The 5 most in-demand benefits of 2023

As workers' focus on their well-being, mental health and family life increases, so too has the demand for workplace benefits that support these priorities. As companies fight to attract talent, more and more job listings are bragging about available benefits that go way beyond the standard health and retirement programs.

Sixty-one percent of the workforce considers work-life balance and increased well-being when assessing a new position, according to a Gallup poll. Another 64% said better pay or benefits would matter most, pointing to the mindset that benefits are equally as important as compensation. Specific benefits can vary across organizations, but one thing is clear: In this competitive job market, the employers staying ahead of the game are using job postings to advertise in-demand offerings.

"If your offerings and perks have real value, it only makes sense to shout about it," says James Neave, head of data science at Adzuna, which recently analyzed the workplace benefits being offered at increasing rates. "You're going to get people more interested and increase your applicants, so it makes complete sense from a commercial perspective."

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Adzuna's research shows dramatic three-year increases in benefits prioritizing health and wellness, family planning, tuition reimbursement, volunteering and flexibility. It's not always easy for employers to know which particular benefits are going to excite candidates, but the current data is a good proxy, Neave says. 

"If we look at maternity and paternity leave, for example, those numbers are quite substantial and have shown a nice growth trend over the past few years," he says. "Statistically it's good evidence that potential employees will see this and recognize and assign value to it, because companies have decided to jump on the train and offer the same benefits."

To further encourage job seekers, Neave suggests making company career pages an extension of a benefits list to give a representation of an organization's culture and values. If a company offers volunteer days as a benefit, for example, they can post pictures of their employees participating in these events. He points out that this gives a bit of insight "behind the corporate curtain" and gives applicants a glimpse of what it would actually be like to work for a company. 

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When trying to gain the competitive edge in the quest for talent, companies that listen to their current employees and observe what seems to be working for their competition will have a better handle on which benefits they should be highlighting in their job listings. 

"With all these benefits, it's important for companies to understand that it's only ever going to be a percentage of candidates or existing workforce who will be excited by it or use it," Neave says. "But it's a cumulative effect. The data is showing the standard now evolving to include some benefits that are a little surprising. [These] can make your workplace and the company environment a more compelling and attractive place to be."

Below are the five categories and specific benefits that companies are hoping will catch applicants' interest, according to Adzuna's research.