Shilling Communication has launched a performance-related incentive scheme that awards staff a value to invest in shares from the company’s clients.
Its Investar scheme awards ‘gold stars’ to its 30 staff for excellent work. They can then invest the value of the stars into the shares of one or more of the company’s clients. Gold stars are awarded, based on client feedback for teams or individuals, as a handwritten note of thanks from Kevin Shilling, director of Shilling Communication.
The company will match the value of the gold stars up to 5% of an employee’s salary each year. Staff also have the option to put up to 5% of their annual bonus into Investar, which the firm will match. Shares now available include Associated British Foods, BAE Systems, Morgan Crucible, RSA and Reed Elsevier.
The scheme is designed to encourage staff to become more aware of the business activities of clients. Shilling said: “Politicians, pension gurus and the media whinge about the need for better understanding of the investment markets, but do little about it. The key thing about investing for the future is understanding how the investment market operates.”
The scheme, communicated during the firm’s monthly presentation to staff, has achieved 70% take-up. Every employee who is part of Investar joins an investment team that meets on six ‘dealing days’ a year to see how their investments are doing.
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