It's becoming more apparent that regular wages – no matter how you increase them – may not be enough to attract and retain employees in your organization. Bonuses post low scores on the totem pole when it comes to the perks that employees want in 2021 and beyond.
Perks are those benefits that employers offer their employees besides regular wages. These perks are increasingly playing a major role in employees' decision to accept job offers or keep working at their current workplaces. Employees are now like customers: they too have options. And they choose what's best for their well-being.
Here are the six top popular employee perks in 2021:
1. Remote Working Opportunities
The option to work remotely from private workspaces isn't likely to end with COVID-19, and many people will return to their official offices. After a year or so of lockdown, you have probably appreciated the value of working remotely and may have no problem sticking to your remote office, such as Quest Workspaces, because of the flexibility that comes with it.
Working remotely has become so popular that some companies plan to make it permanent. Dropbox, for example, has created job positions that will have employees working permanently from virtual offices and meeting rooms.
2. Flexible Work Schedules
If you appreciate working remotely, you will also embrace the need for flexible work schedules. This is because flexible work schedules augur well for private workspaces, rather than at your old-school office. It is one of those perks popular in 2021 because they make it easy for you to fit in your other personal responsibilities, such as appointments, and personal training fitness.
Many companies are adopting flexible work schedules to attract and retain their employees. If you are looking for such a company, American Express, one of the largest credit card companies in the world, should be your next stop.
3. Employee Development and Trajectory
The modern employee focuses ahead, well beyond the regular wages, a fact not lost on analysts. Pernille Hippe Brun, Momentu, says that if you "Offer employees professional growth" and let them grow through the job, they are more likely to feel attached to your company. Offering them opportunities for professional development helps them to understand that they feature in the future of the company, and would not need to move elsewhere.
4. Work-Life Benefits
Companies looking to gain and retain talented employees are offering strong work-life benefits. Employees factor in this benefit when considering job offers, and it can be a deal-breaker. Two important benefits are:
- Four-day work-weeks to allow employees to have time for personal development matters, such as recreation.
- Extended maternity or paternity leave to let employees adjust to new life dynamics without compromising their productivity.
When it comes to strong work-life benefits, you should consider companies such as Zoom, Starbucks, and Slack, among many others. As more organizations join the list, it is clear that it is one of the perks to look out for in 2021.
5. Family Support and Well-Being
One company offering epic wellness programs for its employees is Asana. This firm can actually pay you to sleep. It has nap rooms where employees can sleep, unwind and recharge. In addition, you can always take a day or two off to attend to personal issues. Other benefits you will enjoy in this company include:
- Free gym memberships
- Nutritious meals
- Free mentor programs for executive coaching
- Monthly workshops
6. Health Insurance Benefits
While it might seem a standard benefit, not all businesses are under obligation to provide health insurance for their employees. For your information, only 69% of employees in the private sector have access to health insurance.
It's no wonder then that most employees are looking for companies or businesses that offer health insurance as one of their perks. If you are looking for such places to work, you could consider Caribou Coffee, Starbucks, Whole Foods, United Parcel Service (UPS), and Lowe's, among many others.
The biggest employee perks for 2021 include the flexibility to work remotely from private offices and flexible working hours. You can take advantage of this trend to work from one of our fully-furnished private offices, with all the modern facilities to improve your productivity away from the traditional office workspaces.
If you need more information about our offices, please contact us today.