Adecco is the world leader in human resource solutions, with a comprehensive service offering that includes temporary and interim staffing, outsourcing, permanent recruitment, and consulting. Its team of over 2,000 permanent staff are spread across 262 locations in the UK and Ireland. As such, one of the company’s challenges is keeping its flexible benefits programme fresh and relevant to a diverse and geographically disbursed workforce. Julie Bowen, head of organisational development, explains, “With Adecco, Office Angels, Computer People; plus business and banking, and telecoms and engineering specialists Jonathan Wren and Roevin as part of the Adecco group, we have people who are motivated by very different rewards. . That’s why we decided early on that our flexible benefits package should not be prescriptive or limited.”
Since the launch of the overall benefits programme in 2003, which initially covered just ‘lifestyle’ benefits, voluntary and flexible benefits were subsequently added to the portfolio a year later. “We annually conduct a survey of staff so that they can provide input to what they would like to see offered as part of the programme. Currently in addition to the ‘core’ elements of pension, life assurance and private medical insurance, the flexible benefits include travel insurance, critical illness, dental and optical insurance, lifescan, wellbeing assessments and a wine club. But by far and away the most popular are the Love2reward products which include Love2shop – The high street gift voucher, which can be spent at more than 80 different retailers; Love2travel, a one stop shop for all travel needs; and the Love2play gift card which gives access to a host of ‘experiences’ and days out. Love2reward has consistently ranked at the top of our survey,” Julie continues.
“Each member of our team has a flexible benefits allowance to spend on whatever they want from the portfolio, and the value of that flex allowance varies from person to person depending on their contractual entitlement. We actively encourage everyone to spend their allowance, no matter how small, because even though they may choose to spend it on a Love2shop – The high street gift voucher, they can purchase to a greater value than their allowance provides and still benefit from the corporate rates that we have negotiated and pass directly onto employees. So in the case of the Love2reward range they can buy at a very favourable discount on face value. That means they could make significant savings on the whole cost of a holiday for example, or buy everything for Christmas using Love2shop – The high street gift vouchers. The options available through Love2reward are as diverse as our workforce, that’s why it’s ideal for Adecco.”
Take up of the flexible benefits package has grown significantly since launch, to the point where some 80% of staff are now active participants, and the value of Love2reward ‘purchases’ has risen more than 100% in three years and continues to grow.
In conclusion Julie said, “The whole point of the flexible benefits offer is that it should be completely ‘flexible’. It also allows us to harmonise reward strategy across the group. The biggest indicator of the scheme’s success ultimately has to be take-up and we’re delighted that this figure is still on the rise. We put this down to the fact that we don’t dictate, and that the portfolio of rewards is extremely appealing.”
