Consultants say one way companies can become attractive in this arena is by making daily life less scattered for employees by offering benefits like concierge services, take home meals, credit unions and dry cleaning. Companies can help workers with financial security by offering an electronic planning tool or giving referrals and discounts to a financial planner. And in the employee listening we have done, it gives a broad halo for the organization as a whole. Elsewhere, employers are pushing their corporate culture as a recruiting and retention tool. But what a company says and does are sometimes two different things, and the difference can be a particular problem regarding benefits, Baumruk warns.
Administration is key.
People can get frustrated because they can't use the benefits effectively or even get to them. Each company differs Remember there is no silver bullet in recruiting and retaining employees, according to Segal's Rich. Each company needs to think through their business plans rather than pick up the soup du jour. And even on a busy work day, companies should keep in mind that an employee calling the plumber during working hours is probably a good sign, Stum reminds. Return to the Third Millennium front page.