Emma Tomkinson, Assistant Director of People Services at Together Housing Group recently took part in a podcast with Tynan Barton from Employee Benefits. The podcast highlights the Groups Together Rewards package, its benefits, the wider Rewards Strategy and Together Housings ongoing approach to delivering an award winning flexible working model.
You can listen to the podcast on the Employee Benefits website
Employee benefits are a non-cash incentive way of attracting, retaining, and motivating staff to deliver their best. At Together Housing Group Emma and her team have been working hard throughout the pandemic to ensure that the programme of benefits on offer provides value for money, are easy to access, offer personalisation and support health and wellbeing.
By introducing a values-based benefits package Together Housing try to ensure it is a total rewards package, one that will appeal to as many employees as possible.
During the podcast Emma discusses the importance of two-way communication; through staff feedback, roadshows and annual feedback mechanisms Together Housing Group are able to shape the benefits package to reflect the wants and needs of staff.
Smart working is Together’s approach to flexible working and was successfully piloted in certain areas of the business during the pandemic with 700 people working in this way now. As a result, Together Housing Group are rolling it out right across the business aligned to business needs.
Smart working is a method of working which gives employees more freedom on how they wish to work, it can include a four-day week, nine day fortnight, working in the evening instead of the day, staff can even work on weekends if this enables them to achieve a better work life balance and serves our customers better. This positive work culture creates a healthy balance and is based on trust and mutual flexibility.
Through introducing these type of benefits, sickness absence has reduced, staff retention has increased and 95% of staff feel motivated to go above and beyond with 92% of those surveyed saying they feel happier in their job than they did pre-covid.
Together Housing Group monitor benefits quarterly, and the group hold regular staff focus groups to capture feedback to inform changes. Emma spoke about the importance of ensuring a well utilised and value for money package to the Group.
Listen to the podcast to hear what Emma has to say about the Group’s long-term goals to remain an employer of choice and enhance retainment and recruitment.
The Employee Benefits website sets out all the benefits of being a Together Housing Group employee, these can be found here.