guide: creative perks and benefits workers want

Pay is a big consideration for many employees, and it’s obviously important to remain competitive in the hiring market whenever you can. However, employers that are only focused on pay may be missing out on critical considerations that can help them attract and retain the best possible talent. Canadian companies must be forward-thinking and creative when developing comprehensive benefits and perks packages so they can keep employees happy and retain top talent in-house in the short and long term.

canadian talent wants more than great pay

Canadians are more likely to remain with or choose an employer that offers them creative perks and benefits over one that only offers more pay. 

That doesn’t mean you can perk your way into hiring top talent with bottom-of-the-barrel salary offers. Employees still want to feel valued and are concerned that their pay is at least somewhat indicative of the job they do and what it might pay elsewhere. 

If needed, our salary guide can help you identify the expected salaries in the market depending on the region in which the talent is hired or their experience.

However, it does mean that you don’t have to be the top-paying employer in your location or niche if you incorporate additional creative employee benefits that excite workers.

It’s also important to note here that creative benefits that make employees feel valued and attract more talent aren’t a replacement for basic traditional benefits or those most sought after by workers. You need a plan that lets you offer both.

employers must be strategic when offering unique benefits

It’s also critical to find a balance between positioning your business to attract and retain talent and protecting your bottom line to support profits and stability in the future. 

As an employer, you may need to do some strategic work to ensure you can offer benefits that make employees happy while ensuring those initiatives fit within your operating budget.

In all cases, there are several types of benefits that cost next to nothing and can help you achieve your hiring and retention goals.

strong benefits packages benefit your business

An eye on your bottom line is obviously necessary when you create benefits packages. But it’s also critical to understand how benefits and perks can benefit your business. For example, when you can attract and keep top talent, you may spend less on hiring and training due to attrition. 

Top talent that is happier and more engaged in the workplace due to creative benefits may also help drive increased production and efficiency and lower operational costs, all of which are good for the bottom line. 

Some common benefits of offering creative benefits and perks include:

• attracting the best of the best talent to help you meet business goals and grow your company
• fostering better health and wellness among employees, which leads to higher levels of production and quality 
• helping your employees outside of the workplace, increasing their work-life balance and potential goodwill and loyalty toward your business
• increasing productivity and morale among employees, making it easier to meet short- and long-term goals for your business or scale up with current resources to meet seasonal demands
• creating an excellent employer reputation for your company, which can make it even easier to hire top talent when you need to

learn more about creative benefits and perks from randstad

We’ve put together a guide to help you crack the talent code via creative perks and benefits. To download your resource, simply complete the form below. It takes only a few seconds to get your guide and learn more about setting your company apart as an employer in today’s hot job market.

Our guide includes insights that come from our experience, extensive research, and a survey we conducted to find out why employees might be motivated to leave their current job. You can read the other guides we created on this topic, which include information on specific types of perks, as well as what office and industrial workers want in the workplace.