Employee benefits: personalizing your team's choices
Flexible working hours, customizable work environments, rewards programs: employee perks. As more and more companies evolve toward hybrid workplaces it’s become clear that flexibility and choice are key elements in employees’ decisions when it comes to either joining a team or staying.
A study conducted by Flex Jobs showed that over 75% of employees surveyed would be more loyal to their place of employment if it offered flexible work options and 61% answered that they valued an aesthetically pleasing comfortable workplace. These employee benefits are important to happiness and retention which, as we’ve discussed before, is key to a productive and successful business model.
Benefits that work for some may not work for all. Allowing for more choice when it comes to those benefits can help employees feel listened to and valued. So now the question is: how can employers provide more opportunities for personalization?
Make managing benefits easy
With benefits platforms like former Plantclub partner heyday, companies can offer a wide array of benefits from top worldwide brands for employees to choose from including discounts and vouchers for products and services, travel allowances, food subsidies, and more. Employees can pick and choose what services or perks they want to use their allotted budget on and easily switch items out for others.
Times are changing when it comes to employees’ expectations of what an employer should offer.
Why personalization matters
Customization can not only be beneficial to employees but also recruiters and companies alike. Offering perks is one thing, but showing flexibility can really attract talent and ensure their retention. Plus, giving employees the opportunity to handpick their benefits also means that a company will spend money on the right perks, cutting down on waste while keeping employees happy.
It’s important to show that a company can and will adapt to their employees’ needs and letting them pick and choose what works for them can be a perk that works both ways.
“[Employee benefits] give employees a more personal sign of appreciation that is directly related to their needs. It also builds a company culture and strengthens company values by offering employees benefits in specific areas like sustainability, health and fitness, and mental health,” said Jessamine Davies, Content and Partnerships Manager at heyday.
More and more employers are now offering their team perks that focus on mental and physical health.
More employees value flexibility
Heyday has seen an increasing amount of demand for flexible employee benefits and more and more employers have begun to recognize the importance of treating employees as individuals.
For example, some companies have gone above and beyond when it comes to the personalization of time off. In 2017, Spotify announced that the company would allow employees to swap out which public holidays they worked on. Instead of working on their own personally significant holiday, employees are given the choice to instead work on say Christmas or Easter. An initiative like this opens companies up to more diversity and inclusion, factors that can also increase company profits.
Jessamine notes that moves toward more personalization like this help employees feel empowered and that their employer is taking their needs and desires into account every month.
Ensuring employees feel valued is a win-win for all.
Offering home office perks
If your company has adapted to hybrid work, you may even consider perks that will improve your employees’ home offices. For smaller companies that can’t necessarily afford to grant everyone a 4.000€ home office stipend, providing other opportunities for home office customization is another way employees can be given the power of choice.
For example, members of Plantclub can offer (at no extra cost) the perk of a co-branded Employee Plant Store, where employees can pick and choose which plants they decorate their home office with whenever they want. And those choices are kept fresh and new as we introduce new products to the store.
Accommodating for remote work can set employers apart from others.
Employee wellness and health programs
Based on a study that shows that 97% of people surveyed believe HR should help maintain employees’ physical and emotional well-being, Forbes suggests that companies offer benefits from meditation classes to flexible schedules that allow employees to maintain healthy work-life balances and reduce mental strain.
At heyday they’ve especially seen a trend of mental health benefits being chosen by companies for their team.
“[There has been an] increase in mental health offers — the topic is finally being taken more seriously by employers, although there is still more to be done in terms of speaking openly about the topic and removing the stigma,” Jessamine said.
Plantclub.io provides you and your colleagues with the benefits of plants, wherever you work. Rent office plants and transform your space into a green oasis, with flexible monthly membership options to suit your size. Diversify your employee perks with a dedicated company store, where you can give green gifts and your team can buy plants for their home office. Book a time to chat with us today.