A recent study conducted by eJobs Romania shows that, in addition to the classic meal vouchers or private health insurance, the expectations of employees in Romania, or of candidates for a job, have changed in the last year.
“The data of the study showed that the pandemic did not extremely change the structure of the extra-salary packages, but it had a stronger impact rather in terms of the way candidates and employees relate to them. More exactly, 73% of respondents tell us that the benefits they receive have remained unchanged, 22% that they have been reduced, and 5% have received new benefits.
However, for more than half of the respondents, this type of benefits has become more important in the last year than in the past “, said Bogdan Badea, CEO of eJobs Romania.
What extra-salary benefits do employees want the most?
The study found that, after health insurance, employees appreciate the most extra-salary benefits that would imply a relative low cost for employers, such as flexible working hours, paid leave and the option to work from home.
Because a large proportion of Romanian employees still work from home, their working conditions and needs have changed. To the question “what they would ask for if they had the opportunity?”, study participants said they would like a budget for home office design, professional and personal development courses, and a company car, where appropriate.
In the first place, however, remains the private health insurance.
Medical emergencies are the biggest concern of all employees. Therefore, health insurance can be an undeniable offer for a candidate.
Many of them want a budget for setting up their home office.
Because the situation has changed a little in the last year, the need to work from home has come with some consequences. A work space that conveys the atmosphere of the office, equipment and devices necessary to carry out the activity and a suitable workspace are some of the requirements of employees who started working from home.
What if you can’t afford to offer a high salary and other benefits besides?
The eJobs study also found that, after health insurance, many employees prefer extra-salary benefits that would have relatively low costs for employers, such as flexible working hours, paid leave, and the option to work from home.
So, there are a lot of benefits appreciated by employees, which should not cost a company too much.
And sometimes people really take these extra things into account when choosing their next job. Therefore, if you can’t afford to offer insurance and private pension plans or paid vacations, here’s a list of things highly appreciated by employees that will convince them not to change jobs very often:
Both job seekers and employees appreciate a program that allows them to balance work and personal life.
Because a large part of the employees are also parents, they need to choose their working hours or to work at convenient intervals. Thus, for this category of employees this benefit can be decisive for the choice of a job. So, if you can, implement a flexible work system that can satisfy them, and you will surely increase their work productivity.
Due to the pandemic and not only, the desire to work from home has increased significantly among employees in all sectors.
It saves time, money and resources. For many, working from home can be a saving alternative, which will make it an advantage when choosing a job.
Therefore, if you think that the employees in your company could work from home, it is a decision that can contribute to their happiness. At the same time, you should ensure compliance with the procedures and obligations provided by the Romanian labor legislation on the registration of work from home contracts.
Many employees would prefer to receive money for those services instead of any extra pay.
Sometimes, their needs are not covered by any of the bonuses you offer as an employer. Thus, you get rid of the worry of providing other services, and increase your salary by a few percent.
Why are these benefits so appreciated?
Most job seekers want a job that offers flexible hours, while a large part would consider a job that allows them to work from home.
Both flexible hours and work from home are affordable extra-salary benefits for companies that want to offer attractive benefits, but cannot afford an expensive package of benefits.
Both benefits do not usually cost the employer – and often save money by reducing costs with office buildings, auxiliary employees, etc. Therefore, you can consider these options, if you want to offer other benefits or bonuses, in addition to salary, employees or candidates for a new job.
