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New Research from Paycor Finds Companies Can Reduce Turnover by up to 138% with the Right Mix of Benefits

Report Provides Tips and Tools for Businesses to Significantly Decrease Employee Turnover and Increase Bottom Line

CINCINNATI – July 9, 2019 – Human Capital Management (HCM) company Paycor today released “The HR Playbook: Reduce Turnover with Employee Benefits,” a report that finds that the average turnover rate for organizations with no benefit plans is 157%, while organizations that offer six benefit plan types (e.g., standard health benefits such as PPO/HDHP, vision, dental, life, etc.) saw a 138% decrease in turnover. Paycor discovered the link between benefits and turnover by analyzing aggregated data from more than 30,000 Paycor customers nationwide. To help business leaders put these findings into action, the report offers expert advice on designing and financing a benefits program that fits the specific demographic and cultural needs of a company.

The timeliness and importance of Paycor’s findings are confirmed by a 2018 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey that found “retention/turnover was the top workforce management challenge cited by 47% of HR professionals.” Negative business effects of employee turnover include impact on company culture, time, energy and replacement costs required for hiring (advertising, recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, training and more) and lower productivity for current employees working to cover overflow during the gap of hiring and onboarding. Similarly, SHRM’s 2018 Employee Benefits Report found that companies offering strategic benefits perform 58% better than those that don’t; recruit 19% more effectively and are 28% more likely to retain employees.

Highlights from the report include:

Benefits Can Reduce Turnover and be a Competitive Advantage

Benefits have a dramatic effect on turnover because, when done right, they offer something for everyone in the company, no matter their age, title or seniority. To make benefits a competitive advantage, plan designers must account for a wide spectrum of wants and needs. For example, Generation X employees place strong value on work/life balance, while Millennial employees are willing to trade high pay for flexible schedules.

High Levels of Well-being Increase Employee Engagement

Organizations are working to engage their employees holistically with programs geared toward physical, mental and social health. 37% of organizations offer health assessments designed to uncover “modifiable risks,” like smoking behavior, physical inactivity, poor diet and high stress. 21% of companies go one level deeper and offer biometric screenings of blood pressure, cholesterol, height/weight, and blood glucose levels. However, to spark real change in the health of employees, companies need to offer a wellness program as part of the benefits package.

Financial Well-being has Appeal Across All Age Groups

There is at least one non-medical benefit that has broad appeal across all age groups: financial well-being. SHRM found that financial anxiety leads to higher absenteeism and lower engagement and the American Management Association (AMA) found that more than half of employees say they believe their employer has some responsibility for their financial well-being. As a result, investing in financial well-being programs (including life insurance, financial coaching, retirement planning, flex spending accounts, etc.) can increase the employee experience and, therefore, the bottom line.

Offering a Benefits Program Is Affordable

Small and medium-sized businesses spend more on comparable health plans than big business because they don’t have the buying power. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, on average, small businesses paid 8-18% more than enterprise companies. To make benefits affordable, organizations need to find ways to contain costs, without alienating employees, such as cost sharing, investing in technology, offering ‘free benefits’ and more.

To access the full report and learn more about how to make benefits a competitive advantage, please visit: https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/the-hr-playbook-reduce-turnover-with-employee-benefits

Survey Methodology

Business insights and survey results in this report are derived from a combination of proprietary Paycor data and highly reputable third-party sources, such as SHRM. Paycor’s research on benefits and turnover was based on an analysis of aggregated data from approximately 30,000 Paycor customers nationwide.

Supporting Quotes

“With unemployment rates hovering near 3.6% – the lowest we’ve seen in 50 years – HR teams and department managers need to do everything they can to reduce turnover and retain their best people,” said Tim Ruge, Director of Product Marketing at Paycor. “Offering benefits to your employees is good, but understanding how to provide the right mix of benefits is crucial to remain competitive, significantly reduce turnover and drive employee engagement.”

Supporting Resources

“The HR Playbook: Reduce Turnover with Employee Benefits” Report

Paycor HR Center of Excellence

Paycor Website

Paycor Products

Paycor Latest News

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About Paycor

More than 30,000 small and medium-sized businesses nationwide trust Paycor to help them engage, manage and develop their people. Paycor is known for delivering the best HCM solution for the small to mid-market, but what makes us legendary is the total customer experience we provide, from responsive service and user-friendly design to expert partnership and thought leadership. Our unique combination of technology and expertise helps customers streamline every aspect of people management so they can focus on what they know best—their business and their mission. To learn how Paycor can help you make a difference, visit www.paycor.com.

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