Cambridgeshire County Council has been developing its total reward strategy since 2000. Stephen Moir, director of people and policy at the council, says that the biggest reason behind deploying the concept was to use reward to improve recruitment and retention. "There was no sense of quantification. Employees didn't realise how much it cost the organisation to provide the benefits on offer to them." Total reward is also being used to promote the right culture and values.

Moir says total reward is about what an employer is trying to make the workplace look and feel like. "It's more than just pay and benefits. It's about job satisfaction."

Job families have been set up for employees, so that salary progression can be linked to learning and development opportunities. Work-life balance is also catered for with opportunities for flexible and part-time working and the ability to work from home. The council also operates hot-desking and touchdown centres.
"If you live in rural east Cambridgeshire, travelling into Cambridge or Huntingdon and parking can be a major challenge," Moir explains.

This approach also fits with the emphasis the organisation places on green travel. Some of the initiatives it has in place include pool cars and bicycles, and even umbrellas for employees when walking between buildings.

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