Better Benefits Are a Must for the Modern Workforce

Health, dental, and vision insurance as well as a 401(k) with a company match are typically part of standard benefits packages. However, while these are important to offer, they're not enough anymore. If you want to keep your employees and attract top talent, it's crucial to bulk up your benefits package. Here are a handful of preferred benefits and perks that workers want.

Education Benefits

A great way to invest in your employees is by helping them grow through education. Many companies offer reimbursement for employees who wish to further their education. Consider expanding this benefit by also offering paid time off to study as well as access to online courses and books. You can also offer access to professional development courses and certifications.

Paid Parental Leave

Parental leave has come a long way in recent years, but there’s still room for improvement. Some innovative companies are offering paid parental leave, flexible return-to-work options, and on-site childcare. Offering these kinds of benefits shows that you value families and understand the challenges they face.

Wellness Programs

More companies are offering wellness programs to help their employees live healthier lives. These programs can include anything from on-site gyms and fitness classes to health screenings and smoking cessation programs. Wellness programs not only improve employee health, but they can also lead to lower healthcare costs for the company.

Gym Membership Coverage

Speaking of fitness, some companies are now offering to pay for their employees’ gym memberships. This is a great way to promote healthy living and can also be used as a recruitment tool. Gyms can be expensive, so this benefit would definitely be appreciated by employees.

Mental Health Services

Mental health is often overlooked in the workplace, but it’s important to remember that employees are people with real emotions and problems. That’s why some companies are starting to offer mental health services like counseling and stress management programs. These benefits can go a long way toward improving employee morale and productivity.

Flexible Work Hours 

Flexible work hours are becoming more common as more people strive for work-life balance. This benefit can take many forms, including telecommuting, flexible start and end times, or even unlimited vacation days. Employees appreciate being able to make their own schedules and having some control over their work-life balance.

Volunteer Time Off

The benefits of offering volunteer time off far outweigh the costs. This perk helps to build employee morale and loyalty. Volunteer time off can also help businesses to attract and retain top talent. Millennials, in particular, are attracted to companies that have a strong social conscience. Volunteering is also good for business. It can even help to build positive relationships with the community, and it provides employees with an opportunity to develop new skills.

Create an Official Benefits Document

Having your benefits officially documented is a smart way to keep all of your employees on the same page as well as have something to pass on to prospective hires. This is also the place where you need to spell out any limitations that apply to certain benefits. For example, you may only offer unlimited PTO to employees who have been with the company for a full year, but new hires can immediately start using mental health services. A PDF is a good way to memorialize these benefits. This file type is easy to share and can be encrypted, and it’s easy to edit so you can always keep the information up to date. Here’s an option for finding tools that allow you to add text and photos to, convert, compress, and even add signatures to PDFs.

Use Annual Surveys to Gauge Benefits and Perks

Surveying your staff every year helps gauge employee satisfaction with current benefits and also allows you to get feedback on what other benefits they would like to see offered. This information is invaluable when it comes to attracting new talent and retaining existing employees.

Show Your Appreciation Through Great Benefits

By staying ahead of the curve and offering the latest and greatest benefits, you’ll have no trouble attracting top talent to your company.  Whether it's paid parental leave, wellness and mental health benefits, or volunteer time off, you'll be sending a clear message to your staff that they're valued and appreciated.