Perks Your Employees Actually Care About

Published by Ryan Nead on July 25, 2022

For many years now, businesses have put their time and money into odd workplace perks in an attempt to be unique from their competition, attract, and retain top talent. However, people are no longer interested in fun workplace perks. They are more focused on perks that can really improve their experience and productivity at work.

Additionally, in a world where hybrid and remote work are the new normal, unique perks based on the traditional office are becoming less relevant than having a better work and life balance. So, what do your employees want, if unique perks and salaries don’t always count?

Table of Contents

What are Work Perks?

Work perks are anything that goes beyond the normal money compensations and work benefits. Perks can be anything from spa retreats, gym memberships, or having a unique office space that comes with snacks and more goodies. Regular work benefits can be a paid vacation, health insurance, retirement savings option, or the ability to work from home.

While it might not be easy to know which perks your employees want, it is worth every effort and time. Giving your employees perks that improve their work experience is important and can be the main thing differentiating you from your competition. In fact, according to Blake Morgan, a senior contributor at Forbes, organizations that capitalize and focus on employee experience are four times more lucrative than those that don’t.

Perks your Employees will Love

Keeping in mind that your employees are the lifeblood of your business, it is vital to make efforts to keep them satisfied and happy. This will greatly benefit your company in both the short and long term.

Employee rewards and discounts

If you have a retail outlet, it can be a good idea to offer your employees discounts. Offering this type of perk can benefit both you and your employees. You will save money, retain more employees, and attract the best talent, and the best part is that it is simple to implement.

Workplace flexibility

The Coronavirus pandemic pushed many people to work from home, and apparently, most people liked it. So, another good perk that you can give your employees is the chance to work from home, create their own working schedules, or have a hybrid home office. According to a study, nearly 50 percent of employees would like to work remotely for at least two days a week. Therefore, help them get started and increase their morale and productivity.

Career development and mentorship

A good way to increase employee morale is by showing them that you care about their well-being. Most employees want to learn more when it comes to doing their jobs effectively and want to further their careers. Therefore, consider giving them a chance to do so. by organizing mentorship programs.

Additionally, employee career development can include career pathing in your company. This will give your employees a chance to grow in your business. Besides, people want to know that they are growing and moving ahead. They want a sense of purpose in their daily lives and the chance to positively contribute to the company’s goals.

Access to technology

Many people believe that technology is the leading cause of work stress, but that is not the case. Studies have shown that a large percentage of workers with less stress link their morale and productivity to access to technology. Automation can greatly help lower employee workloads and eventually reduce stress.

While business owners might feel that it is expensive to have their employees stay on top of technology, it has many benefits. For example, if you give coverage for telephone bills, you will be taking some weight off their shoulders and at the same time increasing their productivity, communication, and connectivity within your organization. All you have to do is make sure that they take some time to disconnect once in a while.

Team lunches or free lunch

Who doesn’t love free or group lunches? While offering this perk may seem obvious, it can play a significant role in creating strong teams and fostering collaboration among your team members. Team lunches are not just about eating together, they also allow employees to put their busy schedules away and connect with their colleagues over lunch. Therefore, consider investing in team lunches for your employees, besides, it is tax-deductible.

Care and appreciation

Every employee wants to be appreciated in one way or another. They want to know that you really care about them. So, to make a great meaningful impression, you must show your appreciation in ways that are beyond benefits and paychecks.

Appreciation is becoming more and more significant as organizations are shifting to hybrid work schedules leaving their employees craving for bonds and connections.

You can also show your employees that you care and appreciate them by gifting them. Give them snacks during their breaks and some practical supplies. This can all strengthen your organization’s culture regardless of where your team works.

How to know if the Perks are working

Perks can look good to you, but the hardest part is knowing if your employees like them. So, for the maximum ROI, frequently evaluate your workers’ needs even before you start offering perks. To understand more, ask yourself the following questions:

Does your team know that the perks exist?
What do they think of the perks?
Are they taking advantage of the program?
Would they prefer another perk over the current one?

Remember you must give your company time to adopt the perks.

Bottom line

Employee perks are a crucial part of the employee experience. Therefore, knowing the right perks to offer your employees takes time and testing, but comes with great rewards. Also, remember that needs and desires change over time, and as your business expands, you might need to reevaluate these perks. Always ask your employees about their perk inclinations and be on the lookout for new ways to engage and reward them.

To give your employees access to technology, you will need various tech components, the logic that oversees them, and the data associated with them. That is where our recruiting agency comes in. We can handle your technology architecture needs to make sure that you meet your business goals in terms of offering employee perks.

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Ryan Nead

Ryan has served in the Staffing and Recruiting industry for over 10 years. As an independent recruiter and business owner Ryan partners with decision-makers to attract, hire, and attain top-tier professionals to succeed and grow their companies. Ryan consistently implements new tools to help the needs of both clients and candidates until they are satisfied. With years of direct experience and knowledge from scaling and disrupting other major global industries. If you don't see Ryan with his family he is hard at work finding the right fit for your organization's open roles.