As a small business it’s important to attract the best staff. And while you might not be able to afford expensive perks like on-site gyms, there are a number of benefits you can provide for your team at a low cost.
Workplace benefits and perks are becoming the battle ground for attracting new workers. With salaries and the job descriptions similar for many roles, one of the things that will make someone choose your position over another are the benefits and perks you can provide.
After all, people will be spending a large part of their day with you – they want it to be a positive experience.
New research from CV-Library found that 1 in 10 (12.6%) people would reject a job offer if the company didn’t offer any workplace perks.
Here are some that you can provide without breaking the bank…
1. Flexible working
While it’s now law that you must consider all applications for flexible working, it doesn’t mean you have to allow your team this benefit. But by putting it front and centre in the job advert you’re making it a benefit they can rely upon, instead of something they might get every now and then.
Flexible working is not only one of the cheapest benefits to offer – in that it can essentially be free – but it’s also one of the most desired. The CV Library survey found that 47.2% of respondents put it as their most desired benefit.
And if your flexible working scheme is run properly, you might even find that it boosts productivity. A survey by Vodafone found that 83% of respondents said flexible working had resulted in improvements in productivity, while 61% said it had helped increase company profits.
2. Relaxed dress code
Strict dress codes are slowly disappearing from our offices. But some places will still have a code, whether it’s spoken or not. This might mean no trainers, no jeans or that shirts are required.
While all staff should be presentable, those who don’t face the public or clients could be given more freedom to dress down.
Not only does it make them more relaxed in the workplace, it could also save your staff money as they won’t have to buy new shoes, trousers or suits for work every six months. Plus, it’ll cost your company nothing.
3. Holiday purchase schemes
Everyone likes time off. But some people like more than others – which is fine as everyone has unique circumstances.
One way to offer more holiday is through a holiday purchase scheme. You can allow people to buy a set amount of extra days every year.
This can be done either through:
• a one-off payment equivalent to a day’s work
• splitting the cost of the day over the year so they only pay a little a month or,
• a salary sacrifice scheme, whereby the money to pay for the extra holidays comes off their wage before tax, saving them some money.
4. Free healthy snacks
This one will mean a bit of cash outlay from you but can be a real boost to your team. Free healthy snacks like fruit, juice and cereal bars have a number of benefits – apart from just being tasty.
They will give your team the type of slow release energy they need to stay focussed throughout the day, can help reduce absenteeism by creating a healthier office environment, and will reduce time away from desk they might have spent going to the local shop.
5. Chill out rooms
If you’ve got the space, this is a great option to offer. A meeting room that’s not regularly used or a former manager’s office can be transformed into a room to get away from work for a few minutes during the day.
You could put in a comfy sofa for reading or even napping, add a table tennis table for a bit of exercise, or even a games console for some team bonding and fun. You could even transform it into a bar for after work drinks.
