Benefits such as stock options, retirement plans, expense accounts, health insurance, and so on have become almost commonplace in the general business environment. Currently, many companies are vying to captivate potential talent in more unusual ways by getting creative. Office environments and cultures are quickly shifting. Based on trends and feedback of a newer generation of employees as well as the current evolution of the workplace, these companies are attempting to appeal to the notions that a job fits into a lifestyle and balance is key.
Inc.com compiled a list of 15 companies who enlist perks as a major part of their talent attraction and retention strategies. Some of them are super cool in my opinion and some are very strange. As Protis Global’s Talent Attraction Manager and as we move into 2019 full force, I wanted to know which legitimate benefits were taking. There are some smart and intentional benefits and then there are some that seemed almost too strange to even be a “benefit.”
Let’s see if any of these perks added true value and which of these perks were random and potentially even a waste of resources.
M2 Consulting gives their employees “will and estate planning, work-life-solutions counseling, legal support, child care assistance, and even a 24-hour gym.”
Enterprise Knowledge helps with tuition, gym, and phones as well as “reimburses employees up to $3,000 for the purchase of a hybrid car.”
This nonprofit has a Slack channel called “High Five” for recognizing employees who push harder and do more.
Jane.com is an “online fashion and home decor retailer.” They have “an in-house, full service barbershop for employees” as well as “daily ski passes.” One of the most striking benefits of Jane.com is that “new parents can bring kids up to 9 months old to work.”
“Embark adds employees to its cell phone plan after their first year and buys them new iPhones after their second year.”
Outreach allows its employees to “work half of their hours at home in the eight weeks after” returning from maternity/paternity leave. Additionally, Outreach offers to pay for a “night nurse on weekdays and dinner delivery twice a week” during that time period.
Pro Athlete is a sporting good retailer that houses an “in-house spa with a massage therapist, plus a sauna and free breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
Buffer offers all new employees and their partners “a kindle and unlimited e-books.”
Overall with company perks I think as we move forward Millennials care less about wild & extravagant “perks” such as Flight lessons, ping pong tables, kegs on tap, etc and more about functional ones such as remote policy, flex hours, legal advice/support, and wellness programs. From a TA perspective These functional benefits are much greater selling point and can grow deeper to build a culture that fosters growth and retention – you treat your employees well and really care about their well-being and personal development and they will stay.
I see 3 particular benefit buckets as the best: wellness programs, personal development programs, and flexibility. Would any of these perks affect which company you were considering working at? Let us know which of these perks actually interested you! We’d also love to hear about any unusual perks you have encountered or even accepted that we may not have touched on! Tell us what you think in the comments!
If you have any questions or want to know more about internal opportunities, I would love to hear from you! Reach out here or via my LinkedIn.
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