While there is talk about the future of work, there is little action preparing for it. Employers are ruminating over the changing workplace, as a good number of their employees prefer to work remotely. One way to prepare for the future of work is by looking at the role of employee benefits.
Employee benefits will play a key role in shaping the future workplace. Companies that streamline and adjust these benefits, and offer more workplace amenities, will likely be in pole position to attract, retain, and maintain a competitive workforce. Here are the critical roles of employee benefits in the future of the workplace.
Attract and Retain Top Talents and Skills
Your company’s ability to attract and retain top talents and skills will depend on your employee benefits offerings. Employees working from home, or a remote location for whatever reason will have plenty of time to assess their position in your company. They will be looking at the value they give to your business against what they get in return.
Salaries and wages may not be enough. Prospective employees will likely look beyond their potential earnings and consider the benefits. It would be no use offering competitive salaries but fewer benefits because employees may choose to look for better offerings elsewhere.
Differentiating Employees
Benefits in the future workplace will also help differentiate employees when adopting workable compensation strategies. The future workforce will be multi-generational, and the employees won’t necessarily have the same needs. Thus, craft an employee benefits scheme that suits every employee to make it meaningful.
Employers may require a hybrid reward system that considers an employee’s skills, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and specific needs. Employee benefits in the future will help differentiate employees, something missing in today’s workplace where benefits are usually a one-size-fits-all affair.
Help Understand the Elements Influencing the Future of Work
A plethora of factors will impact the future workplace heavily, providing valid reasons for the change. You will want to increase employee engagement to retain them in your firm. Then, look into their safety concerns as you provide alternative work arrangements. Benefits program should account for these changes to be significant.
It would help if you started thinking about offering benefits programs beyond 401K and health insurance. Such programs could include non-traditional compensation packages and incentives that will help your employees further themselves personally and professionally.
How They Will Impact Budgeting
Significant employee benefits in the future workplace will impact budgeting more than ever before. If your employees would instead work from home, there could be two possible budgeting outcomes. For one, it would mean a reduction in commuting and travel expenses. Conversely, there may be an increase in allowances and subsidies for employees working from remote locations. You will need to balance the two possible outcomes to design benefits that are cost-effective for your firm while boosting employee engagement.
You will need to create and manage a flexible workplace through adaptable policies and automation. Employee benefits in the future workforce will play a significant role in ensuring that employers find a better way of meeting their employees’ needs while managing to stay afloat.
Benefits Zone can help your company save time and be more productive as it prepares to design a benefits program that will cater to employees’ needs, retain them, and enhance their engagement with your benefit offerings. If you want more information on the roles of benefits in the future workforce or need any help creating a flexible benefits program for your company, please contact us today.
