have a small internal
communications team so the ability to
provide various levels of editorial control
is key,” says Amy Smith, Bluefin’s head of
marketing and public relations.
RACONTEUR | 29 / 09 / 2015
MAKE A GOOD START
Smart firms are looking at employee
engagement right from the beginning with
the hiring process. Basic recruitment tech-
nology has evolved a lot in the last few years
and the new crop of intelligent hiring tools,
such as Connectifier and Firefish, pull in huge
amounts of data on candidates from social
media presence to interviews, background
and experience. This kind of analysis tells
prospective employers not just how suitable
they are for the job, but how the candidate’s
ethos matches up with that of the company.
Firms can see what they’re passionate about,
what they’re interested in and how well they
will fit into the company culture. It’s a lot
simpler to integrate new workers when they
share the same values as existing staff and the
firm, instead of trying to change the candidate
to fit their new environment.
JUST ASK
For years, the easiest way for companies to
figure out how motivated their workers were
was to just ask them, usually in infrequent
employee surveys or once-a-year reviews. The
logic behind this is still sound, but technology
now allows firms to do it continuously and
less obtrusively with online platforms. Instead
of a long survey at the end of the year or a
one-off opportunity at the yearly appraisal,
staff can give feedback daily or weekly with
mini-questionnaires on platforms such as
TINYPulse or even just emotional respons-
es – a simple click on a smiley, angry or sad
emoticon with software such as Morale.me or
emooter. Real-time feedback like this can help
companies to pinpoint any problems before
they get serious, something that’s particularly
useful when the issue is a minor one. If dirty
coffee cups in the kitchen are enraging your
staff to the point where it’s a distraction,
that’s valuable information with an easy fix.
WORK TOGETHER
Getting staff to collaborate is a pillar of good
employee engagement. When employees
can easily work together and see what their
hard work is achieving, it’s good for social
bonding, good for their motivation and good
for the business. From the simple solutions
such as Google Drive and Dropbox, which
allow workers to share and work on the same
documents, to more complex collaboration
platforms, such as Incentive, having easy
access to what the team is working on and
how a project is progressing removes a lot of
the frustrations of daily interactions. Being
able to pin a question to the exact place in the
document you’re confused about can often
be a lot easier than a string of e-mails or even
trying to explain in person. On top of that,
most of these tools can be accessed remotely
or on mobile devices, allowing collaboration
across geographical regions and even while
key workers are out of the office.
raconteur.net
Technology
is engaging
employees
Informed use of technology isn’t just a way of
monitoring staff morale, it can also help to
encourage and support employee engagement
TECHNOLOGY
BRID-AINE PARNELL
T
he explosion in the use of
data analytics to monitor
every aspect of business
from logistics to customer
satisfaction has also seen compa-
nies turn their attention internally
to monitoring staff and their en-
gagement with the firm. But tech-
nology isn’t just a way of keeping
tabs on how motivated and engaged
your workers are – it can also help to
encourage and support that engage-
ment. From the ubiquitous, but now
updated, employee survey to social
media platforms and collaboration
tools, technology offers businesses
a way to get staff working together,
discussing the firm’s mission and
bonding socially, all in ways that
are quantifiable and observable
by management.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & BENEFITS | 15
SOCIALLY SPEAKING
The days of gathering around the water cooler
for the latest gossip or talking business over
a cigarette break are long gone. Now staff are
more likely to chat online or by e-mail, but
this causes the same problems as the coffee
breaks used to – news may travel faster, but
not everyone is involved. Companies can solve
this with an internal social network that allows
employees to chat, share personal infor-
mation, organise social events and discuss
business ideas at the same time. The network
can be available both in and outside the office
and facilitate everything from quiz night at
the local to mentoring from colleagues to
incorporating tweets or other traditional
social media. These interactions help workers
to bond more easily, share information quickly
and feel work is more a part of their life as a
whole, rather than something that’s encased
inside the four walls of their workplace.
PLAY A GAME
Employers have long realised that cash
benefits are not all that motivate their staff;
workers want recognition, progression and
status as well, and gamification can help to
provide all that. The oft-cited example is US
store Target, which introduced a game for
cashiers to help improve their performance
and make their rather isolated job a bit more
interactive. A simple game shows the cashier
in red or green depending on whether they’ve
scanned an item in the optimum time. The
game also keeps track of their score so they
get immediate feedback. Employees are
more engaged and they’re motivated by the
very thing that their boss wants them to do –
checking people out faster. Gamification ideas
like this make workers’ jobs more fun while at
the same time incentivising them to do well
at their work, and recognising and rewarding
good work in real time.
PEER REVIEW
Marrying social media and gamification
techniques are social communication and
recognition platforms such as Jostle and
Globoforce. The basic idea behind these
intranets is to allow workers to share their
achievements with each other and not just
with management. Staff can nominate each
other to be recognised or see what others
are doing that’s gaining recognition. Whether
there’s some kind of reward system attached
or not, staff generally enjoy having their work
appreciated by their peers, and bosses get the
added benefits of workers hearing first-hand
about best practices and spotting influencers
who may have leadership potential in their
employee pool. It also helps employers to
acknowledge the small ways that people do
their jobs well. Happy customers, for example,
may not be immediately recognisable in sales
or deserving of staff promotion, but they are
of huge value to the company’s brand and the
workers, who send people away with a smile
on their face, deserve to be commended.
 Financial health matters
1 in 3 employees report money worries
impact their productivity at work 1

We offer a simple solution:

Employers join our platform for free
Staff benefit from loans with an interest
rate of around one third the market average2
Repayments collected from salary
deduction for efficiency
No cost, no liability and minimal admin
for employers

Everyone wins

1 Statistic sourced from Sodexo research

2 Market average based on the big four bank advertised rates for loans less than £5,000, as at September 2015 www.SalaryFinance.com