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Some companies have found that certain benefits improve retention for some groups of employees, but have little impact on others. For example, according to a 2005 SHRM magazine article, IndyMac Bank, a California mortgage lender, found that while stock awards had an overall positive retention influence on all employees, turnover for management was only slightly lower for those awarded stock than those who weren't. But for operations staff granted stock, turnover was more than 50 percent lower.

It may be that managers took stock options for granted and were motivated to stay or leave based on other factors, while operations personnel saw stock awards as above-average rewards, and were more likely to stay as a result.

There are a few lessons we can deduce from IndyMac's experience:

• The impact of your benefit plan on employee satisfaction can be measured with solid data.
• Different employee groups value certain benefits more than others.
• Analysis of surveys and turnover data gives insight into which benefits impact turnover.

So, it makes good sense to survey employees at least every few years on benefits. (It's also important to keep tabs on what the competition is doing in this area.) If you have annual employee satisfaction surveys, add a section on benefits. With any employee survey, its critical to share the results with the whole firm. Then, decide what action steps are appropriate and let everybody know about them.

The feedback and action step is critical. If you fail to address common concerns cited in the survey, employees will likely perceive management as being out of touch or of ignoring legitimate issues. That's not to say that every item on the employee wish list needs to be fulfilled, but an explanation of what is and what isn't practical is in order. At worst, this lets everyone know that their concerns have been heard and noted.

Change is a constant

It's important to realize that societal changes have great influence over which benefits employees value. Telecommuting wasn't very practical for many workers 20 years ago, but it is a valued perk for many today. Elder care is another benefit that bears watching.Firms that can accommodate employees on this issue may have an edge in recruiting and retention.