How to recruit top talent with wellbeing perks

Employee needs have evolved massively over the past few years, especially as a result of the pandemic. We’ve seen more focus around improving mental health, creating a better work-life balance and helping employees to lead happier, healthier lives in general.

Inevitably, as employee needs take on new meaning, recruitment efforts must follow suit. Genuine workplace wellbeing matters: not only because it’s so fundamental to setting up both your company and workforce for success, but also because it adds so much to your employee value proposition when you are recruiting.

Workplace wellbeing is a fundamental part of the employee experience

In a poll, wellbeing platform Heka found that 93% of 284 HR professionals on LinkedIn recognised the critical role of employee wellbeing. While it’s always been important, the global pandemic has pushed wellbeing up the agenda even more. Employers and employees alike are looking for ways to create better working conditions – for example in a survey of 1,200 employees, 50% said they would take a pay cut for more tailored perks. 

Workplace benefits, especially those that are both personalised and support individuals’ mental, physical and emotional wellbeing mean healthier, happier employees who are likely to stick around longer. After all, there’s no point in recruiting the best if they leave soon after. Here are a few reminders to help drive your recruitment efforts to new heights.

Offer a tailored wellbeing package 

It’s clear that personalisation is key. Not just for employee wellbeing, but for the entire employee experience - from onboarding to talent acquisition. 

When it comes to hiring new employees, we believe the addition of a tailored wellbeing package can help. Whether an in-house package or a benefits platform, offering experiences like counselling and fitness memberships can be an instant value add to your job openings. It can also be a point for discussion during the interview process, giving recruiters the chance to explore what candidates need from a wellbeing package. 

Implementing flexible working to attract talent

In the modern workplace, flexible working is important to both attract and retain current talent - work must be integrated into life in a much more sustainable and harmonious way.

Since the pandemic, many organisations realised that healthier, happier employees were those with more flexibility. This is especially true of workforces who took on hybrid and remote work. And as well as supporting work-life balance, this approach helps employers reach a wider pool of talent. Having the option to hire talent across the country, or even globally, opens up a lot of opportunities for a business, attracting great quality candidates who are looking for a role where they can work from home for at least part of the week.

Communicating wellbeing support during interviews

If you want to improve your ability to hire talent with wellbeing benefits, you need to be open about what you offer! After all, there’s no point investing in a wide range of wellbeing initiatives like duvet days or wellbeing Wednesdays, but never letting prospective employees know about them. Communicating your wellbeing efforts is a selling point to candidates, showcasing how your business is taking a people-first approach and making sure they understand the level of commitment from your leadership. 

(And in fact, that extends to employees too – in one survey, it was found that 42% of employees didn’t know or understand the employee benefits on offer. So it’s important these aren’t only discussed during interviews, but marketed to current employees too).

So make sure you’re telling candidates all about your wellbeing approach - it may be the difference between them saying yes or no to your job offer. 

Employee expectations have changed

When it comes to talent acquisition, it’s been challenging times for businesses. Job applicants have expectations, and some businesses aren’t responding as successfully as they need to. Those expectations aren’t simply about salary – they’re also about making life just that little bit easier, happier and simpler. Whether you have a significant budget to spend on workplace wellbeing or not, there are initiatives that can be introduced to meet at least some of these expectations. And this won’t only help you attract new talent, but also help retain your existing talent. Because after all, what good is hiring great people if they aren’t going to stick around for long? 

Credit: Alex Hind is the CEO and co-founder of Heka, an employee wellbeing platform offering a wide variety of wellbeing experiences to thousands of employees.