OMG Digital Magazine OMG Issue 336 20th December 2018 | Página 20

OMG Digital Magazine | 336 | Thursday 20 December 2018 • PAGE 20
Business
5 EMPLOYEE PERKS THAT EVERY
SMALL BUSINESS SHOULD BE OFFERING
BY WORKOPOLIS
This article is based on research for our recent eGuide, How
to create a benefits package. Employee perks might need
a bit of a name change soon. After all, they’re not really
perks any more – they’re a compulsory component of any
competitive job offer. Today’s seekers are looking way
beyond salary to the free stuff and cool services that will
make their day-to-day better.
And it’s not just about recruitment either – perks (we’ll
keep calling them that for now) also play a huge role in
keeping existing employees happy, productive, and loyal.
It’s no surprise, then, that companies are offering their
employees everything from chef-prepared lunches to on-
site massages, with more and more over-the-top treats
added each year.
In fact, just last month Basecamp CEO Jason
Fried  admitted to Business Insider  that he’s running out
of ideas for employee perks. “I’d love to continue to give
more and more things to make people happier and more
comfortable,” he said. “I’m just running out of ideas for it.”
But here’s the rub: while that’s all well and good for a
multi-billion-dollar company, offering perks becomes a
little more difficult for small businesses trying to find and
retain top talent. All the little freebies add up quickly, after
all. That said, it’s not impossible for small businesses to
offer employee perks – and in fact there are some that
they absolutely need to have to compete with the larger
companies.
Here are five employee perks that every small business
should be offering (you can afford them, we promise).
HEALTH BENEFITS
Gallup’s  State of the American Workplace  breaks down
all employee benefits into four categories: basics,
important to some, differentiating, and added value.
The basics category includes the must-haves that most
employees would change jobs to obtain. “They do not
set organizations apart but are essential in attracting and
retaining employees,” writes Gallup.
And one of the biggest items on this list? Health insurance.
Luckily, health insurance is increasingly easier for small
businesses to offer as more cost-effective options,
services, and platforms become available. For a complete
run-down of the options, check out our recent article here.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Professional development, education, and training
opportunities are particularly important to small
businesses because they don’t have to take much out of
the operational budget. However, they’re highly important
to top talent: according to recent Gallup research, 87 per
cent of millennials say development and career growth
opportunities are very important to them in a job.
A lot of these training programs are win-win: a mentorship
program between upper management and entry-level
employees, for example, lets companies groom employees
to move into hard-to-fill roles in the future.
A WELLNESS PROGRAM
Wellness initiatives are also win-win because they
decrease your team’s need for health insurance, while also
reducing absenteeism and improving productivity. In fact,
wellness programs can save companies over $250 a year
per employee, according to Sun Life and Ivey Business
School’s  ongoing survey  into ROI in Canadian corporate
wellness programs.
A wellness program doesn’t necessarily have to mean
fitness subsidies or expensive classes. Consider leading a
weekly yoga class in a meeting room, or running a daily
walking club. Other low-cost options include meditation
sessions, mental health workshops, and healthy lunch
potlucks.
FREE FOOD
No, you don’t need an in-house chef. But a well-stocked
snack pantry and quality coffee maker can go a lot farther
than you think. Just be sure to consider all diets, allergies,
and other restrictions before you buy a month’s supply of
peanut butter. And try to veer on the healthier side – you
don’t want your whole team having a daily 3 p.m. sugar
crash.
A RELAXED WORK
ENVIRONMENT
An office with a laid-back, startup feel is a plus for a lot
of job seekers – and something that larger corporate
companies have a hard time scaling up.
“Many small companies are focusing on benefits and
perks that are a bit more manageable financially but
also represent their culture and accommodate their
employees’ lifestyles,” writes Gallup. “They are offering
employees the flexibility, autonomy and development
they want and establishing work environments that feel
less like traditional, inflexible corporate cultures.”
This could mean everything from easing up on the
business dress code (within reason, of course) to offering
flexible work hours – whatever you can do to lean into the
benefits of being with a smaller team.