So said Marcus Bray, a founder of the Fleet Industry Advisory Group (FIAG) and head of sales at Fleet Service Great Britain, at the recent FIAG Winter Workshop entitled ‘Will Tax Kill the Company Car – What’s in Store for 2016’.

Bray, a round able ‘champion’ at the event, said: “Having gathered information employers must then decide whether they want to be above the market, mid-market or below the market.

“Some employers view cars as a tool of the job and others as a perk. Either way, if struggling to recruit or retain staff it is important to understand where the car policy sits versus competitors.”

Kevin Basnett, managing partner at Wiltshire-based Goughs Solicitors, added: “Benchmarking can be difficult because of the wide choice of vehicles available. Some employers in shaping their company car policies are conscious of the brand image presented of their business.”

However, it was acknowledged that it could be difficult to collect benchmarking information from other companies within the same sectors of business so ‘casual discussions’ with fleet decision-makers at networking events could be crucial.

Many companies offered not only company cars but also salary sacrifice and cash allowance schemes and Graham Bellman, director of fleet services, Travis Perkins and also a founder of FIAG, said: “Employees want the choice and flexibility at a moment’s notice if their lifestyle changes.”