EXTRAS WITH ADDED APPEAL
SALARY is not the only factor workers should keep in mind when looking for a new workplace, as employers can often sweeten a deal with extra perks.
Workers going for a promotion also can use the opportunity to negotiate additional benefits, such as extra leave or a company car.
Although many people associate work perks with funky tech companies, information and communication technology (ICT) workers are less likely to care about perks than those in many other sectors.
SEEK’s Laws of Attraction data reveals just 2.9 per cent of ICT workers say additional benefits is the main factor when choosing a new job.
It compares to 4.2 per cent of construction workers, 3.7 per cent of mining, resources and energy workers, and 3.2 per cent of call centre and customer service workers.
Across all industries, the most valued perk is additional leave (23.5 per cent agree), which is offered by many companies in various forms.
Recruiter McArthur gives its staff time off for Christmas shopping, supermarket Aldi allows 10 days’ extra leave for workers suffering from family or domestic violence, and new parents working for car website Carsales receive an extra five days of “leave up your sleeve” to help them balance commitments after returning to work.
SEEK has introduced personal flexi leave, which allows an extra five days of paid leave each year.
Group human resources director Kathleen McCudden says a strong sense of community and flexibility for people to balance work and personal life are central to the company’s culture.
“(Personal flexi leave) provides the flexibility for people to move house, take the dog to the vet, pick up a relative from the airport – any of the life admin things,” she says.
Different sectors often find different perks appealing.
The SEEK data shows, for example, construction industry workers are twice as likely to consider a companysupplied mobile phone or laptop computer the most attractive perk they could receive while mining, resources and energy workers are twice as likely to value access to supplied or subsidised food.
“Above paying people well for the role they perform, attracting and retaining great people is about providing them with a great place to work,” McCudden says.