Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire

Modern Day Benefits that Attract New Hires

If you want to attract top-notch talent, you have to provide top-notch perks — such is the talent acquisition market these days. Now that the economic recession is in recovery, more job seekers have their pick of the job market; and with that, they’re making some very specific demands. A Wall Street Journal article looks at some of the top work-life benefits that companies are using to entice new hires.

Drinks all around. If a beer cart coming to your desk around 4 pm on a Friday afternoon sounds too good to be true, we’ve got unbelievable news for you. More and more, large companies and small businesses are shelling out office perks like beer carts and happy hours, also providing sodas to employees who don’t drink. But this isn’t anything like the scenes you see in Mad Men. Drinks are divvied out as a reward for all of the hard work put into the entire week.

WFH. Move over “BRB” and “NP” — there’s a new office acronym that’s rising in use and popularity: WFH. With laptops, VPNs and mobile devices at every employee’s disposal, more big corporations and small businesses alike are allowing employees to work from home. Offices are setting their own standards and rules, permitting employees to work from home once a month, once a week or as often as they like. This is luring job candidates in like crazy.

Bring your dog to work day. Only it isn’t just a day — it can be anytime. Some workplaces are enticing new hires with the privilege of bringing their furry friends to work with them. It has been proven that animals decrease stress levels, and with that, they’re making workplaces a little less tense and a lot more fun. Besides that, they give employees a chance to leave their desks for a small break and socialize outside of the workplace while walking their dogs. Granted, bringing your dog to work can result in a decrease in productivity — so if your pooch is a little rowdy, this may not be the most attractive work-life benefit for you.

Giving back. Finally, new hires are looking for companies who do more than give to them through work-life balance initiatives. They want to work for brands and businesses that give back to the community too. From large corporations to small businesses, more and more companies are offering volunteer hours to employees. These are hours during the work week in which employees are paid to take time away from their desk to paint walls at a day care, read to elementary school children or pick up trash on the side of the highway.

These days, new hires are seeking way more than competitive pay and health care benefits, they want creative, out-of-the-box work-life benefits that will make them happy to come to work. Implementing a few of these initiatives creates a work-life balance that’s attracting top-notch talent and enticing new hires.

What are some other creative work-life benefits that are being implemented in workplaces? Share now in our comments!

Kathryn Randolph

Kathryn is a freelance writer currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and has five years experience writing for major job search and higher education websites. When she's not writing for the web, Kathryn is hanging out with her new baby girl, traveling, cooking, reading and running. She believes that the perfect job is out there for everyone and hopes to help Spark Hire job seekers discover their career passion and pursue it.

2 comments

  • We have unlimited PTO for our employees – its not literally the ability to take off eternally but it is an extension of flexible work time. You can take off as much time as you’d like as long as you’re able to complete your job duties. Its our way of saying “we treat you like an adult and trust you to do what you were hired for.”