According to research from Forbes, the majority of employees feel either dissatisfied or disengaged from their job.
Even though the general quality of jobs is improving over time thanks to automation of the most repetitive tasks, many workers still aren’t happy with their role.
Part of the reason for this has to do with the aspirations of the Millennial generation. For years, Millennials have been told by their teachers and parents that they can do anything they want, so long as they put their minds to it.
But economic reality has changed over the last decade or so and the number of opportunities for really fantastic careers is dwindling.
Now that millennials have entered the workforce en masse, they’re discovering that things aren’t like they hoped. Their jobs are stressful, low pay and not as exciting as they’d been promised. All that education and effort they put in at school all seems to have been in vain.
For companies, this is a big problem. As careercamel.com points out, the result of employee dissatisfaction and disengagement is high turnover rates, which can be extremely costly. As a result, many companies are looking for a solution. Are perks the answer?
Here are some of the most popular perks among employees today. Could your business offer these to its workers?
Give Them A Company Credit Card
To give its employees a boost, the web design company Weebly offers all of its employees a company credit card. The card can be used for anything work-related, and there are no set limits for when the card can be used.
Give Them A Four Week Sabbatical
One of the things many adults hate about working life is the fact that they never get an extended break to pursue other passions in their life.
It’s always work, work, work. Well not anymore if more companies start following in the footsteps of Epic Systems. The digital tech company has begun offering its employees month-long sabbaticals every five years of employment to give them the time to explore their other interests. For millennials who love travelling, this is certainly a great perk.
Let Them Play Games
Exercise is a great way to lift one’s mood and one’s soul, but far too few companies ever attempt to make physical activity part of the corporate culture. From a pure productivity perspective, it really should be.
Some loans companies are now introducing lunchtime basketball leagues where employees can have a quick game before scarfing down their lunch.
Other companies, like Yeti, make sure that their staff get out of the workshop every lunchtime and ride their bikes. According to the firm’s executive, it helps keep everybody happy, sharp and focused right up to home time.
Ongoing Training
Because technology is moving forward so rapidly, there’s a need for employees to continuously learn to keep their skills fresh and relevant. As a result, many companies, like Starbucks, are offering training programs that allow their colleagues to earn real degrees. Details are at starbucks.com.
Smaller businesses that can’t afford the full costs of tuition can enroll their staff on e-learning courses at a fraction of the cost.
