A Small and large businesses alike are getting more creative about enriching their corporate culture, a recent TIME article reveals. In a tough world where 9 to 5 business hours are dissolving into longer work days, and stress and pressure are higher than ever, companies recognize that they need to think outside the box to prevent burnout and keep employees happy, healthy and productive.
Catered lunches, unlimited paid vacation, a yoga studio, surfing lessons, Wii tournaments, ice cream truck visits, offbeat team building exercises, even dog-friendly office space. The litany of unusual employee perks popping up in small business around the country is pretty exciting. Each business seems to have its own specific end goal, but the overall theme of keeping employees satisfied and passionate not just about their work but about the company they represent is fairly common.
In the TIME piece, Stanford University professional of organizational behavior Hayagreeva Rao suggests asking your employees what kinds of perks they would truly enjoy and what will make their lives easier. And once you introduce a perk, don’t revoke it without offering something similar in substitute, or the entire exercise will backfire. Also dangerous, Rao says, is making participation in the perk mandatory. Nothing is one-size-fits-all, and chances are your employees are all unique individuals.
What perks does your company offer its employees? What perks would you like to see?