Perks Of The Job – The Modern Business Environment
With the slow growth of an economy coming out of resection we are living in interesting times. Although the pounds in our pocket seem to weigh a little less in terms of purchasing power, the job market is as lively as ever with unemployment falling.
And so the war for talent rages as hard as it ever it did during times of significant growth, with competing companies each seeking to gain an advantage by employing the very best available people.
Having spent several years working as a Headhunter, I know that in a market as buoyant as this, truly talented individuals are met with a significant number of choices when it comes to securing a new job and often a deal can be made or broken by the nature of the perks on offer.
As the UK becomes increasingly fuelled by growth in the services sector, it also becomes increasingly susceptible to the demands that type of culture creates in employees. Social interactions are an everyday part of work in a people based business, and with long hours often expected whilst ‘going the extra mile’, the lines between home and office life are becoming more and more blurred. This means that employees need to feel comfortable at work. After all, the more comfortable someone is, the more likely they are to settle and spend time in an environment.
Thoughtful touches such as a delivery of fruit in the mornings, dry cleaning services, gym memberships and dental plans are the icing on the cake that add a professional and caring touch to a proposed job offer, making companies seem serious about the well-being of their employees whilst being rich and secure enough to be able to afford the little added extras rather than scrimping their way through the quarter.
In this way an organisation screams success, and success minded individuals will want to join.
Never is this more prevalent than in the choice of mobile phone and mobile phone service plans. Many successful people want to overtly demonstrate the trappings of their success and so the latest smart phone or iphone is a must have accessory.
Supply something sub- standard or that locks employees in for a long period without an up-grade and risk the resulting sense of dissatisfaction every time it rings or pings, particularly in public. Whilst you may find this surprising, such dissatisfaction can actually lead to a dip in performance as the initial annoyance can fester and grow into a real issue, especially when gossiped about with others who can catch the ‘dis-ease’ like a virus.
Yes it may be primadonna-like behaviour but mobile phone snobbery is widely practiced in this technical age. Much like the 90’s salesman’s need to have the latest road warrior sports car with which to show off their prowess to unsuspecting customers, the phone is a status symbol that cannot be ignored, or rather is ignored only at your peril.
Companies that cut corners on employee perks or fail to invest heavily enough in employee happiness and well-being, are those often beset by high levels of attrition and the resulting and often hidden costs of re-hiring, re-training and developing employees to a successful level.
Attention to detail, career planning and ‘perk management’ are all key, and many savvy companies actually allow employees to choose from a range of benefits to suit them and their needs. This is a powerful ‘lock in’ and the resulting feel good emotions can have a powerful motivating effect on performance as well as guarantee a measure of longevity.
From fuel cards and company cars through to the latest ‘must have’ mobile phone, tablet or laptop companies who value employees see this as a wise investment will ultimately see the benefits transition to their bottom line and all for a relatively low cost.
About the Author
Nicola Wilson is a self employed business advisor and recruitment specialist based in the UK currently working along side A1 Comms. To contact Nicola please connect on LinkedIn.
