6th March 2025
The best employers will always try to do right by their employees.
But, no matter how hard they try, sometimes they get it wrong.
Well-meaning leadership teams schedule pay reviews, create detailed employee contracts, and organize work benefits. They get so wrapped up in the ins and outs of staff management, that they forget to listen to the voices around them. They start making assumptions and end up impacting turnover and discouraging talent retention.
Reed’s 2021 Salary Survey revealed that there’s a huge disparity evident in global work benefits, stretching between what employees actually want, and what is currently provided.
In order for competitive creative industries to make the most of recruitment efforts, they first need to first work on employee satisfaction and ensure they are being the best employer they can be. Benefits are a great way to approach talent retention, and maintain overall wellbeings in the workplace.
In the UK, paid-time-off is a legal requirement – but additional holidays have become a commonplace benefit offered to hard-working marketing employees across the globe. Alongside this, around 50% of employers are also offering workplace flexibility, hybrid working, health insurance, and performance bonuses to marketing teams who continue to go above and beyond their expected level of work.
These benefits are all offered with good intentions in mind, but Reed’s survey pinpointed that marketing talent would be willing to negotiate on benefits for one main offering: incremental salary increases. Currently, most businesses prefer to do annual pay reviews without the guarantee of an increase. For marketers, this makes it hard to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living – encouraging them to look for a new position elsewhere.
Incremental salary increases may seem costly, but they scale as you do. Offering this one benefit could help you:
(Source: Reed 2021 Salary Survey)
Recruitment in the Technology industry is a particularly competitive environment right now, with 2021 seeing the SaaS market value grow to £7.2 billion. For many Tech companies to ensure the future of their business: they need to secure the right talent.
How? By speaking to current employees and working out what they can do better.
Improving overall employer branding will be an essential recruitment strategy in 2022, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the competition. Technology companies should consider investing in remote work software to provide higher flexibility to their employees.
Communicating with international clients is more than a full-time job, it’s a lifestyle – and many client service industries are facing 24/7 business models with very little time off.
However, if we don’t see a real change in the way client service roles are rewarded, qualified talent will start moving to other cross-compatible industries (like service workers did in the US). Businesses need to start automating lead capture and communication to alleviate some of the pressure placed on client services, enabling them to take annual leave and reducing long-term sickness caused by stress.
Data shows that many employees are slow on the uptake of “Wellness Programmes”, likely due to not having the mental capacity to take on new hobbies such as yoga. Giving these employees extral (paid) breaks will allow them to relax, refresh, and be excited to come back to work.
Listening to individual employees about what they want from your company will help you gain a clear understanding of how you can support them in their work-life, and out of it. Speak to them, and offer benefits they need (and not what you think they need). You’ll better position yourself to improve employee satisfaction and attract talent in the long-run.
Start by conducting a full human resource review and ask one simple question: what can I provide that would help you in your day-to-day life?
How?
We listen. We understand. We care.
With two decades in executive search, we’re entrenched in the sectors we cover and our knowledge runs deep. We use intelligent search methods to connect with top talent, allowing us to deliver time and time again. We don’t just provide CVs, we provide the talent and support to help your business grow.
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