INCENTIVES: FIVE THINGS EXPERTS SAY EMPLOYERS CAN OFFER

MONEY: As the unemployment rate goes down, wages and financial incentives go up. The tighter the labor market, the more leverage new workers have to negotiate better compensation packages. If a company doesn’t offer competitive compensation, its employees will take — and seek — jobs elsewhere.

TIME: Workers increasingly want more control over their own schedule. Whether it’s more holidays, more vacation days, more days off to spend with family and pursue passions or just a more flexible schedule, time is a benefit that workers — especially younger candidates — are seeking. SUPPORT: Workers want to know how they fit in the organization, that the company is helping them fulfill their ambitions and they are appreciated. Ways to offer this: Training, personal mentoring, opportunities for structured — and clear — career advancement opportunities and awards. APPRECIATION: Workers want gestures of appreciation that show their employer cares. They include phone calls, cards, handwritten notes, hard-toget tickets and efforts particularly meaningful to the employee. They many be small or grand. What matters is the thought and sincerity behind it. MISSION: Many workers, especially younger ones, want to know that their work is meaningful and they are doing more than helping the company make money. Recruiters say questions candidates often ask: “What do you do to give back to the community?” They expect their employer to organize and offer volunteer and philanthropy opportunities.