(CNS): A salary survey of private sector employers in the legal and financial sector has revealed that they are not prioritising the type of workplace benefits that administrative and support staff really want. The survey conducted last year by a local recruitment company among its registered candidates and employers found that administrators are being paid as little as US$2,500 per month in some firms.

Many of the potential employees who took the survey said that flexible working options are no longer just a perk for white-collar workers but a necessity, and it was their preferred benefit. But it is only the fifth most frequently offered perk here in Cayman, behind holidays above the ten-day statuary requirement, more health cover, pension contributions over the basic legal requirement, and wellness programmes, which is not even in the top five benefits that employees want.

In the survey by NOVA Recruitment, the authors said remote work practices and nontraditional schedules that grew out of necessity as businesses got through the pandemic became the benefits that professionals wanted, even as employers were calling people back into the office in 2022.

The recruitment company, which charges employers a fee to find staff for them, said it was essential for employers to keep abreast of what staff want, and flexibility is the most important benefit, according to the candidates polled.

Ambrose Guilfoyle, the co-owner of Nova Recruitment, said in his introduction to the survey that this was currently a candidate-driven market for those with the right skills, though there is still uncertainty among job seekers due to fears about a potential recession.

He said that potential employees are increasingly weighing up the whole package, not just the salary, and valuing other benefits very highly, especially flexible working options and a clear understanding of their career progression.

“With skills gaps only further widening, organisations should consider looking to developing their existing staff and the youth of our islands to build a sustainable candidate pipeline for the future,” Guilfoyle said, suggesting that employers introduce career progression communications, skills development and apprenticeship programmes if these are not already in place.

However, salaries in many support jobs, such as banking operatives and customer service staff, remain very low, given the current cost of living, at around US$35,000 per annum.

See the survey below: