What does an employee actually look for when it comes to joining a new company?
Salary? Hike? Off’s on weekends? Office culture?
Yes, we are on the same page, but what would excite the new employees more and attract the top talents to join any organization immediately other than the ones mentioned above?
With tough competition in the marketplace for the companies to stand out from the rest and convince the employees to work for a particular organization, requires not only to be unique but also creative and unusual, apart from the regular hikes and benefits.
A good company is built with happy employees and they can be made and kept happy by taking good care of them in many effective ways, by entitling them to certain creative employee perks and benefits
Employees love enjoying the perks that a company levies upon them during their tenure in the office and according to a survey, it is reported that 48% of the employees value the benefits and perks and quantify their next job hunts keeping these as parameters in their mind. It is also seen that employees are more likely to get retained and extend their stay in the company soon after the completion of an assignment.
Formulating creative employee perks and best employee benefits and keep maneuvering them time and again can become a little tedious for the HRs and the admins of any organization, but all of it becomes worth it when the company has the hardworking happy top talents to work for the organization and reaching the company to heights and giving immense success.
Let’s now look at the list of certain cool and unusual employee perks and benefits that attract the top talents in any organization:
1) Break room snacks/ Subsidize or free meals:
Having to cook in the morning and running late for the office is a tension that most employees go through almost every day. Ordering food or hopping to eateries during lunchtime becomes unhealthy on a daily basis as well. Therefore, the presence of breakroom snacks with munchies or free meals at the office cafeteria aids in shedding a huge responsibility off them, thereby also maintaining the healthy balance of the employees. Companies like Google, Yahoo, SAP, etc are some of the top companies that offer free food to their employees!
2) Transportation assistance/ Petrol allowance:
There are a lot of people who sometimes turn down certain good offers from companies because traveling becomes an alarming challenge for them, either due to the extremely long distance or the surge in prices of vehicles. Wipro and Intel are such companies that provide partial petrol reimbursements to employees and companies like Facebook, Tinder, and Apple take care of the complete commutation responsibility of their employees because they simply want them to come over to the office and continue working.
3) Discount on prescribed drugs:
There are a lot of companies that cover and offer health insurance to employees and their dependents. Some also indulge in providing death claims and benefits to the family members of the deceased. But most of the health insurances do not cover the medical bill allowances which can go up very high. Therefore, discounts or partial reimbursements on prescribed drugs could be of great help to employees, making this one of the major attractive perks for them to join any organization.
4) Addressing employee mental health:
Talking about employee mental health amidst the work premises should be a matter of concern because employees go through several uncomfortable issues that they either keep quiet or do not share with their colleagues. Addressing them by holding counseling sessions by experts, or monthly motivational speeches by the founders of the company can not only motivate the employees but also relieve the stress and workload that they go through.
5) Employee recognition and appreciation:
Employees are the building blocks of a company and their constant regular efforts need to be recognized and appreciated well within the team, awarding others in the organizations of their achievements. Employee engagement programs could be a platform used to validate their success and companies who constantly focus on employee wellbeing can just not motivate the employees but also retain them. Companies like SmartQ, Siemens, Wells Fargo are a few of the companies that practice employee rewards and recognition programs for their employees.
6) Cozy room/ comfort zones for employees:
Designing a workplace environment in a way that not only gives a homely and relaxing touch is important but a common chit-chat gossip area where employees can either chill, take rest or sometimes take a nap has somehow become the new trend of the offices these days. Sitting in front of the laptop the entire day or attending meetings can be too tedious and a breakroom with indoor plays and coffee machines and beanbags can just add a subtle touch to it, giving a cool look and an experience to employees to stick to the company.
7) Parental benefits:
Babies come with a lot of responsibilities, and giving them time for the initial months happen to be the most important task. Hence, parental benefits are a must to all the new parents, as they must be around the newborn and spend most of the time with the baby. Microsoft is a company where both mother and father and also parents who have adopted a child, get the benefits of paid parental leaves. Other than Microsoft, there are quite a few other companies that provide parental leave allowances that give employees a kick of excitement to join in.
8) Sabbatical option:
Sabbatical leaves are one of the biggest introductions in any company, where the company not only helps the employees pursue his/her dreams for the betterment of their future but also doesn't close all doors for them to return back to the organization and continue later. It adds security to the employees until they find something better as an option and truth be spoken, everybody wants to excel in their respective careers. Companies like TCS, Adobe, Intel are a few big companies that allow employees to take sabbaticals.
9) Pet Allowance/ Pet care insurance:
Who doesn't love to see a dog wagging its tail and getting all the pampering and attention fromthe employees of an office? Or a cat who sits quietly in a designated place without disturbing anybody? Companies like Inmobi, Chumbak, and many other startups allow pets in the office, where the owner doesn't have to think or worry about keeping their loved pet back at home all alone. Some companies also go the extra mile to cover the pet insurances and take care of the medical facilities, because for some, it's just not an animal but a part of the family!
10) Socializing and gifting:
Designing a competitive benefits package isn’t easy—but it’s worth it. Compare your current benefit offerings to the list above to identify opportunities to improve the package.
One of the most exciting perks would definitely be gifting. Who doesn’t like gifts? Just imagine the joy in our faces when we receive a surprise gift from our company one fine day! That would not only make us happy but also creates a sense that our company cares for our well being. So, how can we send gifts to our employees with ease keeping the current scenario in mind?
The whole process of procuring and arranging the gift might seem like a tedious job at the beginning. But with SmartQ, you can curate a perfect employee gift in no time. You can now send gifts to your employees while SmartQ being the single point of contact. It provides a varied list of gifting options that you can pick and choose from and additionally we help you to customize the kit according to your preferences.
SmartQ can be your right partner!!
Also, During these testing times under severe Pandemic Stress, we do understand that your Employees and their families need your support more than ever. SmartQ can help you send gifts and fresh food to the homes of your employees. Home Style, fresh, healthy, and Hygienic food prepared at the Accredited and Certified Mega Institutional Kitchens across all Key Cities can be delivered at Home to COVID + employees and their family members.
SmartQ takes care of the total ground operations and procurement and ensures delivery in a swift process.
Top talents are hard to find and harder to keep and a flow of huge innovative yet sustainable and substantial talents are the ones who make a company a great and remarkable one! These are only a few drops of unusual perks to attract top talents amidst the huge ocean of talent. Adding one, all, or a mix of these benefits to your employment packages can help set you apart from the competition and give your top performers the support they need to do their best work and the incentive to remain with the company.
BECAUSE EVERY COMPANY LIKE OURS CARES FOR ITS EMPLOYEES!