It may seem like a struggle to attract the candidates you want when you are a small business, however, it is still very doable, providing you think hard about the type of perks you would like to offer. Doing so could give your company the edge in attracting candidates and retaining you currently have. One of the worries you may have is being able to afford these perks when larger businesses have endless amounts of funds to keep employees happy; however, you don’t necessarily have to spending a great deal to compete.
If you are a small business and hoping to compete with bigger business in terms of the perks you offer, here are a few you should be considering:
1. Training opportunities
Now, while this perk may not have the fun-factor, younger employees hoping to achieve will be drawn in by the opportunity of steady progression. Professional development and training are of high benefit to many employees and may keep them satisfied in the workplace, while not having to spend much of the business budget. According to a study, 87% of millennials claim that training opportunities are one of the most important factors within the job search.
2. A work-life balance
Although you may have a general 9am-5pm policy, employees still want to try and maintain that work-life balance; especially if they have a family. Although your business may not be able to afford a full-wage maternity pay, meaning female employees have to return to work a little earlier than they had hoped, you could still aim to provide a steady balance between work and play. For example, you may offer the opportunity of allowing employees to work from home a few days a week. This would also be advantageous to you as a business owner, as you are able to hire the best candidates without having to worry about location constraints.
You could allow workers to choose their own hours as to what is best suited to them or allow early finish Fridays, providing the extra time is made up throughout the working week.
3. Fitness opportunities
No matter what the average age of your employees are, everyone has the aim of keeping fit. If your small business doesn’t have an on-site gym or fitness center, you can still offer fitness perks by providing a free membership for a local gym, which should cost your just a couple of hundred pounds per year.
4. Free stuff and treats
Everyone loves a freebie – whether they are vouchers, tablets or smartphones or even just a ‘doughnut day.’ You may also decide to install a coffee machine for employees to help themselves to a drink of their choice all day every day. If you think a coffee machine would go down well in the office, check out office-coffee.co.uk to find out more.
5. ‘Bring a pet to work’ day
Providing that no-one has any severe allergies to animals, you could allow employees to bring their furry friends to work– even if for just one day per month. Pet-friendly workplaces are becoming more and more common, especially within the global companies such as Google, Amazon, and Etsy.
What’s more, furry friends are known to boost employee happiness and satisfaction and generally gives an all-round positive atmosphere. It also means that employees don’t need to worry too much about pet care costs while at work.