Fintech organisation Curve has grown significantly since its launch in 2015; having started with a headcount of just six, it is about to hire its 250th employee. Kate James, head of people operations at Curve, was employee number seven. “Growth was always a factor for the business, so we knew we had to offer benefits that were scalable and would appeal to prospective employees,” she explains.
As well as offering a pension scheme and an equity share in the orgaisation, Curve gives every member of staff £75 per month as a health and wellbeing budget. This allows staff to tailor benefits to their own diverse needs, rather than being offered rigid perks that might not appeal.
“Our employees don’t all want gym memberships, so we let them choose what they want,” says James. “I’ve got a young family, so I spend mine on life and health insurance, but other employees spend it on things like massages, yoga classes and sport.”
This element of choice comes into play with some of the other benefits Curve offers, too. An unlimited book budget, for example, allows employees to order as many new reads as they like on the condition they buy physical copies to share with colleagues. In addition, every employee receives a learning and development budget of £1,250 a year, to spend on subjects that are of interest both personally and professionally.
“Personal development is important, but we also recognise that people might want to move between departments, and this fund can help to facilitate this,” explains James. “We’re a growing company and new opportunities are constantly arising.”
As the organisation grows, it is vital that benefits continue to be a valued and worthwhile investment. “I look at the data to see what the take-up is like and regularly engage with employees to check they still value the benefits,” James says. “As the [organisation] expands, it’s essential that all of our employees feel valued.”
Read more...
Shaping benefits strategy for a future workforce
Ksenia Zheltoukhova: To meet real staff needs, give them skills for the future
