30+ Compelling Job Offer Ideas

Chilli Factor Guide – Compelling Job Offer Ideas

Compelling Job Offer Ideas Guide is an extract from Chilli Factor Recruitment Training Resources available to Chilli Factor Recruitment Software subscribers.

Are you struggling to attract and retain staff? Is your Job Offer not competitive enough?

If you can’t compete on salary there may be other selling points that are rated highly by your candidates. 

We’ve listed 30+ Compelling Job Offer ideas under the following categories:

1. The Team
2. The Company
3. The Hiring Manager 
4. The Job
5. Induction
6. Training
7. Career Development
8. Performance Reviews
9. Remuneration
10. Other Ideas 

Note: It’s recommended you seek advice from legal and HR representatives before you implement any of these ideas. Things are constantly changing and some ideas when written may no longer be doable. However they may spark some creative thinking on your part. And remember to include your current employees in the process and match their values with your offers. * These ideas may also help retain your employees.

1. The Team

Promote Employee Success

• Gather social proof (examples) of employee successes. For example:
  • Create employee profiles for use in company communications including; the intranet, company website (particularly the careers page), candidate information packs (given to candidates at interviews), and new employee welcome and induction packs.
  • Interview successful team members with a list of standard questions, for example, “What makes you successful in your job?” and “Why do you like working for [company name]?”
  • Present the profiles as written interviews with a photo of the employee.
• Promote individual successes for other team members to aspire to.
• Promote successes through awards and recognitions.

2. The Company

Share the Company’s Goals and Vision

• Document the company’s goals and vision for the next 12 – 18 months and share these with your team. Ask your team to demonstrate how their job links into these goals. Research has shown that a high percentage of employees don’t know what their company or individual goals are. This includes managers, proving it to be a valuable exercise! (Refer to Chilli Factor recruitment training resource > A3. How to create clear expectations).
• Share milestone results with your team to help them feel they’re contributing to the company’s overall success, which in turn boosts morale.
• Hold quarterly company roadshows to communicate the company’s goals and vision, and how the company is tracking and performing against these. Celebrate together the milestones and achievements.

Provide Privileges and Benefits For All Employees

• Provide privileges and benefits to all employees, including part-time employees, to gain a competitive advantage. Some companies choose to offer part-time and full-time employees the same benefits package, others choose to pay a partial cost of the benefit and allow the employee to use the partially subsided benefit (if applicable) or to purchase the remaining part of the benefit.
• Privileges and benefits can also be offered to contractors if appropriate, depending on the contractual arrangement.

Play A Part In The Community

• Can your company support a local event or attraction? This works well for community initiatives employees are interested in. It could include a fundraising event, donation, or sponsorship of a local charity or sports team. (Refer to B2. How to create an advertising campaign for suggested places and mediums).
• Another way to support the community is to allow employees paid time off to ‘play their part’. For example, employees take a paid day’s leave each year to help a local charity or cause they’re interested in. Alternatively this could be performed at a team level, for example the team attends a charity event.

3. The Hiring Manager

Create A Manager Profile

• Candidates are interviewing you – the Hiring Manager too! If offered a similar remuneration package at another company candidates may base their decision on your management style. Candidates generally want more information on:
  • Your management style
  • Your career history – including what you’ve previously done and how you got to where you are today.
  • Employee successes achieved under your management
  • Company successes achieved by your team or department
  • Key management successes
  • Mentorship and training philosophy
• Have examples of management successes at hand.
•  Ask your team for feedback on your management style so you know how you’re perceived.

4. The Job

Create A Clear Expectations Guide

• Provide a clear expectations guide to show candidates what they’ll learn, what they’ll do, their responsibilities and how they can progress in the company.
• Demonstrate how the job’s goals contribute to the company goals.

6. Training

Promote Training Opportunities

• Training is a valuable investment that everyone benefits from! Candidates generally want to up-skill and progress in their careers; companies in turn, receive high performance, staff loyalty and high retention rates.
•  Ask your team if they know of any courses, industry events, memberships or regular breakfast meetings they believe they, or a new employee, could benefit from.
• Types of training may include:
  • In-house
  • Induction
  • Up-skilling
  • Diversifying into a different field within the company
  • On the job
  • Mentorship
  • Secondments
  • Online – a number of self-paced online courses are available which are well priced
  • Hobbies / interests courses*
  • Fitness and wellbeing coaching
  • Academic, NZQA or industry recognised education
  • Network / industry seminars / presentations
• If your team holds a common interest you can offer a course for all team members. This can be a valuable team building exercise. Interests may include golf, parenting, cooking, DIY, and defensive driving (particularly beneficial for sales representatives on the road). Some companies also offer a personal hobby budget for employees.

6. Career Development

Provide a flowchart of career development opportunities

• Highlight realistic career development opportunities and discuss the steps involved.
• Showcase employees whose careers have successfully developed within the company. Testimonials can work well.
• Create clear job expectations so the candidate understands what’s expected of them. Take this one step further and show them the steps they’ll need to take to develop their career.
• Not all candidates want to develop their career, however most candidates have personal motivators. Find out what these are and if you can help. For example, the individual may not be interested in more responsibility due to family commitments, but you can give them the necessary tools and training to get them up to speed quickly and be successful in their role. You can also give them more flexibility around leave to spend time with their family. These gestures generally result in loyal and happy employees.

7. Performance Reviews

Hold regular performance reviews

• Most candidates value regular performance reviews. They provide an opportunity for feedback, support, recognition, and discussions around career development.

• Reviews should be completed in-line with each job performance measure. For example, if the measure is monthly the review should be monthly (at least for the first three months to ensure the employee is on track).

• Visit www.hrinz.org.nz for more information on facilitating and managing performance reviews.

8. Remuneration

Offer Competitive Pay

Take time to research current market rates for the job. If the offer is:

• Low – you will need to focus on other values to attract top performers.
• Competitive – you will have a good chance of hiring top people.
• High – other factors will become less important.

Offer Performance Based Pay

• Performance based pay is based on the employee’s actual performance.
• It only works if you have accurate and objective information to measure performance.
• Standards should be set for each job and should include minimum levels of performance at which pay and bonuses will be received.

Pay for Performance (results based)

• Results based pay is another way to award bonuses for predetermined objectives and measures.
• Predetermined goals and associated rewards must be in place before the performance activity occurs.
• Goals and rewards are typically agreed on by both management and employees.
• Goals can cover a range of jobs and activities. For example, a goal for a helpdesk job may be to increase calls handled and decrease repeat jobs logged.

Offer Profit Related Pay

• Some companies offer bonuses or incentives for company profit-related achievements.
• This can be structured as a one-off achievement, or based on an ongoing company goal related programme.
• The scheme rewards employees who directly or indirectly contribute to the company’s profit.
• Linking individual rewards to the company profit helps employees understand how their job and personal performance impacts on the company’s success.

Consider a Profit Share Scheme

• A profit share scheme is an incentive plan that rewards employees if the company succeeds.
• It provides direct or indirect payments to employees dependent on the company’s profitability.
• It usually works by allocating a pool of funds (typically a percentage of the profit) to employees, in addition to salary and bonuses.
• Some or all employees can be invited into the ‘pool’ depending on the plan.
• Employees are encouraged to look at the company’s ‘big picture’ as their pay is directly related to the overall performance of the company.
• Schemes can be set up by distributing cash to employees within the plan, or making additional payments towards a retirement scheme.
• Profit share schemes are generally calculated on an annual or half-yearly basis.

Offer Share / Stock Option Scheme

• Employee share and option schemes can attract candidates to a company.
• New Zealand companies make relatively wide use of these schemes and various derivatives. They provide employees with the right (but not the obligation) to purchase shares in the company.
• Always include policies around eligibility.

Set Regular Salary Reviews

Offer A Company Car and Mileage

Provide Allowances and Bonuses

There are a number of allowances and bonuses you can offer. Be creative and ensure the offer reflects the employee’s interests.

Offer Insurance Packages

• Insurance packages such as health and life insurance can form part of an employee’s benefits scheme.
• Consider extending the package to the employee’s family, or have them included in the policy.
• Insurances can be provided in a number of ways including:
  • Fully paid by the company.
  • Partially paid by the company (with the employee paying the remainder of the policy premium).
  • A set proportion of the premium paid by the company (either a percentage or dollar amount).
  • The premium paid by the company, which increases as the employee’s tenure with the company increases.
  • Group discount schemes (these can be usually be negotiated with the insurance supplier with little or no cost to the company).
  • Deducted weekly from payroll, but not subsided by the company. This can encourage employees to take up the insurance and is usually accompanied by an introductory meeting with an insurance broker/company during work hours

Offer Additional Leave

Offering additional paid leave demonstrates your flexibility and is greatly valued by employees. It’s generally offered for reasons such as:

• Study leave
• Re-charge days – a long weekend bonus
• Birthdays, including children’s birthdays
• Family time, for example school events
• Personal errands, for example half days leave for Christmas shopping.

Encourage Sabbaticals

• Sabbatical leave allows employees to devote themselves to fulltime study and learning related activities.
• Employee skills, competence and capabilities are enhanced, leading them to make a greater contribution to the job and company on their return.
• Staff retention rates may increase as employees are able to achieve long-term personal goals while still employed.
• A documented sabbatical programme should be created which might include:
  • Qualification criteria, for example the employee has been with the company for 18 months during which time they received positive performance reviews.
  • Approval criteria, for example the sabbatical is approved by a senior manager to ensure the leave is appropriate.
  • Conditions, for example sabbaticals are taken for one, three or six months. One month sabbaticals are offered with full pay and benefits; three months are offered with half pay and benefits; and six months are offered without pay, but with benefits. Employees should demonstrate how previous sabbaticals, if any, have led to achievements or benefited the company. Ask employees to submit a written report of activities.
  • General information about the programme, for example what happens to the employee’s job while they are on leave; what if the company restructures?

Contribute to Superannuation Schemes

Provide a Carpark

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• Offering a car park, especially if your offices are located in the city, can prove a valuable incentive for employees.

• Subsidised parking is also an option.

Supplement Public Transport Costs

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• If the employee doesn’t require a car during work hours you can contribute to public transport.

• Consider a company mini bus pick up at specific locations. This can be especially valuable if you experience poor punctuality and attendance. The increase in output can justify the investment. A wider candidate pool can also be reached by attracting candidates from outside the local area.

9. Other Ideas

Assess Childcare Options

• Provide on-site or off-site childcare facilities solely for employees.

• Subsidise a childcare service that suits the employee. Some government subsidies are offered, however these don’t usually cover the full cost of childcare.

• Create a referral service for parents to contact local childcare organisations.

• Enable employees to work from home on a regular or casual basis if appropriate.

• Talk with employees who have children to determine successful ’backup’ childcare options; you may be able to make these work for everyone. Offering a back-up plan can reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Offer Memberships and Create Reward Programs

• Pay for employees to sign up to a programme or club they’re interested in, for example the Automobile Association (www.aa.co.nz), which provides roadside breakdown assistance and membership to the AA rewards programme.

Offer Pet Care

Pets are considered important family members. If employees have to leave their pets at home all day or are travelling with work you could provide services for:

• Pet day-care
• Dog walkers
• Kennels or catteries
• Pet insurance
• Bring a pet to work days

Provide Health & Fitness Benefits

Encouraging employees to take part in health and fitness programmes benefits the employee and company. Ideas to consider include:

• Annual physical examinations
• Wellness programmes. (Refer to A4. Resources- Wellness Programme)
• Corporate fitness centres.
• Gym/health club membership subsidies.
• Nutrition programmes.
• Massage

Be Flexible

• Having flexible work hours for all employees (part time and contractors included) is a strong draw card for candidates.
• Greater flexibility can appeal to many candidates including: top performers who want a better work/life balance; parents returning to the workforce who want to work school hours; and semi retirees who want to pursue personal interests.
• If your company has multiple locations, let employees work from another office to be closer to home and childcare.
• If you have the technology to support remote access, allow employees to work from home on an agreed basis.

Assist with Relocation

• Offer assistance to relocating employees and their families. This will make them feel welcome and will show you care.
• Document community information such as education, healthcare providers, housing, and transport services. (Refer to Relocation Support Guide in D1. How to Make the Decision to hire and manage the offer).
• A seamless relocation can decrease stress and increase productivity.

Offer Staff Discounts for Various Products and Services

• Offer staff discounts, or family and friends deals, on company or supplier products and services.

Eldercare

• This is a growing consideration due to the ageing population.
• Some families are electing to care for their elderly parents at home (as an alternative to rest homes or retirement village).
• Elderly parents / family in rest homes can also require additional care.
• Both scenarios can require employees to spend time away from the office. Talk with employees to find out what support they need.

Coordinate Financial Advice

 Arrange for a financial specialist / advisor to run financial seminars for employees. These can include: budget management, investment and real estate advice.

Provide Counselling Support

• Pay for counsellors to help employees with issues such as addiction, grief, trauma, family problems and emotional difficulties.
• Ensure services are independent from your company.
• Reiterate to employees that all services are confidential.
• You can choose to offer a maximum number of sessions.

Offer a Personal Interest Bonus

• A personal interest budget can encourage employees to complete a self interest course, for example photography or art, to increase their self confidence, meet new people, learn new skills and grow as individuals.

• Run classes that employees are interested in, for example dance classes or self defence classes.

Employ / Outsource An Errand Runner or Assistant

• Employ an errand runner, assistant or virtual assistant (an independent contractor who works from a separate office) to perform personal administration tasks for employees.

• Determine the level of assistance and frequency required.

• Organise directly or through an agency.

In Summary

In summary, from this Compelling Offers Ideas list you can see your Job Offer is not limited to say the salary. Do your research and find out what’s important to the individuals who do the job and work for your company. Then create your Compelling Job Offer that converts candidates to employees.

Speed of making the offer, generating contracts and signing agreements is also important. That’s where Chilli Factor Offer Management System can help you.