If you are running a business, your contented employees can certainly be your calling card of the care that you provide them. Unfortunately, in many cases, company benefits are the last thing to be thought of on the imaginary scale of importance in a newly established company; also, you also cannot afford the high wages of talented employees.
However, as the company grows, it increasingly faces the dilemma of how to attract the best people in the market to start working for you. Not to mention your current employees, who have spent a lot of energy starting a business and now their energy is gradually running out.
The Daily Muse website has a few simple tips that will keep your employees motivated and also will be easy on your pocket. Can you afford some of these at your company?
No restrictions on holidays
If you have the trust of your employees and you trust them as well, let them decide how much time they will spend on holidays. Their motivation will increase dramatically, and, as thanks for your benevolence, they will be willing expend a lot of the energy they have gained during their time off, even in difficult situations. This method is in practice in many of today's fast-growing companies such as Netflix, HubSpot and more.
Sabbaticals
It is obviously not a benefit for all. In any case, you could allow a longer break to employees after X years of responsible work. Thus you will distinguish yourself from the competition and extend the "life" of your company's employees. According to research by the Society for Human Resource Management in 2011, only 4 % of companies offer this benefit; however, they have a much better retention of employees than other companies.
Flexible working hours
Fixed working hours do not suit every employee. This is not an excuse, but it offers the opportunity of a further corporate benefit. If you let your people decide for themselves whether they spend their morning doing their own activities and dedicating their afternoons and evenings to solving business tasks, it may help their motivation and productivity. Many start-up businesses have these options. Will you as well?
Sports benefits
The health of your people is very important for the health of your business too, because you can reduce, inter alia, your costs and sick days. Not every company can afford a gym at the workplace and especially not start-ups. How about paying for a fitness membership or promoting a healthy lifestyle in other ways?
Surcharge for commuting
For start-ups, talents are their greatest asset. Not everyone, however, lives near the company headquarters. Consider a surcharge for commuting for talented people.
Free refreshments
Everyone needs to eat during the day. Perhaps not main courses each day, but what about e.g., sponsoring snack food or occasionally having an informal breakfast or lunch outside together? This relatively low cost benefit can help you strengthen social bonds.
Discounts, discounts, discounts
Once your employee base grows, you should at least be able to provide employee discounts to restaurants, cleaners, hairdressers, sports centres and other activities in your area.
Once you build the foundations of your business, remember to build trust and loyalty through benefits, even with your freelance colleagues and with others with part-time employees. They are important to your business too. If you make sacrifices for them, then they will make sacrifices for you too in the future.
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