Employees want to feel appreciated. Companies who view a paycheck as sufficient appreciation often find themselves with high turnover and lower quality talent. Most industries put a high premium on hiring the right people and will not hesitate to poach someone from your organization they feel can help them reach their goals. There are several keys to keeping top talent, including employee appreciation.
Most companies if I asked about the employee perks they offer would point to allowing their teams to wear jeans on Friday and getting out early during the summer. Most employees expect these perks and are no longer impressed by them. In order to truly show your appreciation and keep your top talent from leaving, you need to think outside the box. In today’s post we are going to present 5 unique employee perks you can reward your teams with.
Extra Fridays Off
Everyone expects to have a set number of personal time off days for them to use. You can take this a step further by offering an additional 5 Fridays they can take off throughout the year. For example, if an employee is getting ready for a long weekend, they can take a Friday off without it counting towards their regular two weeks. These extra Fridays can be used for employees to prepare their homes for an upcoming event, begin travel earlier, or recharge their batteries after a long week or month.
When you implement this new perk, be sure to clearly outline the rules. For example, departments should have a submission system to ensure there are not too many people trying to take off the same Friday. You may also need to limit this perk during your busy season. If you don’t take care of this at the start, you will have to deny people’s requests without warning. This will make them feel that the perk isn’t real and they may become resentful as a result.
Mental Health Days
Mental health is becoming a growing problem in this country. It directly results from people thinking discussing the state of their mental health is a sign of weakness. When it comes to the workplace, it is common for people to get burned out. When this happens, their work suffers as a result. If you wish to be a leader, you need to be on the front lines of changing the way your organization views the mental health issues of its employees.
A mental health day is a type of day that does not count towards vacation or sick time. Therefore, it does not need prior approval, nor does it require the employee to lie about why they are not at work. The idea is that if a person is feeling burnout and runs down, they can take a mental health day and give themselves a break from the daily grind. This only works if the employees feel comfortable taking the day and know that it is accepted and encouraged by management and executives.
Free Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Most people skip breakfast because they are too busy getting ready for work. Then, they spend their morning feeling hungry and thinking about what to have for lunch. They eat a big lunch and end up feeling sluggish for the rest of the day. While this might not always be the case, your team will benefit from having access to quality breakfast foods every morning.
You do not have to have an omelette station set up in the conference room or a breakfast buffet out in the hallway. By providing basic breakfast options such as fruit, yogurt, and granola bars, you are telling your employees you care about their energy levels and want them starting the day off on the right foot. It also allows your team to save over a hundred dollars a month from buying breakfast on their way in. Your team is now fed, appreciative, and energized for the day ahead.
Mentorship Program
The managers and executives that work for you contain a great deal of knowledge and experience. It would be a shame for all that valuable information to only be leveraged by them alone. A mentorship program provides a way for your younger employees to learn from your older ones. You are essentially providing professional development training without having to pay someone from the outside to conduct it.
To start, all mentors should apply by filling out a quick survey about what they can offer a mentee. Then, your mentee’s will fill out a survey about what skills they want to learn and advice they are looking for. Finally, your HR team can review these surveys and begin matching people up that they believe are a solid fit. Once everyone is matched up, you can instruct the pairs to set up a weekly 30-minute meeting to connect. Ideally, this is done outside of the office at a coffee shop or restaurant. To go the extra mile, you can let your mentors expense the cost of the coffee or meal.
Lunch With The CEO
The CEO is often a very busy individual who spends his time in meetings or traveling around the country selling their company. This does not provide a lot of time for him or her to get to know their employees on a personal level. This type of perk requires each department to nominate one person to take part in a group lunch with the CEO. This employee should be chosen based on their outstanding work in the previous month or quarter.
This exclusive perk gives team members added incentive throughout the months. It also allows managers to show their appreciation for a job well done. For the CEO, this is a chance to hear the ideas and feedback from those who are grinding every day implementing the strategies they have developed. It also provides a chance for your employees to share ideas directly with the CEO instead of having to filter them through a manager or supervisor.
Conclusion
When it comes to appreciating your employees, it helps to be creative. What are some unique ways you can show your gratitude while providing actual value and benefit to their growth, development, mental health, and overall quality of life. Leaders who make employee appreciation a priority will be able to build a strong, seasoned workforce that can power their organization for years to come.
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