Case study: Whitbread
Researching the demands placed upon employees and factors such as what consumer items they are likely to spend their weekly pay on, has enabled Whitbread to put together a benefits package that helps to support employees' lifestyles. Aly Shariff, reward and policy director at the leisure company, explains that the organisation wanted to offer a package that staff could really use as opposed to an off-the-shelf option: "We have continually sought views from employees about what they want to see in the package. [If we had gone with an off-the-shelf package] there may have been one or two things that they want but 35 that were useless for our people.
Our thinking really came when we looked across Whitbread and thought about our sheer size and leverage, and thought we could offer some fantastic products for staff." He acknowledges that it can be tricky to measure a return on investment from this strategy, but since introducing it two years ago the organisation has improved staff satisfaction levels across all its brands, which include TGI Fridays and Pizza Hut. And these are not the only results. "We're building employee commitment, engagement and making them proud to work for Whitbread," adds Shariff.
