The owner of a business or manager of a human resources or recruiting team may want to know, “What employee benefits are important to offer?” When applicants are scouting for jobs, they often look at more than just the salary. The top tier of candidates expect and deserve a package of employee benefits that goes above and beyond a basic salary.
Related Resource: 30 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management
Better Health, Vision and Dental Insurance
Many employers offer a basic medical insurance plan to their employees. However, the costs to employees have risen at a much faster rate than the average employee wages have increased. This means that employees pay more out-of-pocket for the same or even poorer quality health insurance. Many employers do not provide any vision or dental insurance, leaving employees to foot the bill for unexpected problems such as the need for a crown or orthodontic care for a child. Offering better health, vision, and dental insurance is one of the best ways to attract and retain great workers.
Flexible Work Hours
Some people are early birds, and others are night owls. Employers offering flexible work hours may find that they have a decreased rate of lateness or absenteeism. Employees may be more productive when they can set their own work schedules. An employee who wants to drop their kids off at school at 8:30 am may prefer to start their work day at 9:30 am. A person who wants to work out daily, walk their dog in the morning or schedule appointments early in the day may prefer a later start or the ability to work from 7:00 am until 11:30 am, take off a few hours, then work the rest of their day from 1:00 pm until 5:30 pm.
More Vacation Time and Encouragement to Use It
Americans get few paid holidays and one of the lowest numbers of paid vacation days out of all workers around the world. When employees get more vacation time and are encouraged to actually use it and take a break from the daily grind, they are happier at work and in life.
Work From Home Option
According to Harvard Business Review, another one of the best benefits that a company can offer its employees is the option to work from home. For many people, the time that it takes to commute to and from work adds an hour or more to their day. In crowded cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York City, traffic congestion could easily push the commute time to two or more hours per day. Commuting to work can also be expensive when employees have to pay for higher auto insurance, fuel, parking, and more frequent maintenance. Even subway or bus passes add up month after month. If a person can work from home, they could have a better work/life balance, and they will feel more loyal to their employer.
Each of these employee benefits can help a company attract some of the top talent into their organization. Offering these types of benefits also builds loyalty and reduces turnover, which could give a boost to annual profits. Knowing the answer to, “What employee benefits are important to offer?” helps make a business more competitive and attractive to the best candidates to fill openings.
