Karma is a free app that connects people to restaurants and grocery stores with surplus food for sale. The organisation operates out of London, Stockholm, and Paris, with 75 employees based across the three locations.
Like many high-growth businesses, Karma’s team is integral to its development and success. Employees not only enjoy a competitive salary, but are also kept up to speed with the value of other benefits.
Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren, chief executive officer at Karma, says: “Since we launched in late 2016, we have refined our employee benefits package. It’s important that everyone makes use of everything available to them here. When hiring for any role, our full benefits package is discussed throughout with the candidate and detailed in our offer via a total reward statement. On someone’s first day, they are introduced to our intranet and handbook, which details everything from the inception of the business to how to book holiday.”
There is regular communication with staff, for example notifying them of benefits they have yet to take up, and employees are encouraged to use the organisation's open messaging system to flag any queries. Karma regularly reviews its employee benefits package using feedback from staff regarding what they would like and feel would be the most impactful.
Karma has also implemented a benefits tracker that all members of staff have access to, which shows when the next initiative will be introduced, based on how well the business is growing. The messaging system and benefits tracker are accessed through the organisation's intranet.
Everything that is offered, from wellbeing benefits to charity initiatives, is communicated through the tracker, which, in turn, allows staff to manage their benefits, including flexible-working arrangements and pension contributions.
“We have found this [communication] process essential as the [organisation] has grown rapidly to ensure consistency and engagement across the business,” says Nordegren. “We believe in absolute clarity regarding everything a business will provide for [an employee], and this has been a pillar in our growth. By offering much more than just a salary to our staff, we have been able to keep people happy and valued and are, therefore, able to produce their best work.”
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