Employers offering more perks to lure new employees, recruiters say

Employers expect to continue having difficulty recruiting new staff in the coming year and are offering more perks to make their workplace more attractive. These range from allowances for energy bills to yoga classes at the office, Financieele Dagblad reports based on recruitment agency Robert Half’s salary guide for 2023.

Employers are offering raises and shorter work weeks, but also higher cost of living allowances. One in three mention hybrid working in job vacancy posts. Half already give work-from-home allowances, and 42 percent contribute to health insurance. Next year, 37 percent want to offer workers discounts on purchases made on online platforms. About 36 percent contribute towards vehicle fuel costs. More will offer gym memberships, mental healthcare, and physical activities in-office, like yoga.

According to the recruitment agency, nearly three-quarters of employers have to reward new hires better than their current employees in similar positions or the same experience. These individual wage improvements often reverberate through the company, with more than half of employers rectifying the differences with other employees at the next salary round. 28 percent of employers increase existing workers’ wages immediately.

Employers also try to retain their employees by raising their wages if they get a better offer elsewhere. Four in ten employers reported making more counterproposals. Nitin Parbhudayal of Robert Half warned that this could be a dangerous way to keep employees. It depresses profits and creates a “false” sense of appreciation - why dit the employee need to threaten to quit before getting a wage increase?