Companies aren't offering the right benefits, says survey

Employees are not using company benefit packages because they do not fit in with their lifestyle, new findings suggest.

Over half (52 per cent) of people surveyed by pay and benefits specialist Croner said their lifestyle was not matched by benefits packages.

Most employees (43 per cent) consider private medical insurance to be the most desirable perk of a job, while most bosses believe a company pension and death in service is their best package.

Furthermore, a third of respondents would like to be offered flexible working schemes.

Companies should be offering employees attractive benefits that can help enhance their lifestyle, Andrew Walker from Croner Reward stated.

Mr Walker added that creating the right benefits package can attract the best people to the job.

In an age where many people live for the here and now, graduates in particular are more likely to accept a job with a company that can offer much more than just a salary, he said.

According to ClickAJob chief executive Yngve Traberg, thinking only in benefits does not go far enough.

Perks might persuade a person to join a company, but they won't necessarily hold them, he says.

It is far more important to persuade an employee to WANT to work for a particular company, than simply offering inducements, he adds.

Job satisfaction and working environment are two issues Mr Traberg insists should also be addressed. So are positive attitudes between staff members.

The key is involvement, Mr Traberg explains, a feeling of belonging and doing something significant.

Ideally employees need to feel part of something they can share and appreciate day to day, he says.

And all the benefits in the world will not necessarily motivate them to experience it.