With many companies behaving ‘inadequately’ in the eyes of their employees when it comes to dealing with the pandemic, it is now more important than ever for businesses to offer the best salaries and benefits possible to attract and retain talented human resources professionals. Here are the top seven benefits they are crying out for…
Starting with salary – only 53% of those surveyed were satisfied with the money they get paid. Benchmarking your salaries using our guide will enable you to get a grasp of the going rate. Paying lower than the indicated salary band could result in losing new and existing talent to competitors.
41% of professionals said that they desired remote working as a top benefit, yet 71% of the 124 professionals we surveyed said they already received this benefit. Yes, working remotely is a benefit that should stay top of the list for companies, but the lower level of demand symbolises the remote working fatigue that caused by the pandemic. While professionals want flexibility, those in the sector thrive on human interaction, so providing a good balance and allowing staff to work where they want to is vital.
54% of HR professionals indicated one of the most important benefits to them was a good healthcare package. Whether this is health insurance, contributions towards healthcare costs, or something as simple as free eye tests, it is important you consider offering this option to stay ahead of your competitors when recruiting.
Flexibility is also a key attribute sought by professionals in the industry (63%). By offering flexible working hours, maybe based around a ‘core hours’ model, professionals are more likely to want to work for you. You will give them the room they need to manage their family and personal commitments, as well as their workload.
Not surprisingly, 56% of human resources professionals that took part in the snap survey said that they would look to work for a company that offered more paid time off. While offering a set amount of holiday is fine as standard, you could look to offer additional holiday as an incentive in return for length of service. Or if you have a ‘celebration’ as an organisation, reward your staff with a day off – it is the small things that really go a long way.
42% said they would also be attracted to a job that offered performance bonuses. These bonuses can come in all shapes and sizes, but as HR is not a sales function, offering regular salary reviews or a bonus structure based on SMART objectives may be the best option. Or, if your whole team has done well, a one-off bonus at Christmas time will be welcomed with open arms.
Finally, there were a number of examples of common benefits HR employees receive, but do not want en masse, including life insurance (57% versus 24%), company mobile phones (32% versus 6%), discounts (26% versus 4%) and, somewhat surprisingly given an increased focus on wellbeing, wellness programmes (29% versus 11%). It is important to highlight that everyone is different, so by having a flexible benefit offering, employees and potential employees will be able to choose an option that suits their own needs.
For more information on the human resources sector, what you should be paying your team and the benefits you should be offering, or what you should be earning and the benefits you could be receiving, download Reed's free Human Resources 2024 Salary Guide now.
