Spice Up Staff Perks

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Jodi Boyne

Many companies have gotten creative with their employee benefits as a way of recruiting, rewarding and retaining staff. Tech companies, in particular, have a reputation for working some fun into the work-lives of their teams. 

For example, Google offers free lunches, nap pods and an errand concierge service. Apple offers access to a dietitian and free concerts; Airbnb staff get paid to volunteer; Twitter provides a gym membership, laundry services and meditation classes; and Zynga offers an onsite arcade. A recent article in Association’s Now, Five Millennial-Friendly Benefits to Offer Your Team, encouraged organizations to offer a new kind of experience for staff. 

Do any of these perks sound like the amenities you offer to the older adults you serve? Consider extending those services to your staff! Benefits that are enjoyed by the people you serve may be benefits that your staff enjoy as well.

Consider options such as:

• Offer free or reduced-cost meals. One organization allows staff members to sign up for a “meal in a box” to take home – similar to the meal subscription services that have become popular.
• Fitness room access (your therapy gym can serve a greater purpose!), and fitness classes taught by staff. Or, consider hosting group workout classes to follow along with workout videos. There are great free videos on YouTube - check out PopSugar Fitness!
• Salon access. Let your staff get their haircut or manicures done at your onsite salon.
• Laundry room access. The money and time spent at a laundromat can be considerable. Allowing staff to access washers and dryers, or to participate in a laundry service could be a real perk.
• Access to experts. Do you have a dietitian, counselor, massage therapist, nurse, chaplain, or other experts onsite? Set aside time each week for staff to sign up for appointments with identified specialists.
• Childcare. Partner with a local childcare provider, open a daycare within your organization, provide options to bring children to work on snow days, or offer scholarship opportunities for employees in need of childcare.
• Transportation. Consider offering an Uber allowance, a bus or van that picks up staff at specific community locations, or sponsoring a carpool sign up.
• Offer paid volunteer days.

What other perks do you offer in your organization?

Get more recruitment ideas in the Workforce Center. Questions? Contact Jenna Kellerman at jkellerman@leadingagemn.org.