Annual leave, remote & flexible working options most important benefits for sector job seekers
Melanie May | 13 September 2023 | News
In terms of benefits or perks, sector job seekers are first and foremost looking for 25+ days annual leave, remote working options and flexible working hours, and training and development opportunities, according to CharityJob’s Benefits Report 2023.
Organisational culture, mission / purpose, and salary are also top considerations.
CharityJob‘s Benefits Report 2023 reveals the benefits and perks employees receive in their current roles and the factors they prioritise when considering job opportunities. It saw CharityJob survey over 1,400 candidates on what they currently receive and which ones they look for in a new job. The majority, 71%, identified as female, with most respondents falling between the ages of 25 and 54. The findings follow its Salary Report 2023, which looks at average charity sector salaries and trends and was published in March.
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Most received
The most common benefits received were:
- 25+ days annual leave (not including bank holidays) (80%)
- Remote working options (79%)
- Flexible working hours (71%)
- Free tea/coffee (53%)
- Training and development opportunities (53%)
- Mental health and wellbeing support (50%)
Most important
The most important of these for candidates were 25+ days annual leave, remote working options and flexible working hours, followed by training and development opportunities (44%).
Other benefits and perks candidates considered important when considering opportunities, but received by less were a four-day work week on full-time pay (important to 27% and received by 3%), health insurance or private medical insurance (23% vs. 17%), and a clear progression pathway (20% vs 5%).
Organisational culture is also important: when considering job opportunities, organisational culture was very important or important for 91% in total, as was salary, followed by organisational mission or purpose (88%), flexible working hours (80%), remote working opportunities (77%), and diversity of the organisation (74%).
Demographic differences
The report shows too that the relative importance of specific benefits varies between demographic groups.
Flexible working was the most important benefit for those with caring responsibilities (33% of those surveyed), closely followed by 25+ days annual leave and remote working options. For those with no caring responsibilities, 25+ days annual leave was the most important factor. Men were slightly more likely to see 25+ days annual leave as the most important benefit and more likely to see health or medical insurance as a highly desired benefit.
Raya Wexler, Co-founder of CharityJob commented:
“Offering fair pay remains essential to attracting candidates and increasing diversity across organisations, but it’s clear that salary isn’t always the main incentive for joining the charity sector.
“It’s crucial for employers to offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. This means not only tailoring benefits to the specific needs of diverse candidates, but also cultivating a positive and inclusive work environment that aligns with the charity’s mission and values.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.