Across the building services consultancy sector, competition for skilled Mechanical and Electrical Engineers remains fierce. Salaries are important, but we’re seeing more and more candidates make career decisions based on the benefits package.

It’s no longer about “perks” like shopping discounts or cycle-to-work schemes. What matters most are core benefits that directly impact financial security, health, and long-term career growth.

Here are the benefits topping the wish lists of candidates we speak to every day:

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1. Private Healthcare (Often Family Cover)

Healthcare is one of the most asked-about benefits across the MEP market. For many engineers, it’s now seen as a baseline expectation rather than a perk. Offering private medical insurance (with the option to extend to family members) immediately makes a consultancy more competitive. Providers such as Vitality and AXA, often combined with wellness programmes, are especially valued.

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2. Strong Pension Contributions

The statutory minimum of 3% doesn’t cut it anymore. Candidates are drawn to consultancies offering enhanced employer pension contributions, with some firms even offering double matching up to 10%. For example, if an employee contributes 5%, the employer contributes 10%. This kind of long-term financial support is highly attractive and sets firms apart from competitors.

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3. Generous Holiday Allowance

Standard 25 days is expected, but consultancies offering extra days for service, Christmas closure, or birthday leave stand out. In a high-pressure industry, time off matters.

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4. Career Development & Progression

Engineers want to know there’s a clear pathway to progression, supported by CPD budgets, chartership mentoring, or structured training plans. One of the most effective approaches is to assign a chartership mentor from day one if the candidate aspires to become chartered. Having this relationship established before they even start creates momentum, shows commitment, and reassures candidates that their long-term career goals are supported from the outset.

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5. Wellbeing & Flexibility

Hybrid working is now the norm, but wellbeing support is going further, from mental health initiatives and coaching to flexibility in working hours. Importantly, in a UK workforce that is increasingly internationally diverse, many candidates have close family overseas. Allowing employees to work abroad for a set period each year is a policy being adopted by more consultancies, helping attract and retain top talent while respecting personal circumstances.

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The reality is simple: the most successful consultancies are those that regularly review and adapt their benefits packages. What was attractive five years ago may no longer meet candidate expectations today. The difference between securing and retaining the best people versus watching attrition rise often comes down to whether a business is proactive in making these changes, or whether competitors get there first.