Attracting and retaining good talent is a continuing challenge in corporate America. And, according to a survey of 4,000 executives conducted by Robert Half, one in three (33 percent) plan on offering subsidized education and training as one of the primary perks of working for their company.
Allowing employees to work at home or have flexible hours was the second favorite benefit companies planned to offer. In fact over one in four (27 percent) said they planned to offer that to their employees.
In a separate survey of 500 human resources managers, half said they would be willing to negotiate greater perks for a promising candidate.
Extraordinary benefits
Continuing education is a major challenge in an aging workforce. Allowing employees to defer the cost of getting an MBA or learning a new skill is paramount in the career development of most employees. And allowing people to work from home -- or at least closer to home -- not only has been shown to increase productivity but it is seen as a money saver as well because the employee doesn’t have commuter costs.
Companies going out of their way to help employees balance work and personal life seem to be more the norm than the exception these days. Employers have learned that happy employees make for good employees.
Many larger companies also incorporate a family assistance plan into their benefits package. This could include all sorts of assistance, from offering day care to dealing with substance abuse to managing family issues. The programs are designed to help employees balance their work and family life, among other needs, so that they can remain on the job, benefiting both them and the employer.
More perks
Other perks the Robert Half survey found, included:
- Mentoring -- one in four (25 percent)
- Free or subsidized lunch and snacks -- 13 percent
- Onsite perks such as dry cleaning, fitness center and cafeteria -- 11 percent
- Subsidized gym membership -- 11 percent
- Subsidized transportation -- 10 percent
- Sabatticals -- eight percent
- Housing or relocation assistance -- seven percent
Robert Half contends that employees are more likely to refer candidates to a company they feel takes care of its employees, especially with conveniences that promote a work life balance.
