Company culture is taking employee motivation to the next level. Not only does it impact retention, but it also cultivates a positive workplace experience for everyone. Motivation stretches beyond offering vacation days and a good dental plan. Top rated companies are known for taking a more holistic approach to caring for their employees’ physical and mental well-being.
According to the 2020 Culture Research Report by the HR management platform HiBob, a positive work environment with happy employees is ultimately what makes people want to join a company and stay there. 77% of people interviewed said that company culture was extremely important to them when considering a new job. So, what are some of the biggest industry trends to follow in company culture and employee perks? Here’s what we found out:
Food programs
Well-fed employees are happy employees. Healthy food options (as well as snacks and drinks) continue to be the number one harmonizer in office culture. Turns out that high salaries and unlimited vacations have a hard time competing with free food.
However, with the pandemic forcing employees to work from home, companies shifted their perks out of the office too. Care packages sent to personal addresses and monthly allowances through employee cards (like Thriver’s Treat Card) provided employers the opportunity to keep up with their food programs, supporting their teams through these challenging times.
Flexible working schedules
Bill Gates once said that as competition for talented employees gets tougher, “companies that give extra flexibility to their employees will have the edge.” Turns out he may have been on to something. According to LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Survey, a third of employees (31%) say that flexible work schedules are very important to them when considering a job offer. That number only goes up if prospective employees have kids at home.
Having a flexible working schedule that allows some work from home days doesn’t mean you have to be completely alienated from your team, either. Remote virtual experiences, like team-building games or virtual parties, can be a great way to give the whole team a chance to kick back and enjoy themselves and have something to talk about.
Parent-friendly policies
Keeping employees happy means getting the whole family on board, too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 60% of households in the US have both partners working full-time.
Some companies are reimagining what it means to be modern-day working parents, with wellness programs supporting the entire family and innovative experiences made just for children. In light of COVID-19, Spotify is now offering “Kid Hour” over Zoom just to keep the little ones occupied.
Another example is SurveyMonkey which offers their employees a stipend that can cover subscriptions to child-care service platforms and other dependent care support, such as home nurses and academic subscriptions for home schooling.
Wellness Programs
Sweating while on the clock can be a great way to get everyone’s blood pumping, and can be a load of fun too. Healthy employees are happy employees, a pillar to improve employee retention rates. That’s one of the reasons why investing in employee wellness isn’t just a nice gesture, it turns out that it’s a great business move, too. Companies that offer gym memberships, yoga classes and other wellness perks to their employees see fewer sick days, better productivity and a general overall boost in morale.
Take Fitbit as an example. The Fitbit Wellness initiative program uses its own wellness tracker technology to inspire friendly competition in the office. The company regularly rewards its most active staff members, encouraging more sedentary employees to amp up their exercise routines. The initiative has been so successful that Fitbit has seen a massive drop in the number of sick days, lessened illness and fatigue among staff.
Career Growth
Modern office politics look a lot different in the 21st century. The average worker is expected to work 12 to 15 jobs over the course of their career, meaning that lifetime employment is no longer de rigueur for most people. What that means is that employers can expect workers to stay on board for an average of 3 to 5 years, and the company is responsible for honing their professional and personal development during that time. But it doesn’t have to be a one-sided transaction — both employer and employee can mutually benefit from initiatives that help them grow professionally.
Collective learning is still possible when working from home. As part of Virtual Experiences, we are helping our clients with Learning & Development programs tailored to their teams, with language lessons, leadership workshops, diversity and inclusion seminars and more.
Team Building
Team-building events are an easy way to bring a lot of joy to your company. We spend so much of our time in front of the screen, why not break the routine up a little?
At Thriver, we offer one-of-a-kind virtual experiences that everyone can take part in, regardless of physical distancing. Our easy-to-use platform will allow you to browse through certified vendors in all categories (Arts & Entertainment, Food & Drink, Health & Wellness, Learning & Development) and our team will curate a program tailored to your goals, providing support on the day of your event to make sure everything goes smoothly. Bring your ideas to life, chat with us!