If you're keen to attract the most talented workers to your business, it's important to make your job positions as appealing as possible. Employee benefits packages are an effective way to add value to your company, and some of their most common features are now considered by many employees to be indispensible.

Employee benefits have become increasingly popular over the years, particularly among families in which both partners are working. Many of these benefits are aimed at offering financial protection for employees as well as their families, while others concern workers' health care or leisure activities.

Financial benefits regularly feature among the most popular employee benefits, including paid holidays, free parking and the ability to buy shares in the company after working there for a certain amount of time. Pension schemes and retirement annuities are also particularly popular with employees of various ages, especially when their employers match contributions paid into these plans to help a worker's retirement savings grow at a faster rate.

Employees with families are likely to request benefits such as flexi-time, allowing them to spend more time at home during the day or to take their children to and from school. With health benefits being among the most popular employee benefits in general, workers with families are more likely to look into benefits that offer affordable health insurance for their partner and children, as well as themselves.

Health insurance is becoming ever more desired by employees working in various sectors, especially as more public health care services close and access to specialised doctors requires longer waiting times without the benefit of private health care. General health insurance plans as well as dental insurance and more specialised insurance policies are now offered by many companies to their employees, though the level of cover these provide may vary.

Another popular insurance product included in many employee benefits plans is life insurance, which offers financial protection for a worker's dependents in the event that they are no longer able to work and bring in a regular income. These plans can be started at any age, with employees who open life insurance funds earlier in their lives benefiting from lower premiums than people approaching retirement age.

Some companies also offer employees the opportunity to develop their skills by attending seminars and enrolling in personal development courses, while salary sacrifice schemes offered by employers can make buying or leasing a car more affordable, due to the tax benefits involved.

The author of this article is a part of a digital marketing agency that works with brands like Bupa. The views and opinions expressed within this article belong to the writer and any reference or summary of Bupa Health Information Factsheets is that of the writers and does not represent Bupa or the information contained within the Bupa website. The contents of this article are of a general nature only and do not constitute specific advice.  This article does not take into account your circumstances or needs and must not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice.