You wish for team colleagues with good performance, always positive, who bring good energy to the office. You wish to have ambassadors of your brand who speak with appreciation about the company’s products or services. Ambitious people are always eager to learn. It sounds ideal, but these traits do not define all colleagues, and some are not sufficiently motivated to get involved in the activity. Have you asked yourself how you can transform the potential of each colleague to encourage them to get involved in reaching the company’s objectives? What do you offer the people in your team besides salary and bonuses? How do you make the difference compared to other companies to motivate them?
The needs of the employees are complex and will vary significantly from one person to another. But a general understanding of what employees need can give you some ideas about how to involve and keep the most valuable of them. This was Edenred’s intention when it consulted the employees regarding their perceptions about the benefits.
Discover in the Benefit study published this year the top of the most appreciated and desired benefits, how many Romanian employees feel appreciated at the job, the budget you should allocate for benefits, as well as the most appreciated benefits depending on generation!
What benefits matter the most for employees?
9 out of 10 employees consider that financial reward is the most important appreciation factor. Bonuses are the preferred form of recognition, followed by extra days off, access to wellness programs, and professional development courses.
However, only 4 out of 10 employees feel they are constantly appreciated, which shows that there is room for improvement in the companies’ strategies regarding team motivation.
Compared to Romania, globally, 5 out of 10 employees declare they feel frequently valued for their human quality, and not just for professional activity, while only 6 out of 10 see bonuses as the most desired form of recognition. On a global scale, the relationship with the manager (58%) and recognition of personal events (51%) – birthdays, childbirth, wedding day, etc., represent the most important appreciation factors.
Offering benefits and recognition to employees is not a cost, but an investment. (Richard Branson – founder of Virgin Group)
The top of the most appreciated benefits
Every year the same question returns in HR teams: how do we still motivate colleagues? The Benefit study has the top of the most appreciated benefits now:
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Meal cards
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Gift cards
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Vacation cards
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Cultural cards
Financial benefits in the form of cards/vouchers are appreciated by 91% of respondents -
Days off (42%)
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Insurance policies (38%)
In terms of extra-salary benefits preferred by employees, except for meal cards which still remain in first place, we find:
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Gifts, which recorded the highest increase in 2024 (33% versus 2023), show the need for flexibility and the desire for personalized recognition.
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Tourism at 28%, with a 7% increase from 2023, and special occasion gifts at 14% (a 24% increase from 2023).
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Health and private pension benefits, which recorded increases of 11% and 28% respectively.
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Cultural activities are also at the top and enjoyed the highest year-over-year increase, by 112%.
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The sports category registered a 20% decrease in spending due to legislative changes in 2024.
However, the most appreciated benefits are not always the most desired.
Top most desired salary benefits in Romania:
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Extra days off (54%)
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Wellness (41%)
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Professional courses (38%)
In Romania, value vouchers are the most used benefits, while globally, insurance and time off are prioritized.
Here is the top of the most appreciated benefits globally
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Time off (74%)
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Insurances (70%)
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Financial benefits (70%)
Top most desired salary benefits globally:
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4-day work week (51%)
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Unlimited vacation (49%)
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Professional development (40%)
How appreciated do Romanians feel compared to employees from other countries?
In Romania, there is room for better, we can improve employee appreciation, considering that currently only 40% feel constantly valued, compared to 49% of employees from other countries. 60% of Romanian employees feel appreciated only sometimes, rarely, or never.
Globally, the relationship with the manager and recognition of personal events (e.g., birthday) are essential, whereas in Romania, financial rewards are perceived as the most important form of appreciation (90%).
The most desired forms of appreciation in Romania vs globally:
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Bonuses: 90% – Romania vs 57% – global
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Non-financial rewards: 33% – Romania vs 29% (recognition in evaluations) and 22% verbal appreciation – globally
Verbal appreciation and personalized recognition are important in both studies.
Do benefits impact productivity?
Data shows that 3 out of 5 employees believe extra-salary benefits have a direct impact on their performance. However, only 1 out of 5 Romanians considers the received benefits package to be fully adapted to their needs. Most of them desire:
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Time off – 65% in Romania vs 46% globally
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Financial benefits – 62% vs 43% globally
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Insurances – 53% in Romania vs 42% globally
Time off and financial benefits are essential for performance both globally and locally, but their impact is perceived more strongly in Romania. Insurances are more appreciated locally than globally (53% vs 42%). Transport and education have a higher impact on performance in Romania.
What budget do we allocate in 2025 for benefits?
The average budget allocated for extra-salary benefits increased by 17% in 2024, continuing the upward trend of recent years, and for 2025, a further 10% increase is estimated. In fact, the budgets for these benefits have doubled between 2019 and 2025, reaching an average of 1,000 RON per employee.
Companies in finance and insurance, followed by IT & Software, industry, and trade, allocate the largest investments. The smallest sums are granted in the health and social assistance sector.
“The dynamics of extra-salary benefits in Romania reflect a profound change in the way companies approach the relationship with employees. In the last six years, the budget allocated for benefits has doubled, and in 2024 it grew by 17%, a trend that not only persists but is expected to grow even faster in 2025. These figures are not just economic indicators but signal a maturing market, in which benefits become a strategic pillar of retention and productivity. The fact that, despite these investments, only 1 in 5 employees considers that the current benefits package fully meets their needs highlights the necessity for greater personalization. The labor market is moving towards a model where flexibility and adaptability will define companies’ success in attracting and retaining talent.” – Gorkem Oran, Managing Director, Edenred Romania
Top benefits by generation
Generations have different priorities when it comes to benefits:
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Gen Z is a generation very connected to technology and digital culture, with a tendency toward using modern commerce platforms. It invests 10% more in benefits compared to previous generations. It opts for gifts (about 50%) and cultural benefits (concert tickets, festivals, bookstores).
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Generation Y is concerned with health and wellbeing, with a balance between personal and professional life, so the choices of employees in this category are gifts (28%), tourism, and health benefits.
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Generation X is also focused on a healthy and relaxed lifestyle. It is transitioning toward retirement, so the concern for a comfortable future is greater, shown by increased interest in private pensions, gifts, and tourism.
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Baby Boomers feel the context of demographic changes and increasingly insecure public pensions. People in this category are more attentive to creating a private pension fund to ensure a comfortable retirement life. They are also interested in tourism (38%).
Extra-salary benefits are no longer just an optional advantage, but a strategic element essential to improving retention and productivity of colleagues. The investment in these benefits has increased considerably in recent years, and the trend will continue to intensify. Follow this trend and personalize benefits packages according to the different needs of employees. Through flexibility, recognition of work, and balance between professional and personal life, you will keep up with labor market trends and be a desirable employer.
Remember these figures that will motivate your future decisions:
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Only 1 in 5 employees considers the current benefits package fully adapted to their needs
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Only 2 in 5 employees feel often appreciated; alternatively, 1 in 5 employees feel rarely or never appreciated
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1 in 2 employees want more days off as part of their benefits package
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2 in 5 employees want access to professional training courses as part of their benefits package
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2 in 5 employees want wellness services as part of their benefits package
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3 in 5 employees consider that financial benefits have a significant impact on productivity
Source: Benefit Study – Current analysis of trends in benefits, recognition, and rewards for employees
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