Table of Contents: Employee Benefits
Are Your Employee Benefits Keeping Up With Today’s Workforce?
According to SHRM’s 2025 Employee Benefits Survey, 81% of employers are investing in retirement savings and planning…but this is just the starting point in a rapidly changing benefits landscape. With economic uncertainty, disruptive technologies, and evolving workforce demographics, the question for every business leader is: Are your benefits truly aligned with what employees want today?
Why Updating Benefits to Match Employee Needs Matters
Modern employees, especially those who belong to Gen Z, expect more than just a paycheck. They seek comprehensive benefits that support their financial security, well-being, and work-life balance. When employers regularly update benefits to reflect these needs, they see:
- 😀 Higher retention and engagement: Employees who feel supported are more likely to stay and perform at their best, while those who don’t get adequate support are likely to look for opportunities that provide more scaffolding for success.
- 😀 Improved recruitment: Competitive benefits attract top talent since they have their pick of the best opportunities. This is especially effective in a tight labor market.
- 😀 Increased Productivity: Benefits that address current challenges (like mental health or caregiving) help employees navigate uncertainty and stay productive.
Why Are Employee Desires and Expectations Changing?
Several factors are driving the shift in what employees want from their benefits. Overall, they seek workplaces that offer benefits that address today’s unique challenges, such as the increased cost of living and the need to balance work with caring for loved ones.
- 🧭 Economic pressures: Persistent inflation and rising healthcare costs mean employees value affordable, robust health coverage and financial wellness support.
- 🧭 Technological disruption: The rise of AI and remote work has changed how and where people work, increasing demand for flexible schedules and digital tools as benefits.
- 🧭 Demographic shifts: An aging workforce and increased diversity require personalized, inclusive benefits that meet a wide range of needs.
- 🧭 Societal changes: Employees are more vocal about mental health, caregiving, and work-life integration, expecting employers to respond accordingly.
The Most In-Demand Employee Benefits of 2025
Health and Well-Being
Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage
Healthcare continues to be the most in-demand benefit in 2025. Employees expect robust medical coverage that includes preventive care and support for long-term health.
Mental Health Support
Mental health has become a standard part of corporate benefits packages. Counseling services, employee assistance programs, therapy apps, and dedicated mental health days are highly valued by workers.
Digital Health Solutions and Telemedicine
The rise of virtual care means employees want telemedicine access, digital therapy, and wellness apps that make healthcare more accessible and flexible.
Flexible Work Models
Hybrid and Remote Work Options
Hybrid work remains one of the most sought-after benefits, with many employees expecting the ability to work remotely at least part of the time.
Flexible Scheduling and Four-Day Workweeks
Beyond location flexibility, workers are asking for schedule control. Four-day workweeks, compressed schedules, and flexible hours help improve work-life balance.
Financial Wellness
Retirement Plans and 401(k) Matching
Retirement security is top of mind. Employees increasingly want employers to offer matching contributions and Roth 401(k) options.
Emergency Savings Programs
Emergency funds supported by employers are gaining traction, providing employees with a financial safety net.
Student Loan Repayment Assistance
With student debt continuing to weigh on younger employees, loan repayment benefits are becoming more common and attractive.
Financial Literacy Tools and Coaching
Educational programs and resources that help employees budget, manage debt, and plan for the future are also growing in demand.
Career Growth Opportunities
Company-Led Training Programs
Professional development is no longer optional—employees expect companies to provide structured learning and skills training.
Leadership Coaching and Career Path Support
Opportunities for advancement and leadership development help retain talent and demonstrate a commitment to long-term employee growth.
Time Off and Leave
Paid Leave and Vacation Time
Paid time off remains a core expectation, and employees place a high value on generous vacation and sick leave policies.
Expanded Leave Options
Companies are expanding beyond traditional maternity and paternity leave to include support such as menopause leave, grandparent leave, and family planning benefits.
Personalized Benefits
Tailored Benefit Packages
Employees increasingly want benefits that align with their life stage and personal priorities rather than one-size-fits-all options.
Lifestyle Spending Accounts
Many corporations are offering flexible accounts that employees can use for wellness, childcare, fitness, or home office needs.
Culture and Lifestyle Perks
Team Bonding and Cultural Activities
Social events and team experiences are becoming part of the corporate benefits package, helping employees feel more connected.
Daily Comfort and Lifestyle Perks
Pet-friendly offices, wellness rooms, healthy snacks, and recreational spaces resonate with younger workers seeking a more enjoyable work environment.
Sabbaticals and Generational Perks
Gen Z in particular values unique offerings such as sabbaticals, flexible weeks, and amenities that support well-being and creativity.
4 Ways to Improve Your Current Benefits Offering
To ensure your benefits remain relevant and impactful, consider these strategies:
- 1. Conduct regular employee surveys: Surveys give you direct insight into what your workforce values, what’s missing, and how current offerings are perceived. Use a mix of rating scales, open-ended questions, and ranking exercises to capture nuanced feedback.
- 2. Benchmark against industry standards: Compare your benefits to those offered by competitors to spot gaps and opportunities. Don’t know how to get this information? We can discreetly gather information on your behalf through competitive intelligence.
- 3. Act on feedback: Gathering feedback is only half the battle. Use survey results to refine offerings, communicate changes transparently, and demonstrate that employee input drives decisions.
- 4. Repeat the entire process: Regularly surveying and updating data ensures benefits keep pace with changing needs and expectations. After all, the workplace is always evolving!
Competitive Intelligence: Is Your Benefits Package Up to Par?
Competitive intelligence isn’t just for product and pricing…it’s crucial for HR. By researching what benefits (and other perks) your competitors offer, you can:
- Identify gaps in your own offerings
- Stay ahead of market trends
- Ensure your packages are attractive to both current and prospective employees
Tools and services exist to help HR teams gather this intelligence, from public filings and job postings to specialized benchmarking platforms. But when you need to go beyond data that’s available in the public domain, hiring recruiting researchers is the way to go. Our experienced researchers can uncover hidden information about competitors so that you can reevaluate your benefits, salary, and other offerings to stay on top of candidate expectations.
How to Discover If You’re Competitive
There are several ways to find out if your organization is offering the types of benefits and perks that top talent is expecting.
- Leverage benchmarking tools: Many organizations, including SHRM, offer interactive tools to compare your benefits against similar companies by size, location, and industry.
- Monitor job postings: Review competitors’ job ads for details on benefits. Run these jobs through AI to analyze the posts’ strengths and weaknesses for deeper analysis.
- Engage in industry networking: Share insights and best practices with peers to stay informed about emerging trends. They may tell you about some ways they keep their employees happy. Take mental notes during these conversations!
- Partner with experts: Consider working with consultants or recruiting research firms that specialize in benefits intelligence and HR analytics.
Take Action to Stay Ahead with Employee Benefits
The employee benefits landscape is evolving fast. To attract and retain top talent, you must continuously adapt your offerings to meet employee needs and outpace competitors.
Ready to get ahead? Partner with Corporate Navigators for deep competitive intelligence research. Discover exactly what your competitors are offering, so you can build better packages, boost retention, and become an employer of choice.
Stay proactive. Listen to your employees. And let data, not guesswork, guide your benefits strategy for 2025 and beyond.
