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Health leads wealth
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June 6, 2000: 6:23 p.m. ET
Survey finds most workers value health insurance over salary
By Staff Writer Rob Lenihan
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Mother always said money isn't everything and apparently people are listening.
A study released Tuesday finds that while today's workers have high salary expectations, they also value certain benefits more than competitive pay.
The 2000 Randstad North America Employee Review, a survey of 6,000 workers, found 70 percent of employees listed health insurance/benefits as the top factor in the decision to stay in their current job if another were offered to them.
"Health insurance is a huge factor," said Daryl Evans, Randstad North America's managing director of marketing. 
Competitive industry wages came next at 59 percent and on-site/internal training followed at 50 percent. Other items on the list included outside training resources, stock/profit sharing plans and bonuses based on company profits.
Among soft categories, where money was not the issue, Evans said liking the people you work with actually edged out health insurance in making a job change decision.
"We've seen this to be a hugely motivating factor in keeping employees in a place," he said.
Don Blohowiak, executive director of Leadwell Institute, a business consultancy, said these issues were not surprising.
"You want to have people in jobs in an environment that fits well with them," he said. "The real driver is do we feel welcome, stimulated and appreciated in the place we're in?"
Smart Money
For most people surveyed, a higher salary was a given. The review found 64 percent of workers expect employers to pay them more because the economy is strong. While young workers were leading the charge in this attitude, two-thirds of all workers felt higher salaries were part of the employment picture.
 "There's a sense of entitlement across all generations," Evans said.
Blohowiak said he has found young people are less interested in the concept of paying their dues that Baby Boomers were raised on.
"They want to be appreciated now," he said.
The review found that younger workers viewed job training differently than older employees. Evans said the Generation X workers felt they had to learn new things to keep up, while Baby Boomers and mature workers felt learning new things helped them get ahead.
Evans said the survey shows a different view on the concept of loyalty between the worker and the employer. While most employees surveyed said they were loyal, they also said it was foolish to commit to one employer.
"Loyalty today means I'm totally dedicated to what you're asking me to do right now," Evans said. "Employers need to wrap their heads around the positive side of that and they'll find they'll be getting along better with their employees."
For the front office
Employers looking to benefit from the information in the study can do the following:
ü Focus on compensation flexibility. Employers remain competitive when they stay abreast of market forces in salaries and become an even more attractive target for prospects.
ü Consider menu-based benefits. Offering employees a wide-ranging menu of benefits allows them to construct a package that best meets their individual or family needs.
ü Consider profit sharing and stock ownership. Many employees expect these additions to benefit packages based on news of lucrative options in the Internet and high-tech industries.
ü Offer flexible work arrangements. Roper Starch Worldwide research shows 51 percent of the workforce today prefers non-traditional jobs where they can work at home, work part-time or can drop in and out of the workforce. 
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