The impact of Covid-19 has been far-reaching, meaning it has never been more essential to support and engage your team for their wellbeing while strengthening your business.
Your finance employees will naturally become more aligned with your company as they make it through challenges as a cohesive unit; keeping a successful team together should be one of your top priorities as an employer.
Additionally, when you want to attract new talent, the basis of a strong, happy, engaged team will be what top finance professionals are looking for.
Keeping employees happy often comes down to offering the right benefits. You can provide a competitive salary, but if your team are unhappy in other areas, such as a lack of flexibility, or zero career progression, that generous salary won‘t count for much.
So, what are the most talented finance professionals looking for from their employers in our post-Covid world?
Offer the following benefits to stay competitive as it will make your recruitment process easier and more successful, and retention rates will remain high.
1. Flexibility
In our Covid-altered world, flexibility remains the number one benefit employees are looking for.
A recent study by global technology company Benify found that flexibility was the number one benefit employees in the U.K. are looking for when they consider changing employers.
While unprecedented numbers of people worked from home during the pandemic, many are not ready to give up the freedom this gave them, especially if it means saying goodbye to a lengthy commute.
On the other hand, some individuals prefer the office environment and feel that they produce their best work surrounded by colleagues and the ease of collaboration.
It‘s about providing the balance, being open to new ways of working and trust, and supporting your team with how they prefer to work.
2. Provide Excellent Infrastructure for Remote Working
Flexible and hybrid working is a top priority for finance professionals.
And while many finance employees have been working from home recently, not all remote working offerings are the same.
There is a vast difference between a company that asks their team to work from home and provide only a laptop and those who ensure their employees are given everything they need to recreate the office working environment at home.
To excel in the remote working stakes, you need to be providing the infrastructure, too, so that flexible working is seamless, and your team can produce the same standard of work whether they are at home or in the office.
Think about:
- The hardware you provide – not everyone has a home office; where are your team working from, the spare bedroom or the dining table? Provide desks, chairs and other office equipment where you can.
- File sharing systems – these can vary in terms of how practical and effective they are, especially for individuals with weak internet signals. How often do your team run into problems when working from home – can you update systems or invest in new software to aid remote working?
- Train employees on digital communications – not everyone is skilled at communicating effectively; make sure employees are up-to-date with communication training to ensure things don‘t get lost in translation.
Next, let‘s look at a benefit that has been in huge demand since the pandemic.
3. Childcare Arrangements
Childcare vouchers are among the most commonly offered benefits in the U.K. On-site childcare is also a big pull for candidates, although this is only something larger firms can offer.
Childcare in the U.K. is relatively expensive, and the decision between career versus staying at home to raise children can be a big decision for many professionals. For some working parents, returning to work full time is not a financially viable option and many wait until children are of school-age before they return to work.
Offering excellent childcare benefits can tempt top talent to your business and make current employees feel valued that their contributions are adequately compensated. Vouchers towards childcare or childcare-friendly working schedules will give you a huge tick as an employer of choice.
4. The ‘Right‘ Digital Tools
Employers’ communication with employees has changed significantly, as technology allows the work-life lines to become blurred.
But you must choose the right methods of communicating with both employees and prospective candidates.
From the employee engagement survey I mentioned earlier, the methods that people prefer to be contacted by were revealed, they were:
- Intranet
- Meetings
But respondents also said that they would be open to being contacted using chat tools and SMS/text messages. This demonstrated that employees are looking for a working experience on par with what we are accustomed to in our private lives. Offering a highly connected digital experience allows employees to keep better track of their tasks, keep in contact with colleagues and gives higher job satisfaction.
Attracting Top Finance Candidates this Year
Are you struggling to find great quality finance and accounting candidates since Covid? Sifting through an influx of candidates or not finding talent with the right skills, abilities, and culture fit for your business – employers face increased recruiting challenges.
Get in touch with us today to discover how we can help you find the perfect candidate for your finance or accounting vacancy. Call us on 01282 930930 or via our contact page here.
Thanks,
Rachel
About Rebus Financial Recruitment
Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from various organisations, including SME‘s to large PLCs.
We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs, and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930.