Every employer wants happy employees, right? After all, happy employees lead to higher productivity, a positive company culture, less employee turnover, and hopefully a greater return to your bottom line. But, beyond a pay raise, how can employers appropriately cater to all types of employee personalities and preferences without comprising the work environment? While every company is unique in its nature and mission, it is possible to provide some creative employee perks that will not only keep your current employees happy but also attract new employees.

We researched what some of the top-rated employers are doing to retain and attract new talent. From the conservative to the extreme, the options for employee perks are endless. If you can’t color too far out of the lines, at least consider these five fun and enticing ways to up your game with employee perks.

Consider These Five Ways to Up Your Game with Employee Perks

1. Continuing Education

The best employees are those who desire to be lifelong learners. And while not every employee is financially able to seek further education or job-specific certifications, employers have many opportunities to work with educational institutions to offer a variety of extended learning programs or discounted tuition. If your business is not financially positioned to help provide tuition assistance, consider working with a Human Resources agency like LBMC EP to explore options for offering personal and professional development courses.

2. Health and Wellness

Healthy employees are happier employees. From nutrition to medical expertise to physical and mental health services, there are multiple venues for employers to explore when it comes to providing health and wellness perks. From enlisting health experts to offer employee seminars to inviting physical trainers to lead fitness courses at the office to medical technology applications such as PhysicianNow, the opportunities are endless for providing these much-welcomed employee perks.

3. Transportation and Tickets

Depending on where your business is located, chances are that travel can sometimes affect an employee’s ability to arrive and depart when convenient. A simple way for employers to help ease commuter stress for employees is to seek out and provide public or private transportation services or discounted tickets. Many cities will work with employers to offer these perks by bus or train passes that allow employees to save money on gas while relaxing on the way to work instead of dealing with traffic anxiety.

4. Family First

Among employees’ greatest stressors are balancing work duties with home and family care needs. Whether drafting a family-first policy that allows employees the flexibility to appropriately balance work and home responsibilities or working with local daycare or preschools to offer tuition discounts, consider implementing some creative perks that elevate the importance of family.

5. Say Thanks Often

The happiest employees are those who not only feel valued, but they hear it often. There are many creative ways to show your gratitude to employees without breaking the bank. From the simplicity of handwritten notes to certificates of appreciation to an occasional free lunch or celebratory gathering, make sure your employees know they are important and essential to the success of your business.

There are many more effective ways than just a pay raise to keep your talent happy and engaged. If you are struggling to attract and retain top talent, perhaps you need an expert like us to offer customized solutions that best fit your business needs. Contact us today to learn how we can help!