You’ve probably heard that perks and benefits are important to attract candidates to jobs. But why?
Well, here are some reasons:
- They show that you care about your employees’ health and happiness, which is good for morale.
- They make the workday more enjoyable, which makes people more productive.
- They help you attract the best candidates by providing a unique selling point that differentiates your organisation from others in the same field.
But what does “perks and benefits” really mean?
For starters, perks are things like free meals or gym memberships. Benefits are more long-term, like health insurance. The idea is that these perks and benefits can help attract candidates to your job openings.
But why would you care? After all, wouldn’t you rather just pay people salary? Well, not necessarily. Some people may be willing to take less money if they feel like their workplace has great benefits. So even if you’re paying them less, it might be worth it because of the extra value they bring to your company as a result of their experience at work. And the fact that they’ll stay longer.
The bottom line is that perks and benefits matter. They can make or break your company’s ability to recruit top talent, so don’t overlook them!
There’s a lot of pressure to get the right candidate for your job description. You want someone who’s got the right skills and experience, but also someone who’s going to be a good fit for your company culture.
But how do you attract candidates who might be a great fit? How do you get them over the line and into your team?
One answer is perks and benefits
Perks are things like flexible hours, paid time off, or a casual dress code. These things don’t cost your business much money but can make a real difference in terms of attracting candidates who would otherwise be put off by the idea of working for your business.
Benefits are more about making sure that if people are working for you, they’re getting what they need to stay healthy and happy. This could mean things like access to an onsite gym or free counselling services—even just offering to pay for doctor visits would go a long way towards making sure that employees feel safe in their workplace.
As an employer, you want to offer the best perks and benefits you can to attract the best candidates.
But what are those perks? And how do you know what your employees will appreciate the most?
It’s not always easy to know what people want in a job. While some things like paid time off and health insurance are universal, some people may be looking for more specific benefits that speak to their interests or personal goals.
Here are some common employee-friendly perks:
- Flexible hours
- Flexible annual leave
- Free food and drink
- Training and development
We asked our friends at Perkbox to give us their thoughts –
“Businesses everywhere are looking to attract and retain a diverse talent pool. One of the most important tools in your armoury is having a benefits and rewards package that caters for as many different lifestyles as possible. Look beyond just the traditional offerings — think big and broad. That way, employees can pick and choose whatever work for them — the same thing they can do in most other aspects of their lives.
This is already key but will soon become one of the biggest differentiators between you and your competitors. Recently, we surveyed Gen Z employees, and nearly 90% said it’s important that benefits are tailored to them as individuals. This group is the future of your workforce, so it’s clear that choice will become the big currency when it comes to benefits.”
But there’s something else…
As well as perks and benefits, it’s important to put employee wellbeing at the centre too. A business who looks after their employee wellbeing is a business that genuinely cares about its employees. Workplace wellbeing should be a top priority as this will help you to attract top talent, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. So whether it be incentives to help keep you team fit, or ways to support their mental health, it really can make all the difference when it comes to hiring.
In research conducted by Mind, it showed that
60% of employees would recommend their organisation as a good place to work if they supported their mental wellbeing
Mind.org.uk
And in the current cost-of-living crisis, a great perk can be offering ways to help your employees make their salary go further. From supermarket discounts, to savings on days out. perks like this can make the difference between securing your top candidate or your position remaining vacant.
How Charterhouse can help
We’ve been helping companies to attract the very best candidates for over 20 years. We’d love the opportunity to too the same for you. If you’re looking to recruit, get in touch with our expert team. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for latest news, hints and tips about recruiting or looking for work.
