Case Study: Ajilon
The impetus for creating a flexible benefits scheme at recruitment group Ajilon arose when the HR team was looking at how it could streamline benefits provision across its diverse range of companies. Ajilon chose to work with provider Motivano and began to identify the benefits it wanted to include in the scheme.
According to Katie Ivie, group HR manager, communication was vital. "Having a marketing person on the team was absolutely essential." The company took the decision to make the introduction of its flexible benefits scheme the first project that reinforced the Ajilon brand. "We called the scheme Enjoy! And designed the logo to look like the Ajilon logo, so that the two become synonymous in employees' minds," says Julie Bowen, also group HR manager.
The first part of its scheme, called Lifestyle, went live in October 2003 and enabled employees to gain discounts on a range of goods and services. The second was a voluntary benefits package, which launched in March 2004. Three months later, the full flex scheme went live with take-up rates of 80% in both elections.
