Recruitment and retention are critical considerations for every business, but they’re particularly important when you need to backfill team members who left your organization or you’re ready to expand. High-performing employees are essential for growth — and the longer you can keep them, the more you can benefit from their collective experience, insight and knowledge. Before you can attract and retain top talent, however, you must understand the factors that are important to employees.

Diversity and Inclusion are Essential

Diversity and inclusion are core values. Employees don’t expect their employers to be perfect, but they do appreciate an open mind and a willingness to take concrete action. In practice, this might include:

  • Creating and upholding a diversity, equity, and inclusion policy
  • Adjusting hiring procedures to eliminate hidden biases
  • Establishing a transparent and equitable pay system
  • Taking a public position about current events
  • Providing reasonable accommodations for employees of varying abilities

When your employees see that your organization is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, they can feel proud to devote their time and energy to the company. Over time, this can improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover.

Diversity and inclusion can also help your company attract top talent. When employees are looking for new jobs, they actively seek out companies that welcome people with different backgrounds, viewpoints and experiences. In fact, a 2021 Gallup survey found that 42% of professionals cite diversity and inclusion as an important factor in a job search.

Employees Value Company Culture

Most full-time employees spend at least one-third of their lives at work. A positive company culture can make that time feel more valuable and meaningful.

Your organization’s culture is rooted in its beliefs and values. Some contributing factors include:

  • Mission and vision
  • Corporate priorities
  • Company policies
  • Working environment
  • Attitudes of management and leadership

Employees often look for companies with cultures that align with their personal beliefs, values and lifestyles. Some workers might prefer employers who prioritize individual well-being over relentless productivity; a parent with small children might look for a culture that welcomes flexibility. Other attractive cultural traits include inclusive workplaces, supportive professional development and policies that are good for the environment and society.

Culture is even more important post-pandemic — something companies are discovering firsthand as they navigate the “return to work” process. After years of stress and upheaval, employees’ priorities have shifted. A Gartner study found that 65% of professionals are rethinking how work fits into their lives, and 58% now have a new perspective on how desirable their workplace location should be. Workers have also grown accustomed to the flexibility that remote work affords. Some companies are responding by adjusting their policies to embrace the hybrid or fully remote model. Others are finding ways to create a culture that makes employees want to come back to the office.

If you can find ways to accommodate employees’ desire for meaningful work and a better work-life balance, it can pay off in higher retention rates and easier recruiting.

Staff Want to Work to Their Strengths

Historically, personal and professional development methodologies have focused on shoring up weaknesses as a way to improve. Recent management trends encourage a different approach: playing to your strengths. When workers get to use their top talents and skills on a daily basis, they’re more likely to be happy and satisfied on the job.

A strengths-focused workplace can have significant benefits for your company. Gallup found that when managers develop employees’ strengths, it leads to a 7% to 23% increase in engagement and an 8% to 18% increase in performance. At the same time, it can increase profitability by 21%. Because it makes team members feel empowered and confident, this approach has a positive impact on company culture.

Employees are increasingly recognizing the importance of working to their strengths. A 2022 study found that 58% of professionals look for jobs that enable them to do what they do best.

Benefits Packages Are a Deciding Factor

Salary is only one factor in an employee’s decision to work for a company — benefits overall also make a big difference. They add value to your compensation package, but more importantly, they let employees know you care about them as people.

Some benefits provide workers with a sense of security. When you offer a high-quality insurance plan or a 401k matching program, employees value a sense of stability.

Benefits don’t need to be inherently practical to be valuable; some perks are designed solely to improve employees’ overall wellness. This might include mental health days, tuition reimbursement, flexible scheduling, employer-covered therapy sessions, or gym memberships. You can also use benefits that help workers feel connected to the community, such as paid volunteer hours or a decorating budget employees can use to support local artists.

Some employers set themselves apart by offering benefits that add convenience and comfort. They might provide free meals, childcare for parents or on-site laundry services. By helping employees manage their personal needs, employers make it easier for their teams to stay focused and productive.

An exceptional benefits package contributes to the financial, physical and mental well-being of your team, making it easier to attract and retain top talent. It also has a positive impact on the business itself — when employees have the resources they need, they’re less likely to burn out, get sick or leave the company. Benefits can also improve operations. Take meal perks, for example — 93% of Grubhub corporate clients recently surveyed find that when they offer free meals, employee morale rises.* They also see an increase in both productivity and engagement, which has an impact on the bottom line.

As you shift company policies to meet the changing needs and priorities of employees, consider starting with smaller changes. Adding meal perks is an easy option; it works well for hybrid teams, and you can adjust the details to suit your budget. Whether you want to add regular meals to the benefits package or cater company events, Grubhub can help. Contact us to learn more.

*Based on an internal survey of Grubhub Corporate clients (2022).