In today’s saturated market, many organisations struggle to attract and retain top talent. As a result, it’s essential that companies pull out all the stops. A new survey by Reboot Online Marketing found that 66% of employees stated their company offers benefits/ incentives, with 70% saying that it makes a difference to their motivation and job retention. Additionally, 25% also said that they would take one job over another because it offers more or better incentives.
What type of benefits?
However, a wide range of unconventional incentives are offered in companies, and employers often aim to choose the most unconventional and adventurous benefits to excite employees. Here are some of our favourites:
- Flexible hours: 16% of respondents reported they had flexi-time at work. Some companies have taken this to extremes, scrapping the 9-5 for no set hours! However, abusing the policy may result in serious consequences.
- Student loan: With the increasing number of millennials in work and student loans setting students back a monstrous £27,000, there is a growing trend for companies to offer student loan repayments, with 6% of those surveyed offered this incentive.
- Pets: Companies are offering ‘bring your pet to work’ days and reimbursements of pet insurance, with 3% being offered pet related incentives.
- Health care: 4% of those surveyed state that their company offers health care on site, which saves employees taking time off for appointments.
- Volunteer: 5% of those surveyed stated their company offers time off to volunteer in order to gain new skills and enhance wellbeing.
- Staff holiday: 15% said their company offer staff holidays – from Spain, to Singapore and Australia!
- Pampering: Companies are offering pampering and massages in the office whilst they work – however, this isn’t common with just 2% in our survey receiving the luxury!
- Adrenaline: 10% of respondents said their company offers adrenaline fueled activities such as bungee jumps, plane rides, and rock climbing sessions.
Shai, Managing Director of Reboot Online commented on the research: “I think it’s important to offer incentives and benefits to employees to show them you appreciate their work. I like to keep my staff on their toes; maintaining the thirst to learn and achieve, while ensuring there is never a dull moment.
“I take my staff boxing training with an ex-European champion every Friday, even giving them the chance to “hit the boss”, which has proven popular!”
70% of employees say that incentives make a difference to their motivation levels
The Top 10 Work Benefits
According to the respondents, this was the collated list:
- Job related training courses (60%)
- Flexible working (58%)
- More holiday allowance (55%)
- Greater responsibility (50%)
- Partial travel reimbursement (45%)
- Involvement in side projects (35%)
- Monthly socials (33%)
- Early finish (30%)
- Gym membership (25%)
- Weekly lunches (20%)
- By Sonia Rach, editor and employee happiness evangelist at Perkbox.
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