New Zealand’s employers are resorting to new and creative methods to attract and retain talent, according to a survey by Frog Recruitment.

The recruitment agency commissioned Frog World of Work Survey questioned senior managers of nearly 61,000 employees from organisations in various sectors including insurance, education, retail, manufacturing, and not-for-profit.

More than eight in 10 (83%) employers said that attracting and retaining staff is the second-largest challenge for firms, right behind business growth.

However, only one-third of employers have initiatives in place to address the situation. This shows the difficulty of enacting an efficient, talent-focused, and practical solution.

Employers cited commonplace benefits such as better pay, flexible working hours and work-from-home arrangements, provision of health insurance, gym memberships, birthday leave, extended annual leave, free meals or snacks, and subsidised childcare.

However, some employers are trying other less-conventional benefits for their employees. Some have increased the number of sick leave days, and extending it to caring for elderly parents and even sick pets, known as ‘paw-turnity’ leave. Other benefits include school concert leave, ‘You Days’, and leave trading (buying and selling leave).

“The face of New Zealand business has changed,” said Jane Kennelly, CEO of Frog Recruitment. “The lines are blurred more than ever between our personal and work lives. The loud message is that it is no longer OK for an employer to pay lip service to ‘work life balance’ - it must be a reality. As employers, we need to acknowledge that work is one part of a well-adjusted life and the more contented an employee, the more productive he or she will be.”