Employees want you to offer wellbeing perks that go beyond lip service. We’ll provide meaningful recommendations below.
Until recently, job seekers were more likely to take jobs which they felt aligned with their strengths, soft skills, and technical abilities – jobs that focused significantly less on what it could offer them. Now, both factor into the job search, as generations have seen a massive shift from the “just get it done” mentality of older workers to the values-driven goals of Gen X, Millennials, and Generation Z.
Though wellbeing benefits have always been important, they’ve become crucial in a tight job market, as employers like you are not only competing for talent with attractive compensation and benefits but with your corporate culture. Now that they have more options, job seekers are looking for employers whose values align with their own, and who can back up their core values with actions.
Tips to Promote Employee Wellbeing
It’s not enough to just talk about your values. Job seekers want to see how you’re living them out. We’ll show you some ideas that will impact your company’s recruiting and retention efforts while elevating employee morale.
Give Employees Agency Over Where and How They Work
Expect some diversity in both where and how employees prefer to work like working remotely or in the office. Though 44% of executives would prefer to work in person five days per week, only 17% of employees felt the same. For starters, it’s more affordable to work from home because employees will save on food, gasoline, childcare, vehicle wear and tear, and more: It makes sense that a remote-work policy matters more to those in the low-to-mid pay grades.
Just as important as the where your employees want to work is how they prefer to work. Some employees’ lifestyles fit nicely into the standard 8-5. They wake up early, retain the energy to power through an 8 or 9 hour day and resume their home activities at night. However, workers today are struggling with a variety of factors from healthcare needs to family commitments that make a traditional schedule undesirable or even untenable.
Inflexible work hours often exclude those who could use a little flexibility, like workers who are parents, caregivers, or disabled. Providing a less rigid schedule accommodates not only the groups who might need to carve out more time for appointments and responsibilities, and all employees who may need some wellness time and well-deserved breathing room.
Give Employees a Voice
We’re sure you hear your team’s concerns, but how well are you listening? Today’s employees want to see their leadership meet them halfway, within reason. Invite constructive criticism through anonymous surveys, but don’t stop there. Let the team know that you’re taking action based on some feedback, so they’ll know that you’re open to their future suggestions and concerns.
Never Go Understaffed
While all these tips prove beneficial, none really helps improve employee wellbeing if staff are grossly overworked. Take a critical look at resourcing and see who’s either missing now or might be a “flight risk” -- or even who your business will need three months from now if business climbs steadily. As one of the most prestigious names in technology recruitment, Harvey Nash can help you fill both current and future vacancies, so don’t hesitate to reach out and balance workloads for your current staff before they find a less stressful opportunity.
Support Employee Needs
“Support” could be very different from one employee to another. Acknowledge that while everyone seeks some degree of wellness and balance, accommodations vary. You might assume that non-parents require less flexibility because they have fewer home responsibilities, but what if they need to leave early to deal with a health condition they haven’t disclosed?
Again, support goes back to listening. When employees believe you’ll be receptive to their concerns and treat them as equally valuable contributors, they’re more likely to share what those concerns are, get adequate support – and produce greater work as a result.
Benefits That Can Make The Difference
We’re not talking about pizza parties here. Impactful benefits vary by corporate budget and employee needs, but some of them rank high on job seekers’ lists. The most attractive benefits this year include the following: flexible time off options, affordable and robust health insurance plans, paid family leave, and, no surprise here – remote work.
Don't ever forget that wellness strategies also serve as retention strategies, so always take care of your people so they can elevate your business. Contact us today to see how we can help you reach your recruiting and retention goals.
