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Canadian employers lean on benefits to win job switchers
Robert Half Canada research says benefits have become the leading job-change factor for professionals entering 2026, with many hiring managers adding perks instead of raising base pay.
Benefits are replacing salary as the top reason Canadian professionals say they would switch jobs in 2026, according to research from Robert Half Canada published by Insurance Business.
The same research found nearly half of Canadian hiring managers expect to address rising compensation expectations by adding new employee benefits and perks rather than increasing base pay. The article also notes that the benefits conversation is shifting from later in the process to the first interview stage, where candidates ask early about what coverage and support look like.
Insurance Business highlights how employers are adjusting benefits based on internal workforce feedback and analysis. At Neo Performance Materials, a global advanced materials company in Toronto, the HR director says her team ran a comprehensive benefits review in 2025, including workforce surveys and utilization analysis broken down by age group and gender, before making targeted changes to health coverage, financial wellness support, and professional development funding.
The article attributes the trend to changing expectations among younger cohorts, as described by TELUS Health research leadership. It also points to broader health risks among younger workers, including more cancers, cardiovascular issues, and mental health risk, and argues that benefits can signal whether employers prioritize employee wellbeing.