Hiring during a pandemic has ensured that great talent is available. Unfortunately, due to many companies still retrenching and downscaling many great people are losing their jobs. What this does to the job market is creates an influx of great talent. Sounds like a good situation if you are hiring, but there is competition in the market.
We are seeing an increase in job openings in South Africa, which is great for our economy but does create competition when YOU want to hire the best. Often companies have to fight against bigger monetary offers, but now days you would be surprised what ‘wins’ that quality candidate. Due to what has happened over the past 18 months many candidates are looking for non-financial benefits to help with the change at home, so if you can offer some of these non-financial benefits you may be leading the race.
Top 7 awesome job benefits
1.Work from home
Some companies love having their employees work from home, while others are rushing to get everyone back at the office. What we are finding is that giving the option to the candidate gives you a head start. Some candidates want to work from home 100%, others want to work 100% at the office, while others would like a hybrid. Giving candidates the choice gives you the option of being seen as a company that puts the employees first.
2. Growth Opportunities
I have lost count on the number of times I have heard a candidate leaves a company due to no growth opportunities. Yes, at times this is used as a good excuse but very often it is true. Offering a very clear line of how a person can grow in this role, at your company, will also help you lead the race. The growth line doesn’t have to be management, it could be a way for the employee to grow into a specialisation or to become the senior in that role.
3. Annual leave
I have seen candidates being offered two roles at different companies and taking the one with the higher annual leave days. Why? Because they see the company that offers more leave as the one that takes the health of their employees more seriously. The leave doesn’t have to be accumulated but could be bonus days of leave each year. Mental health is so big right now, be the employer that stands out.
4. Training
Many companies have forgotten that employees want to learn more, grow in their roles, and generally do better. Yet, many companies feel that if they train their staff they will leave – so I ask the question what if you don’t train them? Ensure training, be it in-house or external, is offered to your employees, and that candidates know that their growth is important to you.
5. Flexible hours
If you have ever been the junior staff employee and felt embarrassed as you needed to take an hour here or there and each time you had to ask your line manager? Imagine you had flexi hours back then so you could go to the traffic department, that wasn’t open on a Saturday, to renew your license? Many people would appreciate having some flexible time to get some things done during the week, for example going to drop their kids off at a playdate so they can get some quiet time. You can have core hours that the employees need to be available but treat them like the grown-ups that they are and add some trust.
6. It’s the small things
Is the team working day and night to finish a project? Drop off an energy pack at their home office Is it one of your employees’ birthdays? Drop off a cupcake. Is it international donut day? Drop off a donut. It’s the small things that count not the once-off bonus, ensure your employees know you think about them and what they are going through.
7. Awards
Do you remember when you won that award years ago as Best employee of the year or best manager? Offer awards to your team, and not just at the year-end function. Why not an employee of the month? Or recognize when someone has made a major achievement – give them their award then and don’t wait! Be an employer who recognises hard work and gives out awards. We still see candidates putting their awards on their CVs like ‘Employee of the month’ or ‘Best innovator in the company’. Make it count for the employee and tell them about this in your interviews.
One of the great ways to find out what your team would like as a benefit is to ask them. https://www.google.com/forms/about/ is so easy (and you can make the survey anonymous) to make a quick survey to ask your team what they would appreciate. And ensure you tell your candidates what benefits you offer – if you don’t tell them they will never know … and you never know if that will land the perfect team member for your company.
