When looking to attract new talent, many companies try to identify the sweet spot between perks and pay. However, benefits can become very costly to a company. How do you still attract the right candidates even if you do not have all the same perks as your competitor? It is important to be creative. Below, we outline several less costly perks that are just as attractive to a potential candidate as some more costly ones.
Contribute to Weekly Lunch Service
Providing a weekly lunch to employees can add up quickly. Instead, look into a partially paid food service in your area that can provide lunch to employees once or twice a week. This idea is beneficial to everyone, you are potentially helping a local business and you are providing a healthy lunch option to your employees. When using this strategy, the company would pay a portion of the lunch expense and the employee would cover the remaining balance.
Company Discounts
No matter your size, collaborating with local small businesses, restaurants or even large corporations is a unique perk that can energize your employees. These discounts provide your employees with a cheaper alternative and bring business to the partner. Often a discount would consist of a percent off a bill or item.
Flexible Work Hours or Remote Working
Offering an employee flexible hours or the ability to work remotely gives more flexibility for a work-life balance. Flexible work hours may be more popular for some employees and others may stick to a traditional schedule. This gives the employee the control to be able to work as much as they can while also being a part of the important life moment outside of work. Having a remote work atmosphere can be just as beneficial as a flexible workday while not eliminating any ‘work time”.
Paid Time Off for Community Service
Many employees look for companies that are dedicated to community giving. A newer trend in benefits is giving employees paid time off to participate in community service. In your time off plan, offer a set number of hours to be used for community service. In doing so, an employee benefits from helping the community and they know their employer supports them in taking the time to give back.
Dress for your Day
Give your staff the option to dress according to their day at work. This is a simple perk, but as many offices transition to a more casual dress environment, it is something to consider. If an employee has a day full of meetings, they have to dress in business casual or professional attire. Whereas if they have a day full of paperwork give them the option to dress in more casual work-appropriate attire.
Every individual looks at a company’s perks for different reasons and thinks differently about benefits depending on what is needed from them at that time in their life. Implementing some of these perks or using these to inspire your own will help your company differentiate itself from a competitor and attract your next employee.
