What Employee Benefits Should Startups Offer?

Something that’s become clear over the past year is the way that our priorities have shifted: towards a focus on people, mental health and happiness.

As public attitudes filter up and influence commercial decisions, companies need to ensure that they reflect their customer and employees’ priorities. As a startup, it is particularly important to attract the best workers and keep them happy in their role.

Offering employees means to make their own lives more satisfying is hands down the best way to show that you care about them. With employee benefits that they genuinely appreciate, you can keep the people who might make or break your business at their best.

Developmental benefits

Helping employees grow with your company is one of the best ways you to keep them loyal and content. Not only will they feel valued, challenged and motivated, but your business will also be full of employees who are constantly improving. It’s a win-win.

Training courses, mentor programmes and professional events are all experiences that employees can enjoy in- or outside work with the support of their employer.

For startups on a budget, developmental benefits don’t have to be expensive. Free courses from companies such as General Assembly and HubSpot are great places to start.

Even if it’s just a few hours a month, allowing employees time and resources to study towards their career development will pay off for you all in the future.

Work-life balance benefits

If we compare 2020 to 2019, the progress we have made towards a balanced home and work life is incredible.

Although it took a pandemic to get us there, we are finally appreciating the benefits of remote, flexible and agile working.

Parents who could be crucial in evolving your company will be attracted if they think that you respect their life outside work. Offering childcare vouchers and letting them leave early to pick the kids up are easy ways to show that you value your employees as entire people.

A recent study by PowWowNow found that a massive 81% of UK employees are attracted to jobs with flexible working. As a startup, you definitely can’t afford to be alienating that many potential employees!

Health-related benefits

With everyone focussing more on health, medical and mental health support is pivotal to anyone looking to attract and retain the best talent.

Virtual GPs, telephone counselling and workplace intervention strategies require very little effort from the business and, crucially, provide a lifeline for employees facing health problems during lockdown and later.

There are loads of ways to offer health support to your employees – both financially and otherwise – and many of these are included in employee assistance programmes that are offered with employee benefits insurance packages.

Insurance benefits

It is no surprise that people are more concerned about their health right now than anything. So, while non-monetary benefits are nice to have, many employees are looking for something more substantial and, well…helpful.

Offering insurance packages through your business lets employees know that you aren’t just pretending to care to make the company look good. As a startup, your first impression counts, and faking it just won’t cut it.

Business Health Insurance, Group Life Insurance and Income Protection Insurance policies are genuinely useful, so will be genuinely appreciated.

The benefits that employees really want

As a startup, forming and retaining the right team is crucial to your longevity. Not only will helpful employee benefits impress current and potential employees, but they will also show consumers that you are a brand that cares about its people.

With all the country has gone through over the past year, people are looking for more health-related support, flexibility in the workplace and genuinely helpful career progression opportunities.

To find out what benefits your company could offer or to review a new or existing insurance benefit, give one of our friendly advisors a call on 01273 222805 – it’s completely free!