Case Study: Nationwide
Nationwide uses customer relationship marketing techniques to identify what staff want from its flexible benefits scheme.It chose to adopt a more scientific approach to benefits in order to improve its schemes' processes. Evan Davidge, rewards consultant, explains one of the building society's philosophies is that employees should experience the same level of service as its customers.
"It's a mechanism we use for assessing the best way of delivering flex. In many ways, we use a multimedia approach. It's a very holistic approach. We constantly look for different means of feedback from employees, whether it's through intranet surveys, our personnel advice line, focus groups and roadshows. We also use our Brainwaves suggestion scheme." The strategy also enables Nationwide to test the usability of any new benefits and processes that it intends to introduce. "[By] using this integrated system of feedback, it gives us a handle on what employees are thinking about current and future developments.
The underlying principle behind it all is that without it, the scheme would not be focused," adds Davidge By improving processes, the firm hoped to ease enrolment to the scheme and encourage more staff to join. And this approach has contributed to the company's return on investment from the plan. "With any flex scheme, you've got to look carefully at what you want it to achieve on the bottom line," says Davidge.
