Company shares? The new employee benefit paying dividends.

It's hard to find great people.

It can be even harder to keep them.

Companies are investing more than ever in their employee benefit schemes with wellness packages, fitness incentives, four day working weeks, increased paternity leave benefits and lucrative bonus structures garnering attention.

Employers are resisting trying to compete on salary alone as increasing wages drives up the total cost of business when looking at internal parity and competing on increasing wages alone is an unsustainable business model.

So what is an area that growing small to medium businesses can start to compete?

The answer is offering share incentives for employees.

The true value of this benefit in a market can be seen in the comparison of wage growth to shareholder dividends over the last four years.

Currently we have wages growth sitting at just 3% while the global dividend pay outs to shareholders have risen 14 times higher than worker pay since 2020 according to analysis from Oxfam.

Global Corporate Dividends are on track to outperform the all time high of $1.66 trillion reached last year.

A HRMC Evaluation report in 2023 highlighted 81% of business leaders said that share incentive schemes boosted their businesses and helped them attract and retain staff while 31% of businesses are aware of these schemes and believe they would be too complex to set up.

One things for sure, remaining competitive in the market with talent attraction strategies and incentives while keeping your finger on the pulse to what the competition is offering is going to be a key consideration moving forward.

Is share incentives programs going to be on the rise?

Only time will tell.

PS?- Whenever you're ready, here are three ways we can help you with your business:

1. If you want inspiration to overcome adversity, create opportunity, and accelerate your career, listen to the?Building Doors podcast.

2. If you want 2024 to be the year you land your dream job, apply for the?work with me and our team?at Karan & Co.

3. If you want to attract and hire the right people and grow your business with confidence,?work with me and our team?at Karan & Co.