You have a set program of benefits that you offer employees, but what do they really want? What will make them choose to work for you and stay?
When every employer is competing for the best talent, we must uncover not only what the competition offers but what potential employees want in their benefits program.
AgCareers.com surveyed nearly 2,000 candidates and employees in the agricultural industry about their preferences and the importance they place on various perks and benefits. The AgCareers.com Candidate &
Employee Benefits Survey Report revealed flexibility as the most critical employer perk.
Flexibility Perks
More agricultural employers are using flexible work arrangements, and more employees expect and desire flexibility in the workplace post-pandemic.
AgCareers.com asked respondents to rate the importance of ten company perks. Flexibility (e.g., flexible working hours, job sharing, compressed work week, etc.) was the most preferred perk. Telework (working from home or outside the office) wasn’t far behind flexibility.
Telework/remote work can cause challenges for farm service and production employers and may not be feasible. In these cases, consider and emphasize flexibility in time, days, etc. When examining benefit preferences by employment level, hourly staff and temporary/contract/seasonal employees placed the most importance on flexibility. Salaried staff placed the highest priority on telework perks.
Increased flexibility was one of the top five reasons for employees to leave their jobs for another opportunity.
Examining these responses by specific demographics, flexibility, and remote work were significantly more critical to female than male respondents. Experienced professionals with 21-25 years of experience also placed the most importance on flexibility and telework.
Retention & Recruiting
AgCareers.com also asked candidates and employees what would motivate them to leave their current jobs for a new opportunity. The desire for “more flexibility” was one of the top motivators, ahead of even company culture.
Beyond communications used in recruiting practices, retention practices are a top priority for agricultural employers. Evidence suggests that increased flexibility is one of the strongest motivators in recruitment and retention.
Article Written by by Bonnie Johnson, AgCareers.com
Bonnie Johnson has more than twenty years of professional marketing experience, including nine years with AgCareers.com. As a marketing specialist, she supports the AgCareers.com team and brand through marketing and communications efforts. This includes internal and external communications, email marketing, company branding, market research, and data analysis. Please send questions and/or comments to bonnie.johnson@agcareers.com.
