Does Innovation extend to your employment practices?

There’s a growing trend of doing things differently, and it’s extending to employers’ approach to their employment practices.

Honest Burgers have a down to earth tone running through their marketing and social media presence – think more Aldi than M&S. But it doesn’t stop there – just take a look at their employment contract.

Not only is it pretty unusual in looks and content, but they shared it on their LinkedIn page. Would you be willing to share your standard employment contract online? Maybe the Honest Burger ethos is similar to yours, could you model your contracts in a similar way?

Some employers focus on other ways of standing out and one of the most significant ways of doing this is by offering enhanced benefits. It wasn’t too long ago that the UK announced the introduction of 2 weeks paid leave for bereaved parents.

It was the world’s most generous statutory offering but already employers are surpassing it by extending paid leave not only following stillbirth and death of a child, but miscarriage too.

Monzo Bank and Channel 4 both announced pregnancy loss policies, providing paid leave to men and women affected by miscarriage.

What do employees want?

Depending on which survey results you look at, employees most want/value anything from housing cost contributions to free tea/coffee. When results are analysed by age group definite patterns emerge, with 18-38 year olds most interested in family related benefits, and those aged 53 years and over more interested in paid sabbaticals and health/death in service insurance.

The best way to find out what will make a real difference to your workforce is always going to be - ask them. Whether its working groups or anonymous surveys, if you want to increase employee morale, job satisfaction and attract the best candidates, find out what it is your workforce need and want.

See what your competitors are doing, and maybe even check out what others are doing too – there’s something really engaging about the Honest Burger contract that just makes you want to get to know them.