Employee Benefits that don't cost the earth…

Human Resources Perth

High morale is very important in any workplace and when there is high morale, you have much more chance of retaining talented members of the team you spent so much time and money trying to recruit. And employees who feel happy and valued in their roles are more likely to perform better, thus increasing the productivity of any business. These days, businesses are coming up with more innovative ways to keep morale high and boost their human resource retention rate.

Offering perks has always been both a recruitment services strategy and a way of increasing human resource retention, and in the 21st century, our perks are becoming fun, innovative and quirky.

The great thing about employee perks is that they are not just reserved for the big, multinational corporate firms who have the money to spend on high cost attractions like gym membership, paid holidays or a lot of travel.

Yes, those types of perks are definitely going to attract new applicants and boost morale for a time but there are also lots of other ideas out there that can be adapted for Perth businesses of all sizes. Just because you are an SME, doesn't mean you can't give your valuable human resources perks, because not all perks offered by Perth employers are going to cost the earth. Quirky, simple ideas can also attract and retain the best employees by boosting morale and demonstrating to employees that you as a business owner values what they do.

Increasingly, businesses are becoming famous not just for the products they offer or the services they provide, but also for all those little extras they offer their employees on top of their standard pay packet, breaks and holidays. More and more employers are realising the benefits and value of rewarding their employees and, get these perks right, you could have a constant stream of applicants eager to work for you and a team of happy and fulfilled employees working hard. It's a win win situation for both employer and employee.

Does your business currently offer any perks to employees?

If not, some of the ones listed below could be worth your consideration. They are all extras that are in operation across some of the world's largest companies and also smaller ones, too, and for some, it's these perks that always get them listed in 'best companies to work for'.

Google, for example, are always right up there when it comes to innovative ways of keeping their employees happy. Google CEO, Larry Page, has the belief that when you treat people well, you get better productivity and their performance speaks for itself. As a company, they have food on tap for their employees – served meals and a pantry where employees can use food to prepare their own dishes. Other perks include bowling alleys where employees can go and wind down for a while and they also offer massages at the desk.

This is just a sample of what's on offer at Google and obviously, SMEs are not in a position to go out there and buy themselves a bowling alley to keep employees amused. But ideas can be adapted and scaled so that perks can be offered to employees.

So what are some of the top perks out there which can benefit both you and your employees?

Paid Insurance

We all know how expensive insurance can be and how time-consuming it can be trying to find the best quotes. Some larger companies are able to offer their employees perks such as free car insurance, home insurance or even pet insurance. Pets are a much-loved part of many families so this one could be a good draw both for attracting new applicants and also for your employee retention.

Allowing pets in the workplace

Clearly it depends on the type of business you are as to whether you have a suitable environment but, as mentioned above, pets are much-loved members of many families. Most pet owners don't like to leave their little animal friends at home alone so if they can bring them to work, they feel much happier. Some tech companies operate a bring-your-pet-to work policy. Have you got the space or the ability within your company to allow pets? This is an employer perk that could suit SMEs as well as larger companies.

Casual dress code

Some employer perks have no financial outlay and operating a no-tie policy and a casual dress code is used by many Perth SME businesses. This type of employer perk can be good if you are looking to attract students and young professional into jobs or training positions. People like the idea of working for a fun, forward thinking company and a casual dress code can give that impression. While this human resource perk isn't suitable for all companies, for those who could consider implementing this, there is no financial cost; just happy, relaxed employees.

Offering clothing advances

Particularly if you are employing graduates, students or young school leavers, that requires employees to be smartly dressed in a more formal business, a clothing advance can show that you are a company willing to help and support their HR .To students and graduates straight out of university, the prospect of having a potentially big cash outlay for clothing just to go to work, can seem daunting and a clothing advance, or even paying for that first suit outright, can go a long way to making new young talent feel valued and wanted.

Vitil Human Resources

Vitil's Consultants are HR professionals who have experience of a vast array of different situations. We who offer flexible, reliable and affordable outsourced human resource support, where your team is the key focus. By outsourcing HR to an expert in HR, our experienced professionals can objectively assess your environment and your human capital needs, to further develop your businesses performance.

Contact us for more information.

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