Show your employees they're highly valued
When it comes to employment, generous benefits packages and employee perks have become essential to determining job satisfaction. Today, recognition for 'top employers' go beyond an employee's salary and instead, focuses on the benefits and perks that make them happy. Work benefits are a form of compensation that serve the purpose of showing your employees that you value them. The primary motivator for employees and would-be new hires comes down to company culture. It's about finding a company that you're willing to call a second home. After all, we spend the majority of our time at the places we work.
7 Reasons to offer employee perks
If second home wasn't a good enough reason to offer perks to your employees, here are seven reasons why it benefits you as an employer. Having employee perks allows you to:
- Retain and attract top talent
- Protect your people
- Increase brand awareness
- Beat the competition
- Motivate job performance
- Establish high morale and loyalty
- Get direct savings
Top perks you can adopt for your business
We looked at all the employee perks out there and rounded up our top picks. We based our list on perks that go beyond the basic benefits of health insurance, performance bonuses, and retirement plans, and instead, focused on those efforts that require going above and beyond. Starter-pack perks (top affordable picks for small businesses)
- Kitchen essentials (free food, grab-and-go snacks, hot coffee)
- Flexible schedules
- Casual dress code
- Training opportunities
- Social clubs (book club, running club, etc.)
- Afternoon stretch
- Pet-friendly workplace
- Games room
- Lounge area
- Nap pods
- Paid days off for birthdays
- Employee of the month rewards
- Company swag
- Employee discounts on your business
- Friday socials: happy hour
Go-the-extra-mile perks
- Lunch and learns
- Drink fridge
- Tickets for seminars and conferences
- Transportation subsidies
- Travel stipends
- Volunteer for a work day
- Remote work
- Fitness passes
- Extra time off for vacation
- Family days
- Corporate cell phone plans
- Company-sponsored sports tournaments
- Flu shots
- Ergonomic work stations
Over-the-top perks
- Support with tuition
- Company-wide retreats
- Concierge services
- Paid maternity leave and parental leave
- Daycare services
- On-site gym
- Free on-site spa services
- Catered meals
When considering what perks are a good fit for your business, think about the types of benefits that your employees will value most. What kind of incentives are you able to offer, that make sense for your business? Is it a focus on education? Perhaps it has to do with health and wellness, family, or entertainment. Often times its food and social outings. It's important to get to know what motivates your employees to come to work everyday.
