Almost three in 10 (28%) job descriptions advertise private healthcare as an employee benefit, according to research by employee experience organisation Perkbox and talent matching platform TalentPool.
The research, which included analysis of 8,700 job descriptions targeting millennials and generation Z candidates in the UK over the past 12 months, as well as a survey of 7,400 young professionals, also found that 23% of job descriptions promote social events, such as team board-game sessions and quiz nights, while 15% of adverts highlight team lunches and 11% mention weekly drinks socials.
Less than one in 10 (7%) job descriptions advertise a cycle-to-work scheme as an employee benefit, while 4% promote season ticket loans, 2% award a day off for employees’ birthdays and 1% note yoga as a perk. No job descriptions mentioned meditation as a benefit.
Andrew Lavelle, co-founder at TalentPool, said: “There is an increasing competition for talent across [organisations] of all shapes and sizes. Employers are offering more than just traditional benefits to stand out in the market today; not only to attract but also to retain the best talent.
“There is definitely a stronger focus now more than ever before on a collaborative [organisational] culture. Millennials are looking for more than just a well-paid job; they are looking for balance, development and purpose in their career. For this, the right working environment is key.”
More than a third (35%) of employee respondents stated that building strong interpersonal relationships is the most important factor to workplace success, compared to 27% who linked success with coming up with new, innovative ideas and 26% who noted that working efficiently to hit targets leads to success.
Around 30% of respondents stated that they work best in environments where employees operate as individuals, but are still focused on succeeding as a team; 28%, on the other hand, work best where building relationships and collaboration are crucial to success.
Chieu Cao, co-founder at Perkbox, said: “There’s clearly a trend emerging. The next generation of our workforce are seeing their colleagues as more than just that; colleagues are building much stronger bonds between each other than in the past.
“As employers, creating this genuine sense of trust, companionship and collaboration requires investment in terms of time and budget for activities such as team bonding exercises. The truth is, it pays off over time and is perhaps one of the strongest and most valuable retention tools [employers] can ever allow employees to develop.”