Workplace benefits have emerged as a crucial instrument for boosting office morale and retaining talent, they also say a lot about you as a company. That Entrepreneur Life explains that if you can’t make heads or tails of the hundreds of schemes and subscriptions, it might be time to narrow down your options - one good decision can change an entire office dynamic.
Yoga
For many offices across the globe, Yoga has become a staple of team building and mid-week stress relief. It is unique as a perk that improves fitness, focus and feeds back into the work itself - aiding posture for those in desk jobs and helping to boost productivity. There are supposedly over 28 different types of yoga - if you’re unsure which will be most suitable for your office, try narrowing your choices down and considering either Bikram (for a good workout) or Hatha (for extra relaxation).
Incentivize Fun Activities
There’s nothing like getting rewarded for meeting goals than with a fun activity outside of work, all on the boss’s dime. Make it into a company getaway or outing and you have the opportunity for team building. Take a poll amongst your employees to see what they would love to do. This may result in offering tickets for the Yankees, a suite pass to an NFL game, or a concert at a nearby venue. Make it even more fun and group-oriented by renting transportation like a bus to get from the office to the event, and serve up lunch as you go!
Remote Working
Owl Labs' research from 2021, shows that roughly 62% of employees worldwide aged 22-65 work from home at least occasionally. Remote working has become as much a requirement as it is a benefit for most employees. If you want to keep pace with your competitors, you’ll need to adapt your workflow and trust your team to get the job done in their own space. If you’re worried about keeping up a flow of communication, just be sure to adopt a suitable video conferencing app; some lend themselves to large group calls, others to integrated working and team chats.
Childcare
According to Clutch, last year in the US it was found that only 6% of companies offer childcare benefits, despite both parents working in 63% of families with children. This presents an opportunity - childcare subsidies, on-site childcare, or flexible schedules can work as a huge incentive that will immediately set you apart from other employers. Even if you can’t afford to provide one of the more elaborate options, it may still be possible to offer paid parental leave or simply to show some leniency towards workplace performance in the months after birth.
Mental Health Support
In the wake of COVID-19, studies point to an increase in rates of depression, anxiety, and paranoia across the globe. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of mental health awareness as we move into the year 2022. If you want to address the issue, it might be worth allocating resources for an EAP (Employee Assistance Program), resiliency training, or an in-office therapist. Considering the world economy loses an estimated $1 trillion to unresolved depression in the workplace, you may even find that it’s the profitable course of action.
Narrowing Down
Ultimately, the best way to pick the right perk for your team is to ask them. It’s worth checking in regularly via meetings and annual employee satisfaction surveys - these will enable you to more accurately determine what satisfies and de-satisfies your workforce. Alternatively, you could pick a couple of the available options and conduct polls to ascertain which are most appealing to the team. By gathering a consensus, you’re more likely to land on a mutually agreeable decision.
Work benefits, once a small factor in job satisfaction, are growing in importance. If you want to attract and retain top-level talent, you’ll need to think carefully about your incentives and whether these match up with your team’s shared interests.
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Written by Derek Goodman. Derek is an entrepreneur who offers tips, tricks, and resources so that you realize your business ability and potential now, not later.
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