As competition for employees intensifies, the race to improve employer-based services is likely to result in better options for employees. (Photo: Shutterstock)
A 2016 survey from Glassdoor found that 57 percent of people looking for jobs said benefits and perks are among their top considerations when weighing offers. So how can a company stack the deck in its favor when recruiting top talent? Although some companies limit their benefits packages to traditional offerings such as health insurance, 401Ks and paid time off, a today's forward-thinking employers know they need to find more creative ways to offer benefits that make a genuine difference in employees' day-to-day work and personal lives.
As competition for employees intensifies, the race to improve employer-based services is likely to result in better options for employees. Unconventional benefits options come in many shapes and forms, but they share one thing in common: the goal of saving time for employees, reducing their stress, and ultimately improving their health and satisfaction at work.
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All other things being equal, companies that offer innovative perks that speak to the well-being of their employees are more likely to attract and retain the top talent in their field. Here are a few such perks to consider.
Expectant-parent counseling
You've thrown the baby shower, cut the cake, helped carry staff gifts to the car—and you've explained the company's parental leave policy in detail. As you wave Julie from accounting off with best wishes, you're confident she'll come back to her desk in a few months' time.
But the truth is that 43 percent of women who have babies leave the workforce permanently within a matter of months. Many say it's because they don't have adequate support at home to enable them to resume their careers. That is why companies like Reddit and Slack use a service called Lucy that provides expectant employees help before, during, and after parental leave, including 24/7 messaging and one-on-one sessions that can be done in the home or online.
As Reddit VP of People Katelin Holloway put it, "It's not enough to simply offer parental leave; every child and family is different and has independent needs." By helping expectant parents find resources that meet their specific needs, you're making an investment in your workforce that pays enormous dividends in retention, productivity, and morale.
Caregiving support
A Gallup survey revealed more than 1 in 6 full-time or part-time American workers has difficulty balancing caring for elderly parents with their work commitments. This results in decreased productivity and frequent leaves of absence. Companies can help their employees cope and stay engaged with their work by providing concierge services that offer amenities such as taking elderly parents to doctor's appointments and eldercare coaching when choosing between assisted living options.
To help reduce stress (and retain highly specialized employees), take a cue from companies like Microsoft and Facebook, which provide caregiver paid-leave programs to help employees care for ailing family members or sick relatives.
Dry cleaning at work
Sometimes it's the little things that save time during the workday that can push the needle in your favor as a potential employer. It may sound trivial, but company-provided dry cleaning is a perk that's proving to be a big draw in workplaces from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Service providers pick up employees' laundry or dry cleaning items from work and return them to a designated employer closet in their office building—one less errand, and no more lost tickets. "People have lives to live, so I try to make it easy for them to deal with any of those personal errands that could take up time for them," said Experian CEO Craig Boundy, speaking about his company's employee benefits programs in an interview with the The Orange County Register.
Car maintenance and service
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household owns 1.9 vehicles and spends around 1.5 percent of its annual income on auto maintenance and repairs. Cars are a significant investment for most of us, so the more you can help potential employees save time and money on maintaining their vehicles, the more tempting you'll become as an employer. Growing numbers of innovative companies provide car repair services to help employees save money, find the best quality mechanics, and reduce stress associated with the entire process.
Some firms also offer on-site car wash services, giving employees peace of mind and a positive outlook as they drive home after work. Several big Silicon Valley corporations —including eBay, SanDisk, Cisco, and Oracle—use BoosterFuels to fill employees' gas tanks while they're at work. It saves employees time and protects them from potential accidents or robberies at gas stations.
Yinon Weiss is the CEO and co-founder of CarDash, a platform that brings trust and convenience to the automotive service experience. A former Army Special Forces Officer, he holds an engineering degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard.
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