This article was published in the National Liquor News, Jul 2019 edition

What work perks influence a candidates decision to stay in their current role?

Seek recently conducted a survey of over 2000 participants to identify the key drivers for employees in staying or leaving their current employer.  According to Seek “24% of Australians agree that in addition to salary, employee benefits play a significant role in deciding where they choose to work”.

This data supports the current conversations we are having with our candidates. More often than not, once an individual has reached a senior level within their chosen profession, there are a myriad of other factors influencing their career choices. This also applies for candidates earlier in their career journey although the “pecking” order can differ. The key ones for any employer of choice to consider are:

Flexibility – this is a key priority and relates to the hours worked. If candidates can avoid travelling in peak hour by starting and finishing work earlier this is a big plus. Also we often get the request from candidates that they’d like to do school drop off or pick up at least several times a week. It’s the flexibility to work your hours around your lifestyle. The work will get done however it might not be in the typical “9 to 5” fashion.

Time in Lieu – particularly relevant for roles involving regular evening and weekend work. It won’t be written into a contract however can help to balance out the more intensive work periods and allow a better work/life balance. Getting time back for additional hours worked is definitely an in-demand benefit that employers can offer.

Working from Home – having the option to work from home is a real drawcard for employees. We also find that many of our employers won’t invest in a satellite office (outside of HO) so it can often be a requirement for the candidate to be based from home.

Personal Development – offering subsidised training, education or personal development courses is also an appealing work perk. We often speak with candidates who are keen to embark on further study and are looking to their employer to invest in their “upskilling”.

For example supporting further WSET training is a big plus for candidates in the wine industry.

Passion for the Industry / Brand – this is somewhat out of your control however it also plays a big part in what roles candidates will consider and/or how long they commit to an organisation. To lack a genuine connection to the industry or brand they’re marketing or selling doesn’t bode well for a long term, flourishing career with the business.

To stand out from other businesses and attract and retain the best talent, offering these employee benefits could help. We also recommend employers highlight such benefits in their job adverts and interview process.