Benefits in companies: from thoughtful benefits to holistic security

Until recently, for companies, basically any benefits mattered - a gym, discounts to the cinema or health consultations. Today, organizations are increasingly looking at the employee individually, taking into account his needs and profiling the offer of benefits. Although benefits continue to be an extremely important element in encouraging a candidate to choose a company, the new narrative around employee turnover is reminiscent of: “Benefits attract, but it's holistic security and trust that holds back.” How to reconcile these two aspects and manage them effectively enough so that employees feel valued and at the same time want to stay in the organization for longer?

These issues were discussed in detail during the recent networking meeting at Business Link Astoria, during which two key speeches were presented. W&W Consulting prepared a substantive presentation based on reliable data, on the demographic situation in Europe and its impact on labour turnover. The purpose of this introduction was to show that the foundation of modern organizational culture is care for safety and building employee confidence.

In turn, Amilon presented in detail the types of benefits and modern systems facilitating their use. This part was intended to emphasize that today benefits are no longer an accidental addition, but a well-thought-out strategy of offers to employees.

How to care for employees and why should we care about their safety at work?

Europe is ageing, which changes the employment structure in the long term. People aged 65+ already make up more than 21% of the population, and fertility is steadily declining. For the labor market, this means one thing - more difficult recruitment and prolonged professional activity of employees. This, in turn, directly affects their health and safety.

Whereas once OSH issues were reduced to the necessary formal minimum, today they are not only the foundation of the organization, but also one of the key areas of its development, significantly influencing the way the company operates. Currently, 47% of companies struggle with employee turnover — an increase of 11 percentage points year-on-year (from 36%).

If we additionally look at the Polish market, we will notice that the development of the renewable energy sector — including photovoltaics, nuclear power and offshore wind power — which already employs around 212,000 people today (and by 2050 this number may increase up to four times), will naturally drive employee turnover and competition for talent.

In its presentation, W&W Consulting, which has been advising on occupational safety for years, pointed out two main areas of need of modern employees: safety and trust. The first includes health, financial and organizational aspects, the second - the stability and predictability of management decisions and trust to leaders and the board. These needs show how important employer branding plays today, based on long-term strategies to strengthen safety, trust and lasting employee engagement. JAccording to the data, 83% of employees in organizations with a strong employer brand stay with the company for longer, which can reduce turnover by up to 28%.

The Power of Thoughtful Benefits

Looking at the benefits offer through the prism of the different life stages of employees opens the way to a more informed and tailored strategy for managing non-wage benefits. In its presentation, Amilon paid attention not only to the proper selection of benefits, but also to their availability — a simple, convenient and digital way to manage them.

A key role is also played by the personalization of benefits, including the possibility of choosing a package, time flexibility and adaptation to health status, family situation, form of work or development needs.

As Amilon points out, as many as 40% of employees believe that benefits are not tailored to their needs. This means that companies often invest in solutions that employees do not use, and the priority should be to precisely match the offer to the real expectations of the teams.

Benefits and safety as a coherent whole

Ultimately, it is the combination of thoughtful benefits and real attention to holistic security that makes the employee want to stay in the organization. Loyalty is not only built through an attractive offer, but above all through a genuine understanding of needs and consistent action.

A holistic approach to security today includes:

• physical safety (working conditions, ergonomics),
• psychological safety (well-being, anti-burnout),
• organizational security (clear rules, transparency),
• a culture of responsiveness to problems (openness, quick response, support).

It is the synergy of these elements that creates a work environment in which employees not only feel valued, but also see their future. In the long term, it is not a single benefit, but the consistent experience of the employee that determines his commitment and loyalty to the organization.