When it comes to the employee benefits workers most want – and the willingness with which business owners are inclined to provide them – more companies are using a conciliatory approach rather than "take it or leave it," based on a newly released survey.
Roughly 40 percent of business owners – chief financial officers, specifically – are open to negotiating company benefits, such as time off, telecommuting, flexible work schedules and on-premise perquisites like free lunch or valet parking, according to a poll conducted by recruitment firm Robert Half. Just 6 percent indicated that this was something that was not up for debate.
This openness jibed with what workers already assumed. Slightly more than 43 percent felt as though their employer would be willing to compromise on the types of employee benefits available to them, Robert Half reported. Only 5 percent figured bargaining wasn't a viable option.
Benefits can be strong recruiting tools
Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director, noted that job perks can often be the linchpin when job seekers are trying to decide which company they'd like to join, as well as whether taking a different position is a smart move.
"Non-monetary perks can serve as a differentiator when trying to attract top talent in today's competitive hiring environment, especially for smaller companies," McDonald referenced. "It's important for businesses to ask employees what perks they value most and clearly promote the firm's offerings. Many companies undersell these benefits."
Employers often misjudge workers' wants and wishes
This lack of promotion may be due to entrepreneurs' miscalculating what job perks employees value the most. For example, nearly 1 in 4 employees said that telecommuting was a highly desirable fringe benefit, Robert Half discovered from the survey. However, just 14 percent of CFOs pointed to it as being employees' most highly desirable perquisite.
In addition to underselling, owners are also guilty of overselling. Close to 40 percent felt that health and wellness benefits were what employees most wanted. In reality, just 16 percent of employees cited wellness benefits as highly sought after, the poll revealed.
Employees aim for balance in all things
A sufficient work-life balance is job perk that's almost universal in its desirability, evidenced in a number of different polls. Nearly 50 percent of employees in a separate survey – conducted by human resources company RecruitiFi – pointed to an ability to apportion work and personal life in an equal manner as what they most wanted for a non-monetary benefit. Compensation was favored by 34 percent. Rounding out the top five most-desired office perks were room for growth, opportunities for mentorship and acquiring more power or prestige within a company's chain of command.
Brin McCagg, CEO and co-founder of RecruitiFi, referenced how many workers are willing to give up their full-time employment status if doing so will help them better balance their daily regimen, balancing work with what they do outside of the office.
"By taking a deep dive into the key drivers behind these career decisions, the survey findings illustrate that organizations must evolve to meet the demands of both full-time and part-time workers," McCagg said.
As for the main reason why part-time workers preferred fewer hours, nearly 45 percent said that once it was offered, they took advantage of the opportunity. At the same time, though, two-thirds said that that no longer being eligible for employee benefits was a negative side effect.
