A Canadian company launching in the UK will offer new recruits £1,000 to leave after two weeks if they are unsatisfied with the job.
Peer 1, a website hosting service, is recruiting 38 people to operate its new European headquarters in Southampton, and hopes the financial incentive will help the company to retain only those truly committed to the job.
HR director Terry Connor told Personnel Today he was aware the scheme could cost £38,000, but this is a price the firm is willing to pay to retain only the best technical, sales and customer services staff.
He said: “If we ended up with 38 people who were all wrong, then the cost to the business would be a lot more then £38k.
“The £1,000 is essentially to check an employee’s commitment to Peer 1 and what it stands for, rather than an excuse for us to lose people who don’t fit.”
The firm is also offering a range of staff benefits including activity days, a dress-down policy everyday and free beer every Friday afternoon.
Connor added: “It’s important that people enjoy themselves, if you hate your job you never do it well. We want to hire extraordinary people and then spoil them rotten.”
Rachel Dineley, partner and head of the diversity unit at Beachcroft law firm, said all incentives were legal, but offering free beer “could cause problems” with those not able to drink for religious reasons.
