Employee benefits. What are they really worth?

When it comes to recruitment, many employers often list a range of employee benefits to help them attract talent. Whether you offer private healthcare, a solid pension package, additional holiday or gym membership, all of these benefits can help to convince candidates that your company is the one for them.

But do you know anyone who has actually taken a job based on employee benefits? Probably not. Let’s face it, we spend a massive proportion of our waking lives at work, so it’s unlikely that a gym membership alone is going to make the right candidate sign on the dotted line.

Attracting the right people, first time

It’s important to find the right person for the job, first time round to save valuable time and money later on. Skills, experience and personality all have their part to play. But when it comes to offering that carrot that will attract the right people, you won’t want to overlook one of the most important benefits to today’s workforce: flexibility.

Did you know that research has shown that more and more candidates are looking for flexibility in their job roles? And with half of the UK’s workforce being parents, not to mention the rising cost of stress and absenteeism in the workplace, flexibility is being viewed as the ultimate benefit for employees.

Breaking through the glass ceiling…

Flexibility can help employees to feel more committed and confident about achieving their career goals, and in some cases can lead them to be promoted. And for employers wishing to retain female talent in particular, flexibility is crucial. We’re not talking about creating unfocused individuals here either, but rather placing greater trust in your employee, which ultimately means greater trust and commitment to the company.

So if staff do need to work at home or start earlier and finish earlier, this can be achieved with little impact on the company – or, in fact, we should say, it will enhance productivity levels and actually make for more focused employees which is a better outcome for all involved.

Don’t believe us? Get in touch today and together we can see how flexible working could enhance your business. We look forward to hearing from you.