As an IT recruitment agency in Poland, we realize that companies competing for the best Software Developers must stand out to attract the attention of candidates in the recruitment process. In the IT industry, employee benefits play a key role in attracting and retaining highly qualified IT specialists. They can significantly contribute to the increase in efficiency and trust in the company.
In addition to a competitive salary, companies often offer a variety of additional non-salary benefits. They not only increase employee satisfaction and commitment but also help build a positive image of the company as an attractive employer in a competitive recruitment environment. What benefits are most popular among IT specialists in 2024? You will find the answer to this question in the article below.
- What has changed in IT benefits in 2024?
- Is employment stability most important?
- Apart from high salary, what is most important when it comes to benefits?
- Do employees want to be able to choose work modes? Remote work vs. hybrid vs. stationary.
Are you also interested in the salaries of IT specialists in Poland? Check out our article about earnings in the IT industry.
Changes regarding employee benefits are coming
Over the years 2020-2022, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes in the approach to the benefits offered. In the face of the crisis, maintaining a balance between personal and professional life (work-life balance) and ensuring flexible forms of work became a priority. You can read more about this in the article about the revolution in employee benefits. In 2024, we also see many changes in the approach of employees and in what the market offers (e.g. in terms of the number of days of remote work offered).
Do current benefits meet employee requirements?
It is worth asking employees for their opinion or conducting surveys periodically to learn more about this topic.
In the article about employee benefits from the website wyborcza.pl, we can read that, according to the ICAN Research study commissioned by VanityStyle 2023, more than half of Polish employees (53%) say that the benefits offered by the employer do not match their needs. Last year, employee satisfaction with benefits was the lowest in a decade, at 61% (according to a MetLife report).
The best benefits are those recommended and accepted by employees. Therefore, when thinking about a specific choice, you should rely on their opinions or collected data to identify which elements have the greatest impact on improving work comfort and satisfaction.
What is important for employees in 2024?
Flexibility and work-life balance are still on top
According to data from the Wellbeing Polska, flexibility (including the possibility of remote work) and cultivating work-life balance are indicated as the most important factors in retaining and attracting the best talents in 2024.
Other examples also gaining popularity:
1. Health and sports programs supporting the maintenance of good physical and mental condition of employees.
2. Support in personal and professional development through various courses and the opportunity to participate in industry conferences.
3. Family-related benefits, including additional days off for childcare and subsidized holidays, which is an expression of concern for the well-being of employees and their families.
Stability and security of employment
According to data from the polish portal Pracuj.pl report: “New trends in recruitment – new expectations” from March 2024, it is the satisfactory salary (57%) that dominates among the desired employee benefits. However, it is already followed by stability and security of employment (41%), which have become extremely important due to recent changes in the labor market and the economic market of the country.
Motivated team, work-life balance and development
Third place was taken by a friendly and motivated team (29%), followed by the work-life balance (28%) and professional and development opportunities mentioned earlier in this article.
Remote work is still needed
We also as IT recruitment agency Next Technology Professionals, after reading many reports, asked a similar question in the LinkedIn survey in May 2024: “You can only choose 1 benefit – what would it be”? The results are presented below.
After this short analysis, we come to one conclusion. The most important benefit may be different for everyone. It does not have to be the case that the lower-ranked benefits are less important. All benefits indicated by respondents play a key role in shaping a positive image of the employer in Employer Branding and are a response to the individual needs of employees.
If you want to learn more about the benefits and employer branding, we encourage you to read our article.
What benefits are the most popular in the IT industry in 2024?
To answer this question, we’ll take a look at the latest IT job market data, available in our full report published in 2024. What preferences in terms of benefits did IT specialists show?
Possibility of remote work in the IT industry – increase by 8 p.p.
The possibility of remote work remains in first place as a standard benefit in the IT industry, winning the majority of votes once again. Compared to last year, there was a small but significant increase – from 70% to 78%.
Taking into account data from 2023, it is noticeable that as many as 55% of respondents express their willingness to work completely remotely, and 42% prefer a hybrid work model. Only 3% of respondents declare they are ready to work only stationary.
Flexible working time in the IT industry
A similar trend is visible in the case of flexible working time, which is popular at 64%. Programmers want to be able to adjust their working hours to their daily schedule.
Medical packages
Additionally, medical packages (33%) also remain among the preferred benefits, maintaining their popularity unchanged from the previous year.
4-day work week
A 4-day work week (31%) also tops the survey response. Iceland’s experiment with the introduction of a 4-day work system has been very successful, reducing stress and burnout among employees while improving their well-being. Interestingly, productivity remained stable and in some cases even increased. You can read more about this trend in a separate article.
What other benefits are becoming more popular in the IT industry?
Psychotherapy
In our LinkedIn survey, “Consultation with a psychologist” was chosen by 5% of respondents. In recent years, there has been more and more talk about the need to maintain balance in the life-work relationship. Increasing burnout and the constantly changing labor market and economy can negatively impact employees, adding to their problems and worries. Visits to specialists such as psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists are no longer taboo, and therefore some employers have decided to provide funding for medical visits or therapy.
Unlimited vacation
For this benefit to work properly, it is crucial to build a team based on trust and concentration on the results of the work performed, in the context of which it is not about time, but about satisfactory results.
Holiday apartments or workation
These are properties made available by the employer to employees for recreational purposes. These may be apartments, houses or other forms of accommodation both in Poland and abroad, which employees can use during their holidays. Travel/holiday apartments are not only an attractive benefit for employees, but also a strategic tool for employers who want to build strong and loyal teams.
Workation is a combination of work and vacation, i.e. being on holiday but working remotely from anywhere in the world. During working hours, the employee performs his tasks, and after them he can rest, go sightseeing or continue his journey.
Integration trips
After the hardships of the pandemic, it was possible to switch from completely remote work to hybrid and stationary work, and as a result, contacts between employees became important again. Integration trips are an ideal opportunity to get to know each other and build good relationships among colleagues to best improve team communication and create nice memories for years to come.
Professional training or courses
In the era of constantly improving Artificial Intelligence, what is important for an IT specialist is the perspective and the possibility of continuous training, not only in hard skills, but above all in soft skills, which are our determinant of superiority over AI. Improving your current skills and acquiring new ones, as well as following trends and technological innovations, is crucial in order to stay ahead of the fierce competition on the market and stay in the current IT sphere.
Concierge services
This is specialized assistance offered by trusted assistants who deal with employees’ everyday matters. The scope of these services is wide, covering both official matters and the organization of private life. Thanks to this, employees can focus primarily on their professional duties and enjoy a better work-life balance.
Cafeteria system
This system allows employees to independently choose the benefits that are appropriate for them, without having them imposed from above. Thanks to this solution, the employer can be sure that the employee’s expectations regarding the benefits received will be met.
Good benefits can have an impact on successful IT recruitment
When acquiring and retaining the best talents from the IT industry, competitiveness in terms of the employee benefits offered may be crucial. Therefore, it is worth conducting short surveys or simply talking to employees about their needs in order to adequately introduce any changes and facilities based on the benefits they desire.
Of course, all final decisions regarding the introduction of benefit data should be taken into account in terms of the work culture and the nature of a given organization.
If you are looking for IT specialists to start a new project or are considering cooperation with an IT recruitment agency, we encourage you to contact us. We will be happy to help you find the best IT talents in Poland. You can write to us at contact@nexttechnology.io or fill out the form.
