This article was contributed by Emily LaRusch, Founder of Back Office Betties, a boutique receptionist and intake company exclusively serving small law firms. She has an insatiable thirst for learning and is the happiest coaching and collaborating within the entrepreneurial community. She has been featured in Entrepreneur, Associated Press, BBC News and serves as an educator for Inmates to Entrepreneurs
Let’s face it: the fight for the best talent is fierce. You can no longer expect to get the best of the best just by offering the same benefits everyone else is. In order to attract and retain top talent, it’s vital that you offer a little bit more than everyone else.
Employee benefits like health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid time off are essentially table stakes at this point. Employees assume that they’ll receive those benefits and won’t consider a position without them. Many employees are looking for remote positions with flexible hours, as well. If you’re able to offer those options, it will help you attract the best and brightest.
But what are some other perks that can give you an edge over other employers? Here are a few types of benefits that can help.
- Pet bereavement. Many people consider their pets to be family members. This is a low-cost benefit that has made the eyeballs sweat for some of our prospective team members!
- Anniversary day off. Gamification of the employee experience is a hot topic these days. Time served perks incent team members to stay on board longer.
- Bi-annual wellness day. When we think of wellness days, we often consider in-person options. But this can work well even with a remote team. Our team loves getting a few hours off to get a massage or a luxury mani-pedi to help them return invigorated.
- Legacy perks. Sometimes there’s so much focus on bringing in new people that the amazing people we already have on board get neglected. Focus on employee retention as well as acquisition by rewarding long-time employees with legacy perks (for example, a bonus that increases each year they stay with you). Our team unlocks new perks with every year served. One favorite is 2+3 @ 5. 2 weeks paid off and $3,000 to spend on a vacation.
- Quarterly team party. This is another perk that we often think of as being in-person, but video conferencing means that you and your employees can connect even from afar. You can host trivia nights or have everyone come together to make a special dessert.
- Pay for their entertainment subscriptions. Cover the cost for Netflix, Disney Plus, or HBO Max for your team. Work-life balance is essential, and this shows employees and potential employees that you care about them as people, not just as workers.
- Home office stipend/reimbursement for coworking space. If your team is distributed or working from home, offering a stipend for them to create the perfect home office is a great perk. We allow all team members a $100 per year budget to spruce up their office space.
- Snack box subscriptions. Think of this as an update to offering in-office food. You can send snacks directly to your employees, no matter how far away they are.
- Gym memberships. You can offer a stipend for your employees to join a local gym or yoga studio. You can also offer subscriptions to online classes like Beach Body and Peloton or stipends for home exercise equipment.
- Student loan reimbursement. This is an amazing perk for younger workers, but many mid-career and later employees will benefit as well. Offer a certain amount towards your employees’ student loans each month (or annually).
There are many other benefits programs and perks that can help you attract top talent. Ask your team what their dream benefits are — and make sure to include them in your benefits plan, as well. Hiring and maintaining a highly-skilled workforce will have a hugely positive impact on your business.
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