Attracting talent with smarter benefits

EV Fleet: Chris Harbutt, New Energy Vehicle Solutions

In smaller businesses, every team member plays a critical role.

Attracting and retaining the right talent is more important than ever, as everyone is integral to both the day-to-day operations and the long-term success of the company.

Increasingly salary alone is no longer enough to secure the right person, with many other factors now playing a role. Candidates are considering culture, additional benefits and sustainability when making career decisions, and one of the most effective ways to make your business stand out is through a well-designed benefits programme that offers relevancy and attainable value.

Salary sacrifice schemes

Salary sacrifice allows employees to exchange part of their pre-tax salary for products or services. The best part? They save on tax and national contributions, making the salary effectively go further.

These are becoming one of the most appealing options for businesses looking to enhance their benefits offering, and while schemes like childcare vouchers and bike-to-work initiatives have been around for some time, today’s options are more diverse, offering everything from pension contributions to dental insurance – and, more recently, electric cars.

The addition of electric vehicles as part of these schemes is revolutionary. EV salary sacrifice schemes offer savings of 20% – 40% on new electric cars, providing employees with an affordable, sustainable way to drive a brand-new vehicle. It’s a benefit that doesn’t cost the company anything and aligns with corporate sustainability goals by reducing emissions. Setting up such a scheme is easier and quicker than you think, and we would be happy to see if it could work for your business.

Opportunity to improve

The company vehicle policy is often overlooked as an opportunity to improve employee satisfaction and attract top talent. A well-crafted vehicle policy can significantly enhance your benefits offering.

When did you last review yours?

If your vehicle policy has not been updated recently – or if you don’t really have one – now’s the time to ask: “Does this fully support our business objectives or employee’s needs?”  If the answer is unclear, it might be time for a refresh.

Even small adjustments can have a significant impact. For example, adding air conditioning to your van specification can improve comfort and employee well-being, while transitioning them to electric helps reduce your business’s environmental footprint. The best part? You don’t need to be a large corporation to access great pricing or specialist fleet management. By working with a knowledgeable fleet broker, like us, you can access competitive pricing and flexible solutions on par with large fleets.

In today’s race to recruit and retain the best talent, offering the right benefits can make all the difference. Whether you are offering company vehicles or employee benefits through salary sacrifice schemes, vehicles can play a key role in both attracting and retaining talent.