Bye Bye Fruit Basket – What are Benefits in 2022?
Benefits are always an exciting topic for employees throughout the application process. matched.io and apploft. have taken up this topic and conducted a case study to see what applicants want.
For the past 1.5 years, recruitment has been in a state of flux – what changes were notable in benefit preferences? What are the most attractive benefits in 2021/2022? Bye bye fruit basket – what’s next?
Fair salary, flexible working (working hours and home office), and mobility remain at the top of the list. According to statistics, financial compensation still tops the list of benefits. Financial appreciation should therefore not be neglected.
The megatrend of individualization is noticeable in society and is becoming increasingly apparent in work culture as well. Flexible working (when and where) is very important for many employees. More and more companies that don’t join this trend in the long run will lose talent.
Mobility is still among the top 3. A central location or a corporate car are attractive additional benefits. Last year, job bikes and Swapfiets-subscriptions in particular gained in importance in the cities. A green alternative to the car or public transportation. You can get some exercise before and after work, get some fresh air and unwind.
Which benefits appeal most to developers?
Do the mentioned benefits also correspond to the ideas of developers – the most sought-after professional group? In conversations with developers that we have had at apploft. and matched.io in recent weeks, we have been able to establish a consensus: The demand for flexibility in terms of location and time has grown. Companies that offer little flexibility are forced to compensate this perceived disadvantage with other benefits to an above-average extent in order to stand out from other potential employers.
At best, benefits should follow the storytelling approach. Advantages can be chosen to convey a company’s values. If an employer cares about the well-being of its employees on site, massages, fitness centers and an in-house chef will be appreciated by developers. The target group also enjoys benefits emphasizing the importance of individual development, such as education packages, mentoring and 20% free project time. Furthermore, benefits that communicate incentives are one of the main reasons developers choose an employer: both shares and profit sharing are considered the biggest motivators.
But what are the benefits that really convince a developer? These are the top 5 benefits with which employers score points with the professional group:
The top 5 benefits for developers
- remote work
- tech stack & willingness to experiment
- salary
- impact
- culture of failure
Outlook
What will be the benefit trends in the coming years?
We asked and came to different conclusions. The reasons for choosing an employer varies, and the desire for individualized offerings is growing. Benefits adapting to the employees’ individual needs are gaining importance, as it is the case with leadership styles. There are now providers on the market that assist in putting together individual benefit packages.
Another exciting topic is the subsidization of the internet connection – will this benefit replace the public transportation ticket? At the beginning of the pandemic, bandwidth was often topped up privately in order to communicate via Google Meet, Teams, Slack & Co. It is no longer possible to imagine life without it. So why not support there?
We at apploft. and matched.io believe that benefits should fit the corporate culture and communicate values. And sometimes it’s just the gut feeling that decides.
Disclaimer:
It’s not about offering all the benefits mentioned here, but about creating a package that fits the company and its culture. This case study should serve as inspiration. There are a number of further benefits, such as familial togetherness and self-fulfillment, which are the decisive reasons for or against an employer for many employees.
