I know that in my line of work relocation costs being paid for as well as tuition reimbursement and paying for past college debt are benefits that highly account for recruiting talent. We have lucrative sign on bonuses for certain hard to fill positions and getting a check for $10k doesn’t hurt the candidate while securing their dedication to us for a couple of years, win, win. I have had people come to my team for those reasons in conjunction with the great medical, dental, and vision packages provided. Paying for college is a huge expense and if people want to further their education or have high student loans offering compensation in this way is very valuable, maybe even as valuable as their rate of pay, depending on the position.

Another perk that I encourage everyone to take advantage of is the matching 401k contribution. It is like getting a raise on each check and if you invest early enough it really pays off. In all of these situations, money talks. The more robust and well-rounded the compensation package the more likely you will attract people, and hopefully the very best.

I personally take advantage of all benefits that my organization provides and many of these things have kept me there for the 18 years I have been employed with them. I have been offered other positions but on top of the things mentioned I will be paid out for all of my ill and vacation time when I leave. That is a thing of the past, starting at a new company would almost certainly guarantee that I wouldn’t have this benefit.