Which benefits are particularly important to employees today?
Above all, employees want flexible, meaningful and individually selectable benefits. These are particularly appreciated:
- Flexible working hours & home office
- Further training and development opportunities
- Health & well-being (e.g. fitness allowance, mental health coaching)
- Additional financial benefits (e.g. bonuses, company pension scheme)
- Sustainable mobility solutions (e.g. public transport season ticket)
Example: One company switched to a flexible benefits model in which everyone can use a personal budget for sport, further training or childcare. Employee satisfaction increased significantly.
What differences are there between the generations?
Needs differ depending on the phase of life and understanding of values:
- Gen Z seeks purpose, flexibility and learning opportunities
- Millennials value work-life balance
- Gen X prefers stability, security and provision
Example: An employer offers a selectable package - younger employees make more use of training budgets, older employees tend to opt for health offers or pension models.
Do intangible benefits play a role?
Yes - increasingly so. Non-monetary factors such as meaningfulness, appreciation and culture are becoming increasingly important. These include:
- Trusting leadership and feedback culture
- Self-determined work and creative freedom
- Recognition and personal development
Example: One company introduced weekly "Appreciation Moments" in which employees publicly thank each other for their achievements. This led to a measurable increase in internal motivation.
How do companies find out what their employees really want?
The most effective way is direct dialog. Methods include, for example
- Employee surveys or mood barometers
- Focus groups or workshops on benefit design
- Evaluation of usage rates and HR data
Example: One company introduced a quarterly feedback format for benefits satisfaction. This resulted in a new model with freely selectable modules - which was very well received.
How can benefits be communicated effectively?
The best performance is of little use if nobody knows it. Successful communication takes place:
- Via a central, digital benefits portal
- Through onboarding and regular internal updates
- With simple explanations and transparent processes
Example: Following the introduction of a self-service portal including FAQs and video tutorials, the use of benefits in one company increased by 40%.
What mistakes often happen - and how can they be avoided?
Frequent stumbling blocks are:
- Standardized solutions without consideration for individual needs
- Application processes too complicated
- Unclear or inadequate communication
Example: An organization offered further training, but hardly anyone took advantage of it. The reason: confusing application steps. After optimizing the process, usage increased significantly.
Solution: Successful benefits are:
- Transparent & easy to understand
- Personally selectable & customizable
- Regularly evaluated & optimized
If you want to offer modern benefits, you need more than a fruit basket and fitness subscription. It's about genuine appreciation - through individual, easily accessible and relevant offers.
