If you run a small business have you ever considered what perks you can give to your employees? Perks like a company car and gym membership don't just need to be for large businesses.
Why offer employee perks
Employee perks are a great way to attract experienced and motivated employees into your business.
Perks will also help them to stay motivated and continue to deliver great work.
The time and cost of hiring someone new and training them up can be quite a lot, especially if you need to use a recruitment agency, so retaining the great staff you currently have is a much better idea in the long run.
Lots of job applicants admit that the workplace perks they are offered is one of the most important factors in deciding whether to accept a job or not, which shows just how important the workplace perks you offer can be.
Health and fitness perks
You can offer your employees health and fitness perks from your small business.
These could be things like:
- Discounted or free gym membership
- Private health insurance like Bupa or Vitality
- Fitness technology like smart watches and trackers
- Workout videos
Plus many more
Shopping and dining perks
You can also offer your employees shopping and dining perks.
These could be for things like:
- Free drinks at high street coffee shops
- Discounted dining
- Free meals out
- Meal subscription boxes such as HelloFresh or Mindful Chef
- Discounts at certain retailers
To name a few.
Financial perks
You could also look at financial perks to offer the employees in your small business.
These could be:
- Company car or fuel card like this one from iCompario
- Insurance
- Discount on insurance policies
- Meeting with an Independant Financial Advisor
- Company shares
- Topping up the pension scheme
Many companies invest in employee satisfaction and engagement tools to improve their workplace culture and retain talented staff. Giving meaningful feedback is equally important.
Implementing an Employee Rewards Platform
Employee rewards platforms are becoming an increasingly popular perk for small businesses to offer their employees. These platforms provide a range of benefits and incentives that help to improve employee morale, motivation, and retention. With an employee rewards platform, businesses can offer their employees access to exclusive discounts, cashback offers, and other incentives that help to make their paycheck go further. Additionally, these platforms often provide recognition and rewards for employee achievements, which can help to foster a culture of excellence and encourage employees to go above and beyond in their work. Overall, an employee rewards platform can be an effective tool for small businesses looking to attract and retain top talent in a competitive job market.
Other small company employee perks
There are plenty of other perks you can offer that don't involve having to pay out or cover the cost of something.
The best perk I have heard about is two ‘duvet days' a year.
This is where a boss will allow you to call out for two days over the course of a year and ask for a ‘duvet day'.
As someone who suffered from poor mental health whilst at work this would have been absolutely amazing to have.
I would have also loved to be allowed a half day on a Friday to allow me to get all of my chores done and have the weekend free to do whatever I wanted. Afterall, we all know how busy shops etc are at the weekend.
Another fantastic perk that could help you to attract really strong candidates is to offer flexible working. This allows people with other commitments, such as family, to still work outside of a normal 9-5. Allowing a parent to take time off for a sick child, or arranging their working hours around their school run commitments can really help you to attract and retain good, hard workers into your small business.
Whatever perks you are considering for your small business, be sure to check in with your staff regularly to see that they are still enjoying the perks you offer.
