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Nontraditional Employee Benefits Can Help Win the War for Top Talent

by Erika Blanchard, Social Media Coordinator, VIPdesk - October 5, 2011

Nontraditional Employee Benefits Can Help Win the War for Top Talent by Erika Blanchard, Email: eblanchard@vipdesk.com, Phone: 321-442-3785



Hiring the right people is critical and retaining them is equally as important. We all know that people produce results and hiring a winning team for your business is the key to success. We must also remember that hiring the wrong employees can be a costly mistake. Studies show that it can cost up to two and a half times an employee’s salary to replace a lost worker. Even if you replace an employee with the same, or better, skills and talent; there will still be a significant period of non-productivity (during screening, hiring and training).

With the right people, a company can create a powerful competitive advantage. Leading companies are fully aware of this which is why they create forward-thinking strategies to leverage their talent and stay one step ahead of the competition.

It’s a fact, unemployment is at an all time high, yet many people looking for work are still trying to find the right fit – and since times are tight and many companies have tightened their belts – unique perks and non-traditional benefits seem to be paying off in exchange for steep signing bonuses and salaries.

If you look closely at the Employers of Choice – you will see a pattern – These companies show concern for their employees’ well being. They not only look after their professional needs, but show a genuine concern for their personal needs as well.

Here are just a few of the nontraditional perks offered by many of today’s leading organizations:

Health and Well Being

Many companies provide services for the employee and their entire family (no matter what genus or species they are). These perks can include, pet insurance, on-site medical care, child or pet day care, cafeterias and fitness centers.

Creating Time

Employers also provide many other unique perks that not only save the employee time, but benefit the employer – as less time away from the office means more time they are available to work. These can include onsite (and may times free) haircuts, car washes and dry cleaning. I also recently heard about an employer who set up a farmers market in the parking lot every Friday and another who has regular drawings for housecleaning services.

Allowing for Play Time

You know what they say, “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy”. Who wants someone dull (or miserable) working for them? Many companies reward their employees with a break room that has games such as ping pong tables, PlayStations and Wiis or Blue-Ray Players for employees to enjoy on their lunches or breaks. At a company I worked for in the past – employee morale was at an all time low – so “Game Day” was implemented – which meant every Friday – employees got to enjoy playing board games for 2 hours.

Providing Flexibility and Work/Life Balance

If you follow this blog – you know that we are huge proponents of telework and the many advantages teleworking provides for both employees and employers.

Flextime and telework allow employees to still be productive while managing life outside of work.

Reducing Distractions (Virtual Concierge Benefits)

Another way to help your staff balance work and life and a sure-fire way to help employees strategically manage their lives while getting their work done is to offervirtual concierge services. Many companies have on-site concierges; however with the advent of telecommuting, flexible work schedules and grueling travel schedules – it is no longer realistic to count on a stationary concierge to meet the many needs of a unique and diversified workforce.

We all know that there aren’t nearly enough hours in the week to get everything done. Most people work an average of 45-55 hours a week and this doesn’t include the additional time spent commuting, cooking, paying bills and doing household chores. Sadly, this doesn’t leave much time to spend with family and friends.

The problem for employers is that many people handle their personal tasks during work hours. A great way to solve this issue is to offer concierge services to employees. The services offered range from day-to-day tasks like picking up dry cleaning and arranging transportation, to gift buying, vacation planning and ticket purchasing. When employees utilize this service it not only saves them time, it helps them to be more productive, focused and less stressed at work – and we can all agree a less stressed and happy employee is a better employee.

Concierge services are available through specialized concierge service providers, such as VIPdesk or through many EAP organizations and can be offered as employer payment (per-employee per-month fees) or on a voluntary employee paid basis.

The best part of offering virtual concierge services is that they can be accessed globally, 24/7/365 via web and telephone.

So, as you can see, some of these programs cost little or nothing, while some require a significant investment, however, helping employees save time during their workday can be a win-win for everyone.

Also, it is important to keep in mind that employees are often willing to spend more to get more. If your budget is locked tight, consider enhancing your benefits plan through additional employee-paid options or try introducing voluntary benefits.

Increasing your benefits package can have a tremendous impact on employee morale, well-being and loyalty and addresses many problems such as lost productivity, absenteeism and turnover – things every company struggles with at one time or another…

 
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