Employee turnover costs companies thousands. There’s the cost of lost productivity, recruitment, hiring, and training. But what can a company offer to keep employees from leaving?
Employees stay or go for a variety of reasons, but what benefits a company offers can make a difference. Not all employee perks need to be big or expensive. There are a lot of less expensive benefits that companies can offer to make their employees feel valued. Sometimes a little can go a long way.
Keep Your Employees Nourished
A well-nourished employee is a productive employee. Providing free or at-cost snacks can provide much-needed energy during the workday. If the available snacks are healthy, the company can help employees reach health and nutrition goals.
Celebrate Birthdays
On special occasions like employee birthdays, offering cake to celebrate can show employees that they’re appreciated. The rest of your staff will enjoy the break and camaraderie. The value of providing birthday celebrations far outweighs the actual cost of the cake.
Free Coffee
The world runs on coffee. Some employees don’t function well until they’ve had their first cup in the morning. Providing free coffee can help your employees be productive more quickly. Not charging for the coffee can go a long way towards earning loyalty and motivation from your employees.
A well-caffeinated workforce is a productive and happy workforce. Keep the coffee flowing and your business will benefit in profits.
Help Them Avoid Burnout
Burnout can seriously affect an employee’s productivity. It can also cause up to 50% of staff turnover. Fortunately, many of the benefits that can help employees avoid burnout are inexpensive to offer.
Flexible Hours
Offering flextime allows employees to make their own schedule to best fit their needs. Employees may come in early to leave early, or stay late to make up for having arrived late. Some may take breaks in the middle of the day for appointments or to pick up kids from school.
The key factor is allowing employees to make their own schedules. They’ll feel trusted and valued and their schedules will be optimized to fit their lifestyles.
Working from Home
Allowing employees to telecommute shows that you trust them to work productively from home. Studies show that employees are more productive at home, away from the distractions of coworkers. It costs the company nothing to offer this benefit and video conferencing software means that employees don’t miss anything away from the office.
Telecommuting doesn’t have to be a full-time benefit. Employees could be allowed to work a few days a week from home. Or specific days could be set aside for all employees to work from home. The more employees work from home, the less the company has to spend on office expenses.
