6 Unique Employee Benefits to retain employees

At CiVS we’re big on employee satisfaction — believing that happier employees produce better results. That’s why we aim to cover a range of subjects to help businesses create better environments for their employees. Giving all our top tips on how to stay ahead of the competition when it comes to recruitment. Plus, how to keep the talent you already have. A lot of our tips cover what’s coming up in the HR space, and how to keep up and stay ahead. Today, we’re trying to take a step outside the box. It’s one thing to stay ahead of the game but we’re thinking about how to stand out as well. In this article we cover six unique employee benefits that your business can use to stand out. Employees won’t just want to work with you because you care, but because you have something different to offer.

Offer a summer schedule

Here’s a great one for Australian businesses — a summer schedule in the office. For Australians, summer is like no other. It’s boiling hot, a beach is only a quick drive away and everyone’s looking to the water. This is why for Aussies, switching up the summer schedule is an extra special perk. Consider bringing in “Summer Fridays” to allow people to work remotely on Fridays. Alternatively, think about offering some extra time off or relax the dress code during the hotter months. There are few things worse than having formal workwear sticking to you during those hot summer days.

If you’re thinking about how a summer schedule could fit into your office, take a look at this guide by Namely. One common approach is to increase work hours earlier in the week and take hours off towards the end. This gives employees some extra time on Fridays to go out and enjoy the hot summer sands.

Support physical wellbeing

Supporting physical wellbeing is a common employee benefit at many major companies from Microsoft to Squarespace. There’s also a lot of flexibility in how you do it. If you’ve got the room for renovations, you can bring the gym into your business like Facebook. An onsite fitness centre promotes easy access to physical fitness and has additional culture and social benefits. Having employees workout in the same gym helps to increase socialisation amongst co-workers. This can result in better all-around communication as well as an increase in job satisfaction and willingness to work together.

On the other hand, you can go the same way as Microsoft and offer gym reimbursements. This is missing a social factor but streamlines the process of providing physical wellbeing and provides more flexibility. The Microsoft “StayFit” reimbursement program offers an annual $800 reimbursement on the cost of gym memberships and fitness programs. This allows employees to go to their own personal gym, without worrying about the cost.

Finally, you could consider something simpler like Squarespace. Squarespace offers occasional onsite yoga sessions to help employees relieve tension and stress. This is an easy non-committal way to promote good wellbeing in the workplace. However, it won’t be as appealing to employees as something more consistent such as an onsite gym.

Offer bucket list experiences

Here’s something truly unique to set your company apart. Blueboard helps employers provide meaningful experiences and rewards to employees. Through Blueboard you can set your employees up with a 60-minute massage or teach them how to ride a wave. There’s something for every employee. What separates this employee benefit from the rest of the list is that it is highly engaging on a personal level. Improving your employees personal lives in a way that feels separate from the corporate agenda helps them feel truly appreciated. This employee perk program is trusted by leading companies such as GoPro and Salesforce.

Offer employees discounts

Here’s something you see a lot of in retail — but not as much of in the office. Businesses believe that just because they don’t offer a physical product, or a product employees need, they can’t offer discounts. Though, that’s far from the truth. It’s possible to provide employees with discounts, without the discount being directly related to the company. A strategy in this area could be partnering with local businesses surrounding the office space to provide discounts. For example, many employees may attend the same local coffee shop before work or the same café for lunch. Reach out to these spaces and negotiate a discount with them for employees of your businesses. If done correctly, this will be beneficial for all parties. With local businesses seeing increased business driven by the discount, and employees reaping the benefits of a cheaper price.

Though, it’s not necessary to offer discounts only in the local area. Consider working with a third party to provide your employees with a range of discounts they’ll enjoy. Kazoo offers a range of discounts targeted specifically for employees. Covering everything from fashion to electronics, Kazoo offers a hands-free solution for providing employee discounts. Helping you show your employees appreciation, without the hassle of negotiating discounts yourself.

Relaxation room

At the start of the year, we covered the Google offices. Today, we’re looking to revisit that. One thing we covered was Googles availability of break room activities. Across their office locations, Google offers a range of games for employees to enjoy including ping-pong and Pac-Man. Some of their locations offer full-blown game rooms where employees can hang out and enjoy a couple games with co-workers. These spaces provide an area of relaxation and stress-relief, in a way that’s more than just a break room.

These relaxation rooms aren’t just for big companies like Google anymore. They’ve been picking up considerable traction and come in a range of forms. A relaxation room can be more than arcade games it can be a yoga space, a spa, an electronics-free room, or just a space to nap. If you’re thinking about putting up your own relaxation space, take a look at this article by inc. which puts together some of the best ideas all in one place.

Let employees have a good read

Connect employees with books to boost morale and education in the office. This is another tip which can be a small change in your office or a massive one. If you’re looking at going all out consider adding on a library to the office. This can be its own special room or possibly a renovation of the breakroom. Even a bookcase or two can help provide your employees with something to do and enjoy when they have down time. Alternatively, you can provide employees with E-readers or audible subscriptions. This will let them read what they want, whenever they want. This may be especially fitting if you’re company is operating in a literature space or working adjacently to publishing.

What benefit fits you best?

If you’re looking to add value to your company, it’s important you invest in the right benefit. How can you tell which employee benefit will work best for you? Or which ones will attract the type of employees you’re looking for? With a CiVS employee survey you can find answers to these questions using insights compiled by professionals. Our surveys can help provide perspective on your HR and recruitment strategy, to get the most bang for your buck. To learn more, contact the CiVS team at info@civs.com.au or give us a call at (08) 6314 0580.