In a Job Satisfaction Survey released recently by the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) workers revealed benefits, compensation, and work/life balance are the most important factors to their overall job satisfaction.
Job benefits and compensation don’t look like they did in your Dad’s day. This generation of workers values a variety of things that can be provided with a small effort from the employer or strain on the company’s budget. Aside from employee retention, think of what these perks can do for your brand and corporate culture!
Check out this infographic to see what Google, Twitter and LinkedIn have done for their employees.
Here are a few simple ideas for you to consider…
Flexible hours & comp time.
Allowing employees to begin their 8-hour workday early or a little later is a small thing on the part of the employer, but can be very helpful an employee. Giving an employee the freedom to put in extra hours this week to get a few hours off next week is another way employers can help their employees have a good work/life balance. Job sharing isn’t a new concept, but it still has great application in this economy. Two part-time workers with flexible hours can do a full-time job for less than one employee.
A dog friendly atmosphere is more common than ever, especially in the high tech and creative industries. Allowing Fido to come to work is free and brings a whole new vibe to the office. Visiting canines should be well-behaved but, with a few guidelines, they are a great way to lighten the mood of any office.
Once or twice a month the entire team should eat together. While the whole crew brown-bags their lunch, you’ll be surprised what you will learn about each other. This is also a chance for the boss to be accessible to visit with employees, which is rare in some companies. At Holy Cow, we call it “grazing in the bull pen.”
Flexible space. Do decor guidelines stifle your employee’s creativeness? Asana, the company owned by Facebook Co-creator Dustin gives a $10,000 allowance for office setup/decor. While we don’t all have that kind of budget, encouraging employees to take ownership of their space helps them connect to work in a new way.
Do you have the ability to barter with your vendors or customers? Perhaps some of them can provide your employees with goods or services in exchange for something you do. This is a better deal than a cash benefit since there are no taxes with this kind of perk.
Competition. No, not the sales kind, but the creative kind. A chili-cook off or a birthday cake throw down might be a great way to spend a Friday afternoon, or Monday if you want to kick off the week right. A Raleigh hotel hosts an employee pumpkin carving contest. The team carves their pumpkins, then sets them out around the hotel for guests to enjoy.
Bike Racks. If employees live close enough to bike to work, encourage their commute by giving them a place to park. The Clif Bar Company in Emeryville, CA has loaner bikes for their employees to use for errands close to the office. What an easy perk!
Gaming. A foosball table takes up a minimal space but is a fun lunch time distraction. Besides, you’ll be in good company. Facebook, Twitter & Linked In all have foosball tables at their corporate offices.
What do your employees value? Finding the perks that speak to the needs of your employees then providing them is what will keep them off Monster.com.