- Australian business has been likened to Google thanks to impressive staff perks
- INS Career Management treats employees to free childcare, fresh food and yoga
- CEO Sophia Symeou saves working parents almost $12,000 a year in daycareÂ
- The dream boss believes in stress-free offices where staff always leave at 5pm
A small business tucked away in Sydney’s eastern suburbs is putting Google to shame with its unparalleled perks.
INS Career Management is a paradise compared to most average Australian workplaces.
The Surry Hills-based company showers its 45 employees with complimentary daycare, travelling nannies, fresh fruit, free daily yoga classes and highly-flexible working hours.
Proud staff members have even described the INS business culture as ‘better than Google’ – and their boss is happy to hear it.
‘Our staff deserve our respect and care as much as our clients do. If our employees are looked after, they can care for our clients far better,’ CEO Sophia Symeou told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We work in a stressful environment, so doing something that helps the team bond and refresh, it seems like a no brainer.’
INS – which began in 2011 – is a work placement business which specialises in helping job-seekers find employment after redundancy.
The lucky employees are treated to fresh fruit every day – alongside the cheeky cake or biscuit – walking and boxing clubs and regular team-building exercises.
Ms Symeou didn’t want lose good employees to the perils of parenthood or to unfair treatment; so she started an in-house creche.
Three INS staff members who have had babies returned to work shortly after with the ease of childcare at their fingertips thanks to Ms Symeou’s brainchild.
‘I’ve got three mums who have taken advantage of the creche. I wanted them back, and they wanted to come back, so this was the way to do it,’ she explained.
‘We also send help out with nannies. We have a husband and wife who work here and they have a young daughter and another baby on the way.’
It saves the working parents up to $12,000 a year in childcare costs.
Kellie Grant works full-time as the HR manager for INS and her almost three-year-old daughter spends three days a week at the creche.
Ms Symeou believes the money she invests in her hardworking staff absolutely pays off.
In the last three years zero staff members have left INS willingly and the daily perks are an impressive motivator for productivity.
‘I absolutely believe the money we put in is worth it. You get to keep your good staff and create a team and a sense of family,’ Ms Symeou said.
Her staff are so content she trusts they would keep operations running smoothly ‘even if I walked out the office and disappeared for three weeks’.
The dream boss also encourages her team members to work reduced hours if they are stressed or to leave on time – and she leads by example.
‘One of the things I realised is, often the number of hours spent at work is equated with people’s dedication and loyalty,’ she added.’That’s just rubbish and it’s an unhealthy way to work. At about half-past five there’s only ever about three people left in the office and I will always leave before them.
I don’t expect that a person’s job is the only part of their live that is important. If somebody is stressed, unwell or needs time off – we support that.’
And if there is ever an issue, Ms Symeou said: ‘Running out of sick leave is never a problem.’
Despite staff vacancies at INS being few and far between, Ms Synmeou said she is always on the lookout for great talent.
From: Daily Mail
Wow, one can only hope other companies are following suit! My children are grown now but I remember vividly that terrible wrench between doing the right thing by your employer and desperately wanting to be there for your children! Neither won and the stress was awful. Good on you Ms Synmeou for seeing to the mental health of your employees, it can only bring greater results for the company.