There's been a lot of talk about the benefits of the future recently, with big-name companies, such as Netflix and Facebook unveiling parental leave and vacation policies that until recently would have been unthinkable in the U.S.
A new survey from Robert Half suggests generous paid leave — either for parenting or leisure — is a very good move, since it's a benefit that employees are most likely to appreciate. Thirty-one percent of 1,000 U.S. employees surveyed ranked additional vacation days as their top choice for a benefit boost.
In second place, 23 percent of workers said they would appreciate more telecommuting options. Similarly, 21 percent would like to be able to work "nontraditional" hours. In fourth place comes health and wellness benefits, at 16 percent. And in a distant last place, at 8 percent, were the much-hyped workplace perks, such as on-site gyms and free lunch.
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But what was truly fascinating about the survey was the disparity between what the surveyed workers prioritize and what the 2,200 CFOs who were also polled think their employees want.
Asked what benefit their employees desire the most, 39 percent of CFOs answered health and wellness benefits. Quite a few — 25 percent — also said that vacation was the most important. That was followed by telecommuting, at 14 percent, flexible work hours at 11 percent. Just like their employees, only 8 percent estimated that workplace perks were the top priority.
Essentially, CFOs appear to overrate their workers' interest in health benefits and underestimate their interest in achieving a better work/life balance.
But in apparent acknowledgement of the different priorities among workers, 43 percent of CFOs say they are willing to negotiate perks and benefits with new employees. And 40 percent say they are more open to negotiating than in the past, compared to only 6 percent who are less open than previously.
"Nonmonetary perks can serve as a differentiator when trying to attract top talent in today's competitive hiring environment, especially for smaller companies," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. "It's important for businesses to ask employees what perks they value most and clearly promote the firm's offerings. Many companies undersell these benefits."
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