One-third (34%) of employers said health and wellbeing support is more important than ever to recruitment and retention, according to research by health and wellbeing firm Towergate Health and Protection.
Its survey of 500 HR professionals also found that 34% of respondents have seen increased interest in their overall benefits packages, while 40% said potential employees are more interested in higher salaries.
Almost two-fifths (38%) said health and wellbeing support is a key reason for people choosing to work for them, and 36% stated it is why people choose to stay with their organisation. More than a third (37%) said the support they offer helps them recruit and retain key demographics of employees, whereas 30% found that not offering enough of support impacts their ability to recruit and retain.
One-fifth (21%) felt a health and wellbeing package had recently increased in importance as a deciding factor in choosing which employer to work for, 20% stated mental health support had increased in importance, and 13% cited support for financial health helped with recruitment.
Almost one-third (31%) said they find it harder to attract talent, 28% feel it is harder to hold on to talent, and 28% said it is becoming harder to engage with their employees. Meanwhile, 10% of respondents said the most important thing they increased in the last 12 months to enhance talent recruitment and retention is the communication of their health and wellbeing support.
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Health and Protection, said: “We would encourage employers to take every opportunity to promote their benefits at recruitment stage, from job adverts and interview, to induction. In the post-pandemic working world, with hybrid working and a new focus on work-life balance, health and wellbeing support is more vital than ever in attracting the best talent from a range of demographics.
“There is more to health and wellbeing than putting the support in place: employers must then make sure employees know about the support, and are engaged with it, if they want it to help with their recruitment and retention. Using digital platforms and issuing regular messaging can help ensure employees are aware of what is available and find it easy to access when they need it.”