Every employee deserves to love, at least, some aspects of their job. And while salaries are certainly important, other perks can go a long way to keeping your employees happy at work.
From unlimited vacation policies (inspired by Netflix) to onsite pet adoptions, here are some cool ideas for employee perks that will make your employees love their jobs.
Flexibility
A flexible work schedule is one of the most sought-after employee perks at work. It helps employees balance their work life and home life, especially if they have children or other family responsibilities. This perk also gives them the autonomy to decide how and where they work best, increasing their productivity and engagement.
Companies with a robust, flexible working program often have lower turnover rates and more engaged employees. However, it’s important to note that flexibility is not the answer for everyone and must be paired with clear performance expectations.
Another great flexibility employee perk is a commuter or gas stipend. This is particularly attractive to younger team members who may be saddled with large student loan debt. It can improve their quality of life and give them more freedom to pursue their passions outside of work. It’s also an excellent way to show your team that you care about their wellbeing and trust them to do the job. Sabbaticals are another popular flexible employee perk. They last five weeks and allow employees to take time off without losing their salary. This perk can help employees refresh and refocus, leading to new ideas and solutions.
Pay
Perks and benefits are important tools for creating a unique culture that attracts talent. They can reduce employee turnover and help with the costs associated with hiring and training new team members.
In a world where perks are increasingly important to job seekers, ensuring that your company is competitive with compensation is essential. A robust set of perks and benefits will help your employees feel like they have a solid work-life balance, which can be an incentive to stay.
Companies have been making waves with their innovative perks lately, with Google offering lunches cooked by professional chefs and biweekly chair massages, Twitter providing three catered meals per day, and SAS offering a college scholarship program for the children of its employees. However, some perks may only appeal to a small subset of your workforce, so it’s important to survey your teams and understand their unique needs and preferences. The line between perks and incentives can be blurry, but they should align with the overall objectives of your business.
Work-Life Balance
Employees want to feel like their work and personal lives are balanced. Offering perks that help with that can make a huge difference in their happiness and productivity at work.
Wellness perks are becoming increasingly popular as people focus on the importance of mental health and physical well-being. Offering in-house meditation, yoga classes, or even a standup desk can be a huge help.
Give employees the option to take a paid sabbatical occasionally to allow them to explore their interests outside of work. Media Temple does this every five years for their team, a very popular perk for the company.
Another way to support work-life balance is by allowing employees to gift each other with things like movies, bowling, arcades and go-kart races. This is a fun and cost-effective way to show your team how much you value them. You can also add a branded element to these rewards by adding on items such as personalized utensil sets or coffee mugs.
Recognition
Many employees want to be rewarded and appreciated for their hard work. This perk can boost employee morale and create a culture of recognition in your workplace. It also helps you stand out as a business leader and attracts top talent.
The best way to show your employees that you appreciate them is by creating a formalized company recognition program that includes ongoing perks. Employees who feel their employers value them are more engaged and likely to stay with the company longer.
A great way to reward your employees is by offering exclusive employee discounts on experience gifts like ski passes, beach trips, or scuba diving lessons. This is a particularly appealing option for younger employees who might be carrying student loan debt and want to use their salary as a down payment on a bigger life adventure. Companies such as Bucketlist have built a rewards platform that makes it easy for managers to send their employees meaningful experiences that fit their interests.
Training
Many employees love the idea of learning new skills and advancing their careers. Training is a valuable perk that can help employees feel like they are getting more out of their jobs and make them happier in the long run.
Many companies have found creative ways to offer unique employee perks that show their team members they are valued. For example, Twitter has famously offered its employees three catered meals daily, onsite yoga classes, biweekly chair massages, and improv classes. Other small businesses have succeeded with perks such as vacation expense reimbursement and free books.
While benefits like healthcare coverage and 401(k) contributions are table stakes, unique perks can be a major factor in attracting talent. Those perks can also support engagement initiatives by reinforcing company culture. To discover the best employee perks for your business, start by asking your team what perks they would value. Then, try to incorporate those ideas into your company culture.