Dollars and Sense. Money is not the only motivator.
Use these top five proven perks to attract hires – helping you go beyond the bonus, to not only recruit the best talent, but create a loyal and productive workforce.
Let’s face it, attracting great people to organizations is becoming more challenging and complicated. The days of just salary and bonuses are over! It’s not just about the money anymore, and if you come across a potential hire that says “it is”, I’d seriously question their motivations. Technology has given employers the opportunity to be more creative in seeking out ways to attract new hires and just as important, keep them motivated in their career.
The challenge is to come up with ideas that will benefit both the employee and the employer. Below is a list of five simple ideas that are not groundbreaking, but can go a long way in hiring better people that can add lasting value to any organization:
1. Wellness Programs
In today’s fast-paced world, employee’s physical and mental well-being are being challenged. Instead of making it worse, employers should acknowledge and embrace the fact that there are solutions. Organizations that clearly show their concern about employee’s well-being by implementing appropriate programs are very attractive to new hires. Gym memberships, personal coaches, self-improvement courses and a host of other programs will pay off for both the employee and employer.
2. Flexible Work Schedules
Any kind of flexible work schedule must benefit the employee and employer. If it doesn’t clearly benefit both, there will certainly be resentment.
Not all work to be done fits nicely into a 9 to 5 schedule or has to be at a specific location. Take that portion and create flexible solutions with regards to timing and location. It will likely be more productive for both the employee and employer. If an employee can gain some wasted hours back to do other things, they’ll jump at the opportunity! They will also have a sense of responsibility and professionalism to work even harder in ensuring things are done well and on time. Many organizations talk a lot about flex-time, but very few follow through and experience the short and long-term benefits.
3. Insurance and Retirement Arrangements
Everyone craves peace of mind. The more you can offer in this regard will go a long way in attracting good people. Any way a company can alleviate financial worries is a step in the right direction. There are endless options when it comes to enhanced benefits and retirement arrangements. The more secure you can make a new hire feel, the better performance you will get.
4. Hassle-Free Vacation
In today’s world it is becoming more difficult to enjoy quality vacation time. In the age of smart phones, email and voice-mail do you really get away? Offering MORE vacation time is the easy way out. But one week of quality vacation always beats two weeks of constant interruption and updates. A good idea for any company is to develop a process that ensures when their employees take vacation time, it is quality vacation time. Ensure that the proper back-up and processes are in place to accomplish this. Then make it known that this is the corporate culture!
5. A Clear Career Plan
High achievers are planners. It stands to reason that in order to attract a high achiever, you must do everything you can to help in their career planning process. If your company becomes known for hiring good people and enhancing their career paths properly, more great people will show up at the door. Great management and mentorship are essential components of any talent attraction plan.
John M. Huxtable, CA
Since 1996, TFDL has been expertly placing intermediate to senior level finance & accounting professionals on a contract or permanent basis. If you need help addressing the challenges your organization faces when seeking financial talent, contact a member of the TFDL team at 416-849-2970 or email Sales@tfdl.com.