When looking to expand your staff and attract high quality candidates, you may feel daunted if you can't offer a top-tier salary. A great alternative is putting together a killer benefits package that goes above and beyond the traditional health, medical and dental benefits. Candidates who are interested in work-life balance and long-term financial stability will find these benefits very appealing, and may choose to apply to your company over one that pays a bit more but offers a less impressive benefits package. Here are six benefits to consider adding to attract top talent:

Wellness Program

Wellness programs tend to be affordable for companies that offer them, and appeal to existing employees and prospective candidates alike. These programs vary widely but may include discounted gym memberships (or even an on-site gym if you have the space), annual flu shots, complimentary health screenings, walking groups, smoking cessation support groups, and more.

By offering this benefit, you will not only attract great candidates, but will also boost staff morale and promote a healthier (and less-prone-to-call-in-sick) workforce. Some group health insurance benefit plans will even offer your company a discount if you include a wellness program, since the healthier your employees are, the less likely they are to use substantial health insurance benefits.

Stock Options

If your company is incorporated, a great benefit to offer is free stock options. Your employee will love knowing they have an investment in the company that will offer financial benefits down the road beyond their salary. In addition, they may become more committed to the company's success and mission when they technically own a part of it. This is also a very affordable benefit to offer, since typically the only cost involved is administration fees.

Transportation Assistance

Another relatively low cost but quite attractive benefit to offer candidates is help covering the cost of transportation. By offering public transportation passes or paid parking, you will attract great candidates who may live farther away and be concerned about the cost of commuting. Offering this benefit helps your company out as well, since offering transportation assistance will help cut down on employees missing work for transportation-related reasons.

Work-from-Home Option

While not a part of an official insurance and benefits package, offering employees the chance to work from home at least some of the time is a very attractive perk for many candidates. They get to save money on gas and spend less time commuting, and you get to attract the kind of self-motivated employees who are productive whether in the office or at home. In fact, studies have shown that employees tend to be more productive when working from home than when surrounded by the distractions of office life, so offering this benefit is a win-win.

Matching 401K

With polls consistently showing that American workers are worried about retirement, offering a solid retirement account benefit is critical to attracting the best job candidates. A matching 401K, where your company matches a certain percentage of your employees' contributions to their retirement account, is an especially beloved option. While some companies match 401K contributions at 100%, even a smaller matching percentage will be attractive compared to companies who don't offer matching or offer retirement accounts at all.

Education Benefits

Tuition reimbursement benefits will attract top candidates who are interested in furthering their education, learning valuable new skills, and developing their career path. By offering education benefits, you show candidates and employees that you value them and their futures. This is an especially appealing benefit for upwardly mobile job candidates who wish to avoid student loans.

By offering a combination of these benefits, you will be sure to attract high quality job candidates to your company. For more information and ideas, contact a company like NFP, P & C, Inc.

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