30 Employee Perk Ideas to Attract and Retain Employees

Job perks play an essential role in an employee's happiness with a company. They give workers something to look forward to every day and help improve their quality of life. Employers greatly benefit from providing perks and incentives, too. It helps attract and retain top talent and helps your organization stand out. Employee perks should benefit everyone regardless of age, gender, life situation, dietary needs, etc. If you are looking for employee perk ideas that suit everyone, there are various options you can implement.

Why Are Employee Perks Important?

Employee perks are typically non-monetary benefits given to employees to increase job satisfaction and productivity. Almost anything can be an employee perk, even if it's just a candy jar sitting in the conference room. Work perks slightly differ from employee benefits, although there's no fixed rule between them. In essence, benefits cover an employee's basic needs, such as health insurance, life insurance, and paid leave. If not covered by an employer, employees would have to pay for these themselves. On the other hand, perks are "nice-to-have additions" to an employee's salary and benefits package.

In today's competitive labor market, creative work perks catch a prospective employee’s eye in a job listing. Glassdoor reports that an attractive benefits and perks package is the primary driver for employees applying to a company. Employee incentives define and reinforce a company's culture. They help prospective employees see what the company values and show they care for their employees. Even the simplest, low-budget perk can enhance the employee experience. When workers feel content in their work life, they are more productive and engaging.

What are Good Employee Perk Ideas?

Companies of all sizes should look for ways to support their employees inside and outside of work. Let’s look at the six common categories and examples of employee perks that support every aspect of an employee’s life.

Food

Everyone enjoys food, and nothing brightens a hardworking employee's day more than free food. Providing shared food onsite brings a sense of togetherness and improves teamwork. It boosts productivity and removes the headache of meal planning. Here are a few examples of food-related perks that work for every budget: 

1. Healthy snacks
2. Daily lunch
3. Birthday cake
4. Holiday meals
5. Weekly team eat-out

Mental Health and Overall Wellness

The future of work is employee well-being. The stresses associated with COVID-19, such as health risks, adjustments to remote working, and job insecurity, gave away to employers prioritizing employees’ physical and mental health. Employers now realize that a healthy employee is a productive employee. Here are some wellness activities to implement at your workplace:

1. Free massages
2. Meditation room
3. Subsidized gym memberships
4. Weekly exercise programs
5. Healthy food cooking classes

Self-Improvement and Career

Investing in your employee's personal development and career growth sends ripple effects to your organization. When you help an employee advance their skills, it helps fight off stagnation and allows employees to bring new ideas to the table. As your team gains knowledge, your organization gains a competitive edge by keeping up with the latest trends in your industry. Choose from a variety of career-growth support options below. 

1. Mentorship programs
2. Sponsored travel to conferences
3. Memberships to professional organizations
4. Office library
5. Professional development fund

Family Life

Lack of childcare resources significantly costs employers an estimated $57 billion in lost productivity and revenue each year. Organizations lose about $25.2 billion yearly due to elderly care-related absenteeism alone. Even in the best of times, most employees struggle to balance work and caring for their family members. Providing benefits that extend to an employee's family life can make a considerable difference in how they value their job and employer. Here are a few family-friendly work perk suggestions:

1. Nursery rooms or playrooms
2. Child or elderly care assistance
3. Educational assistance
4. Free park or museum passes
5. Pet store discounts

Fun Work Activities

Fun office activities energize coworkers and create a sense of community. Bonding outside the typical workplace environment allows employees to get to know one another, bringing them closer together and increasing collaboration. Give your employees a day away from their desks with these stimulating activities:

1. Employee interest clubs
2. Happy hours
3. Offsite meetings
4. Team building activities
5. Office entertainment rooms

Finances

A smart business owner knows that salary alone is not attractive enough for employees to stay. Other financial benefits, like matching your employee's 401k contributions and providing stock options, increase employee loyalty and encourage them to stick longer with your organization.

1. 401k and retirement plans
2. Employee stock options
3. Store rewards and discounts
4. Performance bonus
5. Commuter and transportation allowance

Align Your Perks to Your Company Goals

Useful perks create happy offices and productive employees. They add to the overall perception of a fulfilling workplace. Ask your employees what perks they want and carefully select those that meet your company goals. For example, if your goal is to boost retention rates, you might want to implement perks that provide long-term rewards, such as a retirement plan.

It's essential to first identify your goals before implementing a new employee perks program. Then, carefully track the program's progress to see if it meets your goals. Connecting your perks to company goals is the best way to maximize their benefits.

As a full-service human resource partner, Nexus HR takes time-consuming administrative tasks off your hands. We help administer benefits and perks, such as health insurance, 401(k)s, and other retirement plans. Your employees can directly talk to us regarding any HR concern. Nexus HR handles all tedious and stressful tasks as your remote HR manager, so you don't have to. Simplify your business and partner with Nexus HR today.