What if you invest in your people and they won’t perform, who pays for the training?
We pay for all the training. We are so confident in our hiring process that we know only the best people will step forward. This is no ordinary employee benefits plan. It will scare away anyone not fully committed to their careers, which is part of the process we are counting on.
Your employment criteria seem a bit strict, what if no one steps forward?
We actually have the reverse problem – we have several great candidates to choose from for each role, which means we get to pick the best of the lot.
What is included in the program?
The specific curriculum content and other pertinent details of the program is only shared with current staff and confirmed upon hiring with the official letter of offer.
How much do employees need to pay?
Employees don’t have to pay a cent. Everything is included as noted, except supplementary specialised training including degrees, diplomas or certifications. Since they take those with them when they leave, it’s only fair they pay for them.
Are there any restrictions for the use of the benefits?
If there are any restrictions, they are explained to employees on a component-by-component basis.
Can my family members use the benefits?
No, the benefits are only for employees at this stage. If family members want to participate, there might be preferential pricing available depending on the component of the program.
What are the terms and conditions for each component?
If there are any special provisions, they are explained to employees on a component-by-component basis.
Does an employee have to participate in the whole program?
No. That’s not the point. We want each person to select what he/she wants to focus on from the wide range of options. The training and development program is entirely optional and designed to accommodate different levels of commitment.
Can I pick and choose different bits?
Yes, that’s the whole point, to make it your own.
How did you come up with this idea?
We know the skills we need are valuable and if we don’t train employees, they have no way of acquiring them elsewhere. This is a customised training program designed for us to produce the results our clients expect from us. It’s the only way we can scale to accommodate more clients.
Why bother with an expensive program like this?
No one is teaching these skills effectively. We had to bring them in-house to make sure we have the Ultimate team of people as we scale to accommodate more clients.
How can employees have confidence you will actually follow through?
We have been doing it since day one. We have a 5-year history of market-beating results as irrefutable proof it works. Prospective candidates can meet with any staff member to ask questions to get the level of confirmation they need before they make the decision to come work for us.
How do you get to $50,000 worth of value – it seems high?
We have assessed the market value of all the components of the program that keeps changing, being updated and revised based on team member feedback, preferences and usage. Not every person will use all the benefits, for example some love the unlimited squash membership whereas others enjoy the free movie passes. We’re developing as much of a range as we can to cater for as many people as we can. It’s a constant work-in-progress where current employees have a say in what we offer.
How much fringe benefits tax is the employee going to have to pay?
As per government regulations, we, as the employer, pay the Fringe Benefits Tax, so there is no FBT tax for employees to pay in respect of the Ultimate Employee Benefits Program, except for wages and bonuses earned. Those are taxable at the employee’s individual tax rate.
How much time will the training and development take?
We don’t expect it to be more than 5 hours/week on average, including reading, watching videos and webinars. Each person can self-select into the process to determine his/her own level of ambition. We give employees pay rises as they consolidate their new, higher value skills so they get rewarded as they progressively develop their skills and abilities.
Why not just hire more experienced people with the skills you need?
Great question! The reality is that the specific skills and abilities we need can’t be acquired elsewhere. They are special to how we do things to create the extra-ordinary results our clients have come to expect from us. Our ability to out-perform our peers is founded on several frameworks and methodologies unique to our approach. We do hire the best people and then mould them to our way of thinking to substantially improve bottom line results and campaign ROI. We leverage each person’s contributions for the benefit of the team so the output we produce is much greater than the sum of all the individual team members’ effort.
How do you ensure the results are worth the investment/costs of the program?
We track all jobs by staff, by task, by client and by campaign so we know each employee’s productivity so we can reward high performers and assist those who need additional support to step up. Since our systems are live, we adjust quickly, on a weekly basis. Historically, employees have gotten raises a lot faster than they expected. It’s our expectation (and hope) that going forward, people will have to take a pay cut when they leave UEC for a similar role or get paid the same for greater responsibility.
It sounds like there would be a lot of pressure, is that the case?
We are data-driven and results-focused, but each employee selects his/her level of commitment. Since we’re a self-organising team that works collaboratively in a very creative, artistic and technologically interesting industry with a wide variety of clients – that means it’s a dynamic, energetic environment not suited to passive people who watch the clock all day, waiting for 5:00 PM to come around. We attract career-centric people who want to contribute and be part of a team.
How can you invest $50,000 in each of your employees? This must be a marketing trick is it not?
This is a great question. We are pioneers, setting a new standard because we know it works. We know our people are our most valuable asset. We know offering on-going training and development opportunities only creates upside. What we don’t know is how much that upside will be for each person. We’ll just hire the best we can find and then see how each person steps up to the opportunity.