Unique gifts, perks and benefits to increase employee engagement + retention

In today's fiercely competitive job market, the battle for talent is real, and employers are increasingly turning to enticing perks and benefits to win the hearts of their workforce. A staggering 74% of Millennial and Gen Z employees say they’ll quit within a year because of a lack of development opportunities. Employee-focused initiatives play a pivotal role in determining job satisfaction and, consequently, retention rates. We’ve curated some perks and benefits to attract, engage and retain top talent.

Wellbeing: A holistic approach

Prioritizing employee wellbeing is crucial for a thriving workplace. Consider offering lifestyle spending accounts, fertility benefits or home care assistance to create a supportive and balanced work environment. It's like saying, "We got your back!" — in both word and action.

• Think about fertility benefits, like egg freezing, to help employees who might need it.
• Expand wellbeing education and perks with weekly massages, yoga classes and flexible spending for mental and physical wellness.
• Set up wellness programs with options for physical and mental wellbeing.
• Financial wellbeing is increasingly important in today’s workplace. Provide access to financial planners or financial education for advice on investments, retirement, debt management and budgeting.

A better standard of living

Lifestyle spending accounts are a great way to help employees master work/life balance the way they each want to. Wondering how? Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Allow employees to use lifestyle spending accounts for home services like meal or grocery delivery services, laundry services or cleaning services. This simple benefit can help reduce mental load and increase productivity.
• Offer a vacation stipend to encourage taking time off and help alleviate the stress of saving for those big trips so many of your employees have always wanted to take. 
• Consider homebuying assistance as a workplace benefit. Homebuying assistance can alleviate the stress of managing leases, finding new affordable living options and moving.
• Throw in childcare or eldercare options, including classes for working parents, help to support the caregivers in your organization.

Remote work enhancements: Beyond flexibility

Remote work has become the new normal, and companies can stand out by enhancing their remote experiences. Consider home office spending accounts, co-working space stipends and home office upgrades.

• Offer home office spending accounts for remote employees to create functional, healthy and professional working environments at home.
• Provide co-working space stipends to help employees find and afford private workspaces — this can be especially important for people without dedicated office spaces at home.
• Support home office upgrades with a monthly or annual allowance to boost productivity.

Customized + flexible learning

Finding the time to learn and develop – both professionally and personally – can be extremely difficult in today’s fast-paced world. But here's the cool part – employers are figuring out how to make learning more engaging and more accessible for their teams. 

Flexible and customized learning isn't just a win for employees; it's a smart move for employers too. Impactful learning programs keep employees engaged, help them learn new skills and make the company more attractive to top talent.

Electives Membership is an ideal way to provide flexible and customized learning for your employees:

• Electives Membership provides a diverse range of live, virtual learning opportunities — from new manager training to leadership skills and from wellbeing to communication.
• Electives Membership allows employees to take ownership of their individual development, selecting classes aligned with their personal and professional growth.
  

Electives Membership provides individualized learning, without the heavy administrative burden on HR + people leaders.

Thoughtful gifts: Books, self care and more

When looking to delight your employees, consider unique gifts like free books, travel perks and swag. These offerings show appreciation and contribute to a positive work culture.

• Launch a free book program, allowing employees to order books and join book clubs.
• Send curated gift boxes for major employee life events. For remote employees, gift boxes can include custom snack boxes to rival the options you provide in-office.
• Allow employees to select their gifts or branded swag. This level of personalization means your gifts will have a bigger impact. 
  

Empower your team, elevate your organization

Unique gifts, benefits and perks can pave the way for a vibrant, engaged and committed workforce. By blending modern, live learning solutions, holistic wellbeing perks and thoughtful gifts, HR and People leaders can craft workplaces that attract and retain top talent.

‍