There are those companies that have reputations for being great places to work because they offer their employees amazing perks. From free meals, to on-site beer taps, to nap pods, to pet-friendly office policies, these companies make long work days seem like a walk in the park. As a result, they get tons of qualified applicants each year, and can pretty much pick and choose from the best of the best.
While it’s true that a lot of these companies are huge, with a global presence — and many of them are also in the tech arena — that doesn’t mean smaller companies can’t offer their own perks.
Why Offer Perks?
In a word: Productivity. Happy workers are highly productive workers, and they often produce a very high quality of work as well. In a study conducted by the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick, researchers discovered that participants who were exposed to positive stimulus tended to have higher levels of productivity, with the reverse true for those who were exposed to negative stimulus. They conducted four different experiments with the same results.
Offering perks beyond the standard medical, dental, and PTO could actually improve your company’s bottom line.
By now you’re probably saying: “Sure, that might work for a California tech company with money to burn, but we don’t have the budget for that kind of thing.”
The good news is that you don’t have to spend a billion dollars to boost your employee happiness levels, some of the suggestions below can be both affordable and effective.
On-Site Chair Massage
The great thing about a chair massage is that you can do it clothed, and it only takes a few minutes to reap the benefits. Not only does chair massage reduce tension and stress, it can actually increase employee morale and reduce sick time and absenteeism.
You can host chair massage events once a month, or you can go all-in and invest in a dedicated chair massage room, with a therapist on-site throughout the workweek.
Having a dedicated massage space might seem expensive, but it’s actually less expensive than the money you could lose from absenteeism, illness, and other effects of stress.
If you want to create your own dedicated space, you can find high-quality and moderately-priced massage chairs from Earthlite.com and other online vendors. If you can’t have a dedicated space, you can always contract services with a company that specializes in corporate chair massage.
Snacks and Catered Meals
Everybody has to eat, but a lot of your employees could be skipping meals in favor of work. Your employees could also be favoring less healthy, but convenient, fast food over healthier options. Food doesn’t just fuel our bodies, it also fuels our brains, and healthy food provides better energy.
Instead of having vending machines, why not have a break room stocked with fresh fruit, juices, and other healthy snacks to keep your employees fueled and active. You could also provide healthy breakfast and lunch options and, once a month, have a catered breakfast or lunch.
Group Outings
Once a quarter, take your employees out for an excursion like a trip to an amusement park, or rent a movie theater for a matinee and pizza party. Schedule it during the work day so that your employees don’t have to make extra arrangements for childcare, or rearrange other personal obligations. Let your employees spend that time getting to know one another in a relaxed environment outside of work.
Company Game Room
Games give people the perfect opportunity to brainstorm, refresh, and blow off steam. On a stressful day, instead of taking a couple aspirin and slamming too much coffee, your employees could take a fifteen minute Rock Band break, or play a couple rounds of table tennis.
Install a basketball hoop in the corner of your parking lot and let your employees spend a couple minutes perfecting their slam dunks.
Conclusion
It’s time for other companies to capitalize on what silicon valley has known all along: No TV and no beer makes Homer go crazy. And while you don’t have to provide TV and beer, giving your employees a few extra perks can definitely make them more productive.
