Employee benefits and perks

Employee benefits and perks

Historically, the key benefits that candidates have focussed on when searching for a new position have been salary, employer pension contribution and free healthcare.

However, in a new survey conducted by Workfront, 52% of British workers picked flexible hours as the perk that attracts them most to a role. Alongside this, the popularity of a diverse benefits package has also risen to the fore.

In Capita’s Employee Insight Report 2016/17, 66% of job seekers were found to count perks and additional benefits among their top considerations before taking a new job, thereby increasing the pressure on employers to review the benefits they currently offer and to think of innovative new ways in which to attract top talent, particularly if, due to the size of a company, the salary on offer isn't as high as its competitors.

Options to consider include:

Free on-site health and well-being services
By offering the above, employers can attract health conscious candidates who may otherwise not have time to factor in physical and wellness activity into their weekly routine. Twitter is well-known for providing on-site acupuncture and yoga classes, whilst Asana’s employees are able to access life-coaching services.

Parental leave
For those employees juggling work and family life, extended parental leave is invaluable. While Spotify provides six months of paid parental leave Netflix goes one better and offers new parents a whole year of paid maternity or paternity leave while also allowing parents to return part-time or full-time and to take time off as needed throughout the year.

Day off to do Christmas shopping
Christmas is undoubtedly a busy time of year, with many wishing to avoid the shops on those dreaded Saturdays in the build up to the big day. By allowing your employees to take an extra day of annual leave during December employers help to relieve the pressure of a busy period and enable their employees to enjoy, rather than dread, the festive season.

Subsidised high quality childcare on-site
By offering the above, employers can aid the retention of highly experienced, highly qualified women and enable them to continue their progression up the career ladder.

Paid puppy leave scheme
While many companies offer significant parental leave for new parents, how about puppy leave when you get a new dog? Brewdog, which already lets employees bring well-behaved dogs to work, has recently introduced a paid puppy leave scheme which entitles all staff members to a week at home bonding with their new four-legged addition.  

Sabbaticals 
Following a sustained period of service, many employers now offer their employees sabbaticals, ranging in length from two weeks to six months, allowing them to pursue their passion for travel or another key interest.

Interest-free loans 
Some employers have introduced employee loans for amounts less than £10,000. For home improvements and weddings, employees at ZPG, the digital media business, can enjoy interest-free loans.

Paid volunteering
For those employees that lean towards philanthropy, some employers have introduced paid voluntary work, where their employees can enjoy a set number of days volunteering each year without this affecting their pay packet.