Case Study: Airline and transportation organisation improves pay-for-performance with NHS Employers

Airline and transportation organisation - Customer Case Study

NHS Employers worked with an airline and transportation organisation that wanted to remove the disconnect between pay and career progression, shift from an entitlement-based culture to one driven by performance, and improve motivation and retention in finance, marketing and procurement. The customer needed a pay approach that better reflected performance while also addressing market pressures and retention challenges in transferable-skill support functions.

NHS Employers helped the organisation introduce a performance management and pay progression approach built around half-yearly reviews, a mix of hard targets and behavioural measures, and pay review decisions linked to performance alongside market position and role-specific factors. The solution also included manager training, a base pay management tool, and separate performance bonuses. Results were mixed but positive overall: turnover abated, culture and behaviour shifted toward performance, and the organisation continued refining the model, including moving toward a three-point rating scale.