A staff reward programme is helping retailer Argos keep track of
high-performing temps, so they can be recruited again during busy periods.
Around 25,000 staff at the company are already part of the scheme, which
gives workers points that can then be exchanged for goods and services.
The details are stored on employees’ existing ID cards, which can also be
used to monitor how well they perform, based on the number of rewards they
receive.
The scheme is proving particularly useful during peaks in business such as
Christmas, when the company needs to increase the workforce by around 30 per
cent.
As well as being a performance management tool, it also acts as an incentive
to keep the best temps coming back every year, with awards worth up to £100 a
time.
Batches of points are awarded to each store if it meets specific key
targets, and are then distributed to individuals at the discretion of line
managers.
Chris Hartley, general rewards manager at Argos Business Solutions, said the
organisation was planning to extend the scheme across the whole group, which
employs 60,000 staff.
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"It acts as an employee database, so Argos can target the temps with
the best figures in the future," he said.
"The labour market is so tight that we hope to retain the employees we
have, and also keep the best temps coming back each year."
