Eden Hotel Collection operates five luxury hotels in the Midlands and south of England. Like many in the hospitality industry, it found itself having to recruit rapidly after staff departures during the Covid-19 pandemic, while the ongoing impact of Brexit also meant there were fewer overseas people looking for work.
For Lisa Redding, group people director, who has been with the business since 2018, this was the start of a process of reviewing the benefits offering.
The first step was to talk to staff. “It was when the financial crisis was at its peak, so this felt like the best place to start,” she says. “We created a bespoke financial wellbeing survey to find out what benefits would support them financially, as well as understanding their general financial acumen.”
Many employees indicated they would like support around day-to-day living expenses, so the business introduced a discounted retail platform. “It ticked the box of a younger demographic looking for fashion discounts, but equally families who wanted it for food shopping,” she says.
Alongside this, Eden Hotel Collection introduced a reward and recognition programme called The Happy Hub, with the firm funding instant rewards through gift vouchers and peer-to-peer e-cards to those who demonstrate certain behaviours or values.
Another suggestion was to enable staff to receive their wages once they had earned them, which is now facilitated through Wagestream. As well as helping staff to cope with unexpected costs, this is also encouraging them to save more, with £2,000 transferred into savings accounts in the first three months. The organisation also makes use of Tipjar, a cashless tipping platform designed to help staff earn more tips.
Eden Hotel Collection has also introduced other benefits, including a wellbeing portal with access to HelloFresh recipes, a 24-hour GP service, financial incentives for returning parents and access to a mortgage advisory service. There is also support for women going through the menopause and people undergoing fertility treatment.
Alongside three pay rises in the 18 months after the pandemic, and a commitment to an annual review, the various measures are having a positive impact. Employee stability is now at its highest level since 2018, while in a recent employee survey more than 90% of staff said they felt the organisation cares about its people.
