What Employee Benefits Should You Be Offering?

What Employee Benefits Should You Be Offering?

When it comes to employee benefits, the traditional offerings of insurance and retirement plans aren’t enough. The workforce today expects a little more than a paycheck and insurance plan to entice them to join your team.

Here are a few of the most unique employee benefits you can offer to bring in top talent to your crew and keep your best employees at your company for longer.

Unlimited Vacation

Unlimited vacation might seem like a dangerous offering but in reality, it can bring you some of the best workers in your industry. That’s why so many top companies, such as Netflix and Virgin, are offering unlimited vacation to their employees. Use this benefit to attract some of the most in-demand workers to your company and put more rockstars on your team.

Paid Education/Training

Nothing is as de-motivating as getting stuck in a dead end job. By offering paid education or training, you can keep your team advancing their skill set and keep them invested in your business. This is a great way to build your talent while giving your people motivation to stay with your business.

Longer Maternity/Paternity Leave Times

For your employees, family comes first. Although it might put a strain on your business temporarily, the amount of loyalty you’ll gain by offering longer maternity or paternity leave will pay off down the road. You’ll have happier parents who are more likely to stay with your business for years, saving you time and money on recruiting new talent.

Food

They say the way to a man’s heart (and we’d argue, a woman’s heart too) is through his/her stomach. Your employees are working hard. Keep them fueled up and motivated to keep performing by offering the benefit of nourishment. This can be as simple as a weekly office lunch, or as robust as having an in-house chef cook for your team. In any case, giving away free food makes teams feel better all around.

Wellness Programs

Healthy employees are happy employees – and more productive employees. At least that’s according to a recent study by Warwick University. So it makes sense that offering wellness programs, such as opportunities to work out at work, or discounts to spas and gyms, would attract top talent. This benefit is a win-win.

Volunteer Opportunities

Millennials love having the opportunity to give back and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Surveys show they love this more than they love financial reward but that shouldn’t stop you from giving both as a benefit. Offer your team paid time off to volunteer in the community and give back to those in need.

What Are You Offering?

There are a myriad of benefits you can offer your employees. What are you doing to break the mold and attract better employees to your business?

Author Profile Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase employee scheduling software, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Atlas Business Solutions was named as one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies in 2004 through 2007 and again in 2010, 2013 and 2014.