Location and transport links are the key to attracting candidates to new roles

Workplace benefits packages are a hot topic for both employers and recruiters. Recruiters know that where a candidate is unsure, a good workplace benefits package can get them to take a chance on a new role that turns out to be perfect for them. Whilst salary, annual leave and pensions are compulsory benefits, some employers are exploring new trendy benefits such as egg-freezing for women and ‘pawternity leave’ to give an employee time off to welcome a new pet into their home.

Do these trendy benefits offer any genuine reward to employees? A new study has delved into the topic to find out.

What attracts employees to their role?

According to the study, more than one-third of employees were attracted to the role that they are currently in because of the location and transport links. However, only a quarter of employers felt that these act as benefits – which shows that employers underestimate how important the location of their workplace and the nearby transport links are to potential candidates. Recruiters can help employers understand this by asking them to discuss commutes with candidates at interview and considering the effect that a longer commute might have on candidates accepting a new role.

In London, workplace accessibility is particularly important, as 17% of respondents said that they would be interested in a workplace benefits scheme that helps them get to work, such as subsidised travel, season tickets or a cycle to work scheme.

Why do employees stay in their roles long-term?

Looking at why employees stay in their role long-term, salary and work-life balance were some of the primary reasons. All recruiters should encourage employers to look past trendy workplace benefits packages and focus on traditional offerings that are going improve their employees work-life balance, such as annual leave, paid sick leave and flexible working hours.

What do employees really think about social benefits?

It’s often a selling point for recruiters to say that a potential employer has a ‘great culture’ with lots of ‘social events’ but do employees want this? In a word: no. 1 in 4 respondents said they were not interested in social benefits like parties and company away days. Dogs in the office were another benefit that employees stated that they were not interested in.

What benefits ARE employees interested in?

Employee wellness is a buzzword across many industries and from the study, it’s clear that this is one type of ‘new’ benefit that employees appreciate. A wellness allowance of £400-1200 to be spent on things like exercise and mindfulness was in demand from employees in the survey. Another trendy benefit that employees would like to see is duvet days, aka taking a last-minute day off. To help employers, recruiters could place emphasis on employee wellness when putting together an offer for a candidate.

From a recruiter’s perspective, it’s important to guide employers into considering a well-rounded offer for candidates. Although location and transport links cannot always be helped, employers can focus on work-life balance, wellness and a fair salary to help them attract and retain employees.

The research for this article was taken from a survey by Aviva of 500 employers and 2000 employees.