17 Companies Killing the "Work Perk" Game

May 22, 2017 | By Cara Jennings

Around the world, companies are taking initiative to keep employees happy and healthy at work, something that’s critical to retention and productivity. Not every company can do huge perks, but every company can do small things that go a long way with employees. How can you get inspiration for your company?

Don't get lost in the growing number of work perks to choose from – discover these real needs in the current employee population and how companies around the world are solving them.

TRANSPARENCY + TALENT ACQUISITION: In the current “Glassdoor” era where corporate transparency is a growing norm and thanks largely to digital media, nearly every major corporate decision can be exposed for the external masses to see and discuss: shareholders, job seekers, you name it. As transparency increases, organizations have to compete more to attract the best talent. In an effort to entice potential employees, many companies aim to create an appealing corporate culture, which might include better benefits packages, a cool office space, and fun office traditions or outings.

RETENTION: Attracting top talent is one thing; keeping it around is another. The mindset of today's workforce has shifted. A Boston Consulting Group study surveying over 200,000 people world-wide showed that a good work-life balance was among the top five factors that matter most to candidates, beating out salary by three spots. An increase in compensation is often no longer enough to recruit a qualified applicant or keep one around. Instead, establishing and maintaining a desirable, engaging workplace that looks out for its people can go a long way. How do you do that? Try offering valuable employee perks that allow for flexibility and account for different individual needs.

Here at 2020, we are all about employee wellness inside and outside of our company. The majority of our clients are HR, wellness and/or benefits professionals who strive to make and keep their employees happy and healthy. We've taken notes from our clients, some of whom boast at least one “Best Places to Work” award, and crossed the map to find employers and employees all around the world who are taking these qualitative job perks into consideration.

We're spreading around insights about some of the top perks to hopefully make the effort to improve employee wellness a little easier. From financial counseling to Opt Outside days to company cottages, you will find some bit of inspiration that you could bring to your company in this Global Wellness eBook.

We hope it gives you some new ideas on how to engage your employees! Don't be afraid to take a chance when it comes to perks; reach out to unique benefits providers and colleagues in HR to see what they're doing. Out-of-the-box ideas can yield the most success.

We take you around the globe to find out about the most amazing ways companies are influencing the lives in their respective employee bases and communities: