“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t.” — Richard Branson
No matter what one’s job may be, it requires them to be removed from their personal life for the majority of the waking workweek. The good news is, many companies are now understanding the importance of making this time as comfortable as possible for their employees.
The way to do this is by offering perks.
After all, happy employees mean higher productivity, better engagement and reduced turnover.
Now, over here, we’re not talking about the traditional benefits like health insurance and paid vacation. These are tied to real dollar values, whereas perks are tied to quality of life. A survey by SunTrust found that 43% of employees increased benefits in 2019 in order to remain competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.
Well, while non-wage compensation benefits are desirable, perks are a great value addition to an employee’s salary and benefits package. And perks that are focused on enabling employees to achieve work-life balance are quickly becoming the most coveted incentivesfor ensuring employee happiness. And the best part is that such perks can even be offered by a company on a budget.
Another plus of perks that support work-life balance? Many companies are still not providing them, making you seem that much more attractive as an employer. In fact, according to a recent study, more than 40% of full-time work employees are still not offered any perks at all.
If you’re seeking inspiration for perks to offer your team that will result in tremendous results, consider the following top-rated perks. You can be as inventive as you like when coming up with these perks; just remember that these perks will define your unique company culture:
1. Work-From-Home Policy
Let’s start the list with one of the more well-known perks. When possible, allow the team to work from home. Millennial jobseekers participating in an AfterCollege survey responded that the option to work remotely would greatly boost their interest in specific employers. So, even if you only offer this perk a few days per year, it will make a difference.
2. Flexible Work Schedule
This is another highly desirable yet seldom offered perk. Up to 88% of employees ranked a flexible work schedule as the most desirable perk in a recent Robert Half survey. Moreover,
71% of respondents of a survey in the ExecuSearch 2019 Hiring Outlook said that they would quit if another employer offered them a new job with flexible scheduling.
One way to go about this could be offering scheduling of flextime; meaning, employees can share input on their preferred work schedule/working hours. If multiple team members request the same shift, you can introduce a rotating schedule to satisfy everyone.
3. Yearly Anniversary Day Offs
On the date marking the anniversary of when every employee joined the company, offer an extra paid day off. Not only is this a great way to encourage employees to celebrate their tenure, this day will also serve as a reminder that you, as an employer, truly value the people who joined your team.
4. Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings are swiftly becoming the most efficient way to hold meetings today. It is a cost-effective way to connect your employees from anywhere in the world. These meetings allow sharing of a great variety of information with all participants in real-time. Employees can participate from their work space, from home, or from any remote location.
5. Free Desktop Music
By giving employees access to headphones and streaming music right at their workspace, you can help them focus, brighten their mood and reduce stress through quite a low-cost perk!
6. Game Breaks
Whether it’s on an app on their smartphones, or popular video games on a console, or traditional board games they’ve grown up playing, gaming will improve your employees’ productivity, creativity, and morale.
Research says that playing games during the workday can help relieve stress and make employees more creatively charged. If possible, incorporate artefacts of fun in the workplace to encourage your team members to balance the heat of the work with a fun game.
In case you are worried that making changes like these could negatively impact your employers’ productivity, remember: employees like to keep jobs that treat them well. The appreciation and loyalty you gain from creating an attractive and supporting work culture will help you attract and retain talent.
Learn how you can take your leadership teams through a growth model which will help them mature on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and subscribing to the Keijzer Community.
Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.