Employers are upping the ante on perks and benefits for tech workers, new research from global staffing firm Robert Half Technology shows. About three-quarters of technology leaders surveyed (76%) said their company offers IT staff more than the norm when it comes to things like remote work opportunities and sign-on bonuses. Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, Miami (92%), Seattle (85%) and Raleigh (84%) have the most organizations that are sweetening the pot for hard-to-find IT talent. 

Six in 10 IT managers said the main reason for the extras is to gain a recruiting edge over competitors. One-third (33%) reported that it boosts staff retention. More than half of survey respondents (58%) at companies that don't offer additional perks or benefits to IT workers conceded that doing so could help them find talent — a persistent challenge in the current hiring market, according to 86% of technology leaders in separate State of Tech Hiring research from Robert Half.

"Hiring managers need to consider the whole compensation package to attract and retain top talent," said Ryan Sutton, a district president of Robert Half Technology. "In the current competitive market for technology professionals, perks like remote work and flexible schedules are increasingly the norm. Firms can work with their recruiting teams to develop compelling offers for individual candidates." 

Sutton added, "Companies should constantly assess the landscape and ensure their strategies are up to par with industry trends."