Rewards & Recognition

How to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day Virtually

Courtney Shipshock February 25, 2022

Employees should be celebrated on a daily basis but why not celebrate them a little extra this Employee Appreciation Day? It can be daunting to put together a plan with a remote or hybrid work environment. Luckily, there are options available to make your teammates feel valued and appreciated. We’ve laid out simple, effective ways to make this year’s celebration, on March 4th a success!

Send a Personalized Thank you Card

What better way to let employees know you appreciate them, than directly telling them? There are tons of options, physical or digital, to show your gratitude and put a smile on your employee’s face. It may seem old school, but greeting cards are still a thing in the digital age, thanks to millennials. If you’re looking for ideas, Canva has a variety of templates to get you started.

Provide Lunch to Their Favorite Spot

With teammates scattered, make lunch plans simple with a meal delivery credit. Employees can select their favorites and schedule the delivery time. Coordinate it so everyone can to get together (virtually) and chat! Not to mention, PerkSpot offers discounts on a variety of food delivery services to save you time and money.

Attend a Virtual Class Together

With busy schedules, it can be difficult to find time as a team to strengthen your skills. Providing opportunities to grow is an important part of a successful company. Dedicate this Employee Appreciation Day to your team’s expertise! It doesn’t have to be work-related either, Udemy Online Academy offers plenty of course options to enjoy with your team.

Deliver Some Company Swag

When employees feel a sense of purpose at their job, as a result, they tend to be more engaged in their work. Show your appreciation with company-branded apparel, water bottles, or even a gift card to your company store. Improve employee experience by making your employees feel seen, valued, and appreciated. It’s an easy way to retain great employees and attract top talent.

In short, go the extra mile this Employee Appreciation Day and recognize the hard work of your teammates. No matter the environment, there are opportunities available to make your employees feel extra special. If you’re interested in taking your efforts further, fill out a form and see how PerkSpot can benefit your company.

Building a Better Workplace: Employee Appreciation

Courtney Shipshock September 30, 2021

Let’s imagine your business is a car. It’s not just any car, though. It’s a best-in-class model with all the bells and whistles to really make it soar. But what happens when you don’t have any fuel? This fancy automobile may look great and sound great, but it’s not going anywhere. Here’s where employee appreciation comes in.

What is Employee Appreciation?

Think of employee appreciation as the fuel that drives your business. You can have a car built with all the best parts, but without fuel, it won’t move. We need to continuously keep our employees full by “refilling their tank” with appreciation and recognition for their achievements. Eighty percent of employees say they are motivated to work harder and stay at their jobs longer when they receive recognition for their work. That’s why making employees feel valued and appreciated is one of the best things we can do to build a better workplace.

How Can You Utilize Employee Appreciation?

So, your business is the car. If you’ve successfully recruited, onboarded, and trained the best talent for your organization, then you’ve definitely got all of the best parts. But as we mentioned before, without fuel, you’re not going anywhere.

Make It Regular

Refueling a car once will only get it so far. Eventually, that fuel runs out and the tank is empty. Recognizing employees is similar. While being recognized once is great, for employee appreciation to be truly effective, it needs to come regularly. At PerkSpot, we strive to recognize employees at least once every two weeks, and more if we feel it’s deserved!

Make It Valuable

If you’re driving a car all day, every day, it’s eventually going to need a break. The same goes for your employees! We all need a break every now and then, and a great way to utilize recognition is to give out those breaks. Offer a collective day of rest for your employees or recognize someone’s hard work with an additional day of PTO, allowing them to refuel and reenergize themselves.

Make It Useful

We may love adding new trinkets and fun embellishments to our cars, but the fact of the matter is, they won’t help the car run any faster or more efficiently. Similarly, employees want recognition in the form of something that feels useful. Skip the desk tchotchkes and find something that shows both your appreciation and a better understanding of your employees’ needs.

Build a better workplace with employee appreciation that matters and you’ll have the best car out there.

Answering All Your Employee Recognition Questions

Courtney Shipshock April 1, 2021

Regular employee recognition can inspire increased employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention. But if you’re not an employee recognition pro, you may not realize some of the important details about why, when, and how you should be regularly, formally, and informally recognizing your employees!

Why Should You Recognize?

As we mentioned above, the impacts of employee recognition cannot be overstated. Furthermore, the impacts hit nearly every aspect of your organization. From improved employee satisfaction to increased retention and reduced turnover to boosting your culture, recognition positively affects an entire organization. Plus, this is the case for any type of recognition. Employee recognition in the form of positive feedback, public acknowledgment of great work on a project or task, or a monetary reward are all great ways to say “thank you” to your high-performing employees.

When Should You Recognize?

Remember, employees should be recognized at least once every two weeks for various things, such as great performance, a job well done on a certain project or initiative, collaborating with a teammate, or hopping in to lend an extra hand. However, it’s vital that the recognition takes place soon after the event for which they’re being recognized. Employee recognition that quickly follows a great performance can help draw a connection for employees between their job well done and the positive feedback, thus increasing the possibility that they continue to perform at the same high level.

How Should You Recognize?

For many HR professionals, the ‘how’ can often be the most difficult part of recognizing employees. Understandably, it’s tough to single-handedly develop, implement, and maintain an employee recognition program. That’s why PerkSpot is managing that process for you. With PerkSpot’s Rewards and Recognition Program, you get an easy system for regularly recognizing employees. Plus, you’ll have the option to include a monetary reward as well. We’ve even developed a calendar that provides tips, suggestions, and weekly reminders for recognizing your employees!

Recognize your employees in a uniform manner with our Q2 Recognition calendar. Want to learn more about partnering with PerkSpot to start offering your employees the recognition they deserve, in a way that matches your organization’s culture and budget? Request a demo here!

7 Affordable Ways to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

Courtney Shipshock February 25, 2021

Get ready, HR professionals, because Employee Appreciation Day is March 5! While you should be recognizing and appreciating your employees throughout the entire year, this day is the perfect time to go the extra mile and show your employees that you care. Check out some of our favorite ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day with options that won’t break your recognition budget.

1. Volunteer Day

Surveys show that a workplace that encourages and even organizes ways for employees to volunteer can help improve employee morale and the overall workplace atmosphere. Yet, many employees find it’s difficult to volunteer simply because they can’t find the time. This Employee Appreciation Day, organize a day dedicated to volunteering. You can find hundreds of volunteer opportunities, both remote and safely in person, via Volunteer Match. From there, choose to volunteer as one organization or give employees the day to volunteer in their own individual ways.

2. Remote Game Day

Inject some fun into your Employee Appreciation Day celebrations! Organize a remote game day that allows employees to stay safe, yet still socialize and compete against their coworkers. Trivia, bingo, or online games like JackBox are all great ways to kick off a virtual game day with employees. Don’t forget some fun prizes too!

3. Personalized Gift Bags

Show your appreciation with a fun and personalized gift bag that shows your employees you care. If your budget allows it, you can outsource this option, but filling and delivering gift bags yourself is also a fun option that allows you to interact with your employees and say hi in person. At PerkSpot, we went for this option ourselves! Gift bags filled with toys for children or pets, plus branded items and tasty snacks were delivered safely by hand to PerkSpotters and proved to be quite the hit!

4. An Appreciation Video

At the core of it, Employee Appreciation Day is about saying thank you. Do so with a fun video compiled of your leadership team delivering some personalized thank yous to their team members and other employees. Us PerkSpotters tried this idea out to great success! We gathered via Zoom to watch the video together and employees chatted about the various fun, appreciative, and kind words for days to come.

5. Floating Day Off

Every employee appreciates a day to themselves. This year, surprise employees with the opportunity to take a day off at a time that works for them. This is both a way to show appreciation for employees. Plus, it gives helpful encouragement to practice self-care for employees struggling with their work/life balance.

6. Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Employee appreciation shouldn’t just come from leadership! Encourage employees of every level to provide recognition and appreciation for their fellow coworkers, managers, and team members. This kind of recognition is incredibly effective as well. Reports show peer-to-peer recognition is 36% more likely to have a positive impact on financial results than recognition that only comes from the top. Plus, studies show 44% of employees will offer peer recognition with an easy tool that allows them to do so. Psst—PerkSpot’s Reward & Recognition platform easily allows for peer recognition!

7. Personalized Recognition

Simply providing recognition via gift cards is a popular choice for employers who want to tie a monetary reward to their recognition. However, why not go the extra step to personalize your recognition? Make it feel customized for each employee by offering them monetary recognition that can be redeemed on a gift card of their choice! With PerkSpot’s Reward & Recognition program, employers can send a value of their choice that employees can redeem on more than 200 different gift cards, from travel to experiences and local favorites to nationwide brands. Plus, PerkSpot’s R&R Program includes options like sending non-monetary recognition and adding a personalized note to the employee’s reward, where the sender can explain what specific actions an employee is being rewarded for.

Employee Appreciation Day is a wonderful day to remind your employees that you recognize and value their hard work. This year, try one of these great and affordable options that will show your appreciation. Plus, if you’re interested in offering your employees even more this Employee Appreciation Day, fill out a form and learn how you can partner with PerkSpot to give your recognition efforts a boost!

What is the Value of Employee Recognition?

Courtney Shipshock November 12, 2020

As an HR professional, you’ve probably heard time and time again about the importance of employee recognition in your workplace. But recognition—and its impacts—can be difficult to measure. In turn, it makes it difficult for you to prove value and positive effect to important stakeholders in your organization. Check out 4 ways employee recognition can positively impact your company and your employees below!

Recognition Impacts Productivity

At its most basic level, the purpose of recognition is to acknowledge a job well done by an employee. And without it, productivity is likely to fall. In fact, a recent survey found that engagement, productivity, and performance are 14% higher than in those companies without recognition. A company that implements employee recognition of any form is more likely to see not only a more productive workforce but a workforce that can quickly and intelligibly recognize good work that aligns with a company’s mission and values. Furthermore, public employee recognition can take this one step further by showcasing what kind of work receives recognition. This helps spread higher output and productivity throughout teams and the organization as a whole.

Recognition Impacts Retention and Turnover

How often do you recognize your employees right now? If it’s not on a regular basis, there’s a chance you could be negatively impacting both retention and turnover in the process. In fact, employees said in a Gallup survey that they didn’t feel adequately recognized at their jobs, making them twice as likely as their regularly recognized counterparts to consider quitting their current jobs. Implement a regular system of employee recognition. In turn, you can retain your hard-working, well-trained employees, and avoid the task of replacing them.

Recognition Impacts Culture

Have you ever heard the phrase “culture of recognition”? While many companies may claim to have this type of culture, their methods and cadences of employee recognition may beg to differ. To truly achieve a culture of recognition, a more formalized and regulated method of employee recognition must be implemented within your organization. Something as simple as a regular “Thank you for your hard work on this task” can do wonders for employees and the way they feel about their jobs, but recognition must come in other forms as well to help employees feel that their company is truly invested in themselves and develop a true culture of recognition. Of course, programs like these can seem overwhelming or too difficult to manage alongside other important tasks. That’s why PerkSpot offers an employee recognition program and platform that effectively manages itself, filling your organization’s gap in recognition and providing a fast, easy, and effective solution for employee recognition.

Recognition During COVID-19 and the Holiday Season

Now more than ever, your company must consider how it’s recognizing employees. Between a global pandemic and the stress of the holiday season, employees likely feel more burned out, unproductive, and frazzled by things like finances and work/life balance than ever before. Remember, employee recognition doesn’t always have to be given to the highest earners or performers. Recognition can also exist to simply acknowledge employees who are working hard. This provides them with a boost in confidence and a way to feel more engaged in their roles and responsibilities. This holiday season, recognize your employees when they need it most.

You cannot overstate the importance of employee recognition. Regularly recognizing employees for their hard work and dedication to their organization is absolutely essential. Plus, it has far-sweeping benefits throughout your entire organization and bottom line. If you’re interested in partnering with PerkSpot to implement an effective and easily managed recognition system, reach out today!

Recognizing Employees During COVID-19

Courtney Shipshock April 29, 2020

Even in the best of times, HR directors understand the importance of employee recognition in the workplace. It can improve motivation and productivity. Plus, studies report that a lack of acknowledgment for employees’ hard work can make them twice as likely to leave their jobs as their more often-recognized counterparts. But now, more than ever, recognition is a necessity in the workplace, not only to improve output and reduce turnover, but more importantly, to reinforce to your employees that you are supporting them in these trying times.

So, what are the best ways to recognize your employees right now? Keep reading to check out some of our favorite recognition methods!

1. Public Recognition

During non-pandemic times, your company probably announced recognition to teams, departments, or company-wide, depending on your company’s structure. But now, that kind of announcement may be much more difficult to achieve. If you’re impressed by an employee’s work and you want to acknowledge it, look to other channels your company uses. For example, a short message explaining the situation and how your employee rose to the challenge can be sent via an email, Slack, or ping. Not right for your company? Try posting it to a special section of your company’s intranet or to a common employee area like the break room! As more posts of recognition build up, you’ll notice a similar increase in employee motivation and appreciation.

2. Treat Them

At PerkSpot, team lunches and outings are a common occurrence and were regularly scheduled to celebrate a job well done on a tough project or a successful quarter. While we can’t get together in person to share our successes these days, it’s still possible to virtually come together and acknowledge each employees’ contributions! Try treating a team, or dedicated group of employees, to a lunch they can have delivered to their own homes. Then, encourage them to hop on a Zoom call to eat and celebrate together! For those of you who are still seeing their employees in person, an action like putting out treats in the break room or other communal areas is a great way to show recognition! Small treats like individually wrapped candy, which are sanitizable, are a great way to accomplish this while still staying safe and healthy.

3. Offer Future PTO

Hard work from our employees has never been appreciated more than these days, especially from the essential workers who are helping keep many important businesses open and running when we need them most. To show recognition for the renewed commitment employees are showing to your company, offer them opportunities to take PTO in the future! While they may not have an opportunity to take a day off right now, they’ll definitely enjoy some rest and relaxation after things have calmed down more.

4. Send Thank You Notes

There is something about a thank you note that feels more genuine than many other types of recognition we receive. Are you still regularly seeing employees in person and want to send them a special thanks for their hard work? A short note of appreciation can go a long way! If both you and your employees are working remotely, a physical thank you note can be more difficult to achieve. Opt for an e-card instead, so you can still include a personalized note while upholding social distancing limitations.

5. Encourage Peer-To-Peer Recognition

Did you know 86 percent of employees feel more connected to their colleagues when they give recognition? At a time when employees are not seeing each other face-to-face as often, peer-to-peer recognition can fill the gap and help create a sense of connectedness among your workforce. Encourage employees to recognize their coworkers when they lend a helping hand or notice them going above and beyond with a quick email or note! Though the action seems small, any employee will appreciate the effort.

6. Offer Rewards Through a Recognition Program

At PerkSpot, we believe so strongly in employee recognition that we developed a program so any company can do it! With PerkSpot’s Rewards & Recognition program, managers can recognize employees by sending them a personalized note of thanks, plus rewards credits, which they can then redeem in our Gift Card Store, which houses more than 150 gift cards from top brands! We know the positive impact a monetary reward can have on employees, especially when it comes in the form of a gift card. In addition, this allows employees to save money on essential items at a time when they need it most. Plus, until June 30, PerkSpot is waiving all fees associated with our Rewards & Recognition program! If you’re interested, click here to request a demo and learn more about how you can recognize employees today!

Recognition is important for employees all year round, but there is no better time to be pursuing a recognition method for your employees than right now. Let them know you’re thinking of them in these hard times and sending your appreciation for their hard work and commitment when they need it most. Get started with one of these great suggestions!

5 Employee Gifts That Aren’t Bonuses

Courtney Shipshock November 20, 2019

Sometimes, it feels like we were just celebrating the Fourth of July and then we blinked and it’s the holiday season! As the end of the year approaches, HR professionals are hard at work filling their offices with holiday cheer. And the one thing that’s at the top of many lists? Employee gifts!

And while 94% of employees in a recent survey said they want some form of seasonal gift, remember that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bonus to make your employees feel valued and appreciated. Plus, for many companies, a unique employee gift aligns more closely with the company culture. Check out some out-of-the-box options that will have your employees smiling for the rest of the year!

Holiday Party

What better way to celebrate the end of the year than a company-wide holiday party? You may be thinking of the costs associated with something like this. However, it’s possible to keep a holiday celebration under budget! If possible, utilize your own office space and suggest a potluck, encouraging employees to bring in their favorite dishes to share with their coworkers. You can even hold a gift exchange like a Secret Santa or White Elephant – make sure to include a modest value for the gifts so employees don’t feel pressured to spend big bucks on anything. This is a great way for your employees to get together outside of the normal work hours and celebrate the holidays!

Extra PTO

According to a recent survey, almost 30% of employees said what they’d most want from their company is a few extra hours here or there to spend with their loved ones. As a holiday gift, offer employees an extra vacation day or close the office slightly early leading up to the holidays as a special treat. Work tends to slow down as the quarter comes to a close, so you likely won’t experience a strong impact in output, and you’ll have some happy coworkers who return from their holiday refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Charitable Donations

You know what they say – this is the season of giving! So why not give back on behalf of your employees as their gift? You can make a small (or large!) donation to the charity of your employee’s choice in his or her name, or choose a few options and give them the choice. Bonus points if you pick charities that give back directly to your local community! Not only are you paying it forward in a big way, but your employees will appreciate your charitable thinking. If you want to make it a bit more personal, you can even schedule a day of volunteering at a local charity where your employees can give back themselves.

Productivity Gifts

For some employees, there’s nothing better than unwrapping an actual, physical gift. Make it a win-win and seek out gifts that your employees will love and you can enjoy as well. For example, do you ever hear of employees complaining of bad backs or sore wrists due to typing at their desks all day? Give them a new ergonomic keyboard or chair! Is your sales department dying for branded apparel they can wear to important client meetings? Try presenting them with a branded polo or vest! These are gifts that they’ll enjoy and use, plus they’ll appreciate knowing that you’ve heard their requests throughout the year!

Rewards & Recognition Dollars

Sometimes, a monetary gift really is the way to go! But instead of simply writing your employee an impersonal check, why not use your Rewards & Recognition program to say happy holidays? Not only can you customize it by including a personal note of gratitude and appreciation, but it also gives your employees the opportunity to redeem for a gift card for a number of different stores! Whether they want to treat themselves to something special or use it to help them for holiday gift-buying, rewards and recognition credits give your employees the freedom to buy what they want and the knowledge that they’re being recognized for a job well done. Want to learn more about rewards and recognition programs? Get started here!

Holiday gifts can be a tough thing to navigate, as you want to reward and recognize your employees, but still find something that feels unique to your company and culture (and doesn’t break the bank). Try any of these options and you’ll have some happy employees!

4 Questions to Ask Your Employees When Creating a Rewards and Recognition Program

Courtney Shipshock August 14, 2019

Here at PerkSpot, we’d like to think we’re something of an expert on rewarding and recognizing employees. We know a rewards and recognition program can improve areas like talent acquisition, employee retention, turnover, and engagement. But where do you start? Begin by surveying your employees, who are the people that will most directly benefit from this program. To get started, check out these four questions.

What motivates you?

One of the most important components of recognizing employees is doing so in a way that feels valuable and motivational. After all, your aim with a program like this should be giving your employees a reason to continue to put forth great performance and reward them for doing so. But to make your program successful, it’s important to know what motivates your employees. Once you have a good understanding of that, you have a much better chance of developing a rewards and recognition program that has a successful and profitable outcome.

How do you want to be rewarded?

It’s easy for an employer or HR manager to guess how their employees want to be rewarded and they might be close to the mark with their guesses. However, if you truly want to reward your employees the right way, it’s important to know what kind of rewards they want. For some, it could be perks, like company outings or vacation days. Others might prefer monetary rewards. For example, consider a yearly bonus or recognition directly connected to quotas or goals. The aim here is to show your employees your appreciation. Do this by giving them something you know they would enjoy.

How do you want your rewards communicated to you?

This question dives deeper into the nitty-gritty of your recognition, but it’s an aspect that should be acknowledged. Your employees may have different preferences for how openly you choose to recognize them. Studies show recognition should remain largely public, as this incentivizes other employees to work towards optimal productivity. However, some employees might prefer more private recognition for their accomplishments. Therefore, it’s vital you check with your employees to confirm they feel comfortable with how you communicate their rewards, both to them and to the rest of the company.

Who do you want to reward you?

Odds are, this answer will dramatically differ depending on the size and structure of your company, so you should take into account the culture of your company when you ask this question. A more relaxed work environment may find employees prefer to receive recognition from all levels: CEO, manager, or coworker. In a more corporate or structured workplace, employees might only feel recognition from their managers makes the most sense. Your aim with this question is understanding whose recognition will have the most impact on work output and productivity for your employees.

When you ask your employees these questions, it’s important to remember that there are no wrong answers. Instead, keep in mind that these answers will help you shape the ideal rewards and recognition program for rewarding your employees. If you’re looking for guidance, or you’re interested in learning about PerkSpot’s Rewards and Recognition platform, click here to learn more!

The Key to Increasing Your Employee Retention Rate

Courtney Shipshock May 22, 2019

According to a study done by SHRM last year, the largest challenge cited by workforce management was dealing with low employee retention rates. Unfortunately, the stats don’t lie on this one. Approximately 3 million Americans have quit their job each month since January 2019. Plus, replacing a highly-trained employee who leaves his or her position can cost up to 200% of their salary. Were some of them your employees? If so, your employee retention rate is probably top of mind.

But what can you do about this? Perhaps you’ve tried some of the common methods, like a new and improved onboarding process, a program that invests in your employees and their professional development, or an overhaul of your company culture. What happens when these don’t work?

How can you increase your employee retention rate? A rewards and recognition program is the key.

A rewards and recognition program allows you to formally recognize an employee for anything from a good deed around the office to a fantastic work ethic they exude to a project that goes above and beyond what you expect from them. What is really great about a rewards and recognition program is that it benefits both employer and employee. For employees, concrete appreciation in the workplace is a motivator and a reminder that the work they do is valued by their employer. For the employer, recognition can lead to increased engagement, productivity, and of course, retention rate.

What sets a rewards and recognition program apart from other recognition methods?

Visibility
Inclusivity
Timeliness

Visibility

Typically, recognition used to be a private thing. Managers would bring employees into their office, or send them an email, letting them know they did a great job. As a result, the recognition goes widely unseen by the rest of the office or workplace, including other managers, executives, and coworkers. Consider the effect public and specific praise has, not only for the employee being praised but for his or her peers. We know that employees want recognition. So, when they see their fellow coworkers receiving it, and more importantly, they understand exactly what they did to receive it, they’re more likely to duplicate that exemplary work ethic. Or, perhaps, they’ll apply that drive and find a new and exciting way to succeed on their own! Either way, employers are guaranteed a more productive employee, and workers feel more motivated and incentivized to work harder.

Inclusivity

When you consider your employee retention rate, and the employees you want to retain, who comes to mind first? The executives, who will be the most costly to replace? The high performers, which will leave a gaping hole in your workplace? The under-engaged, who are at the most risk to quit their jobs? Instead of focusing on a specific target in your workforce, why not target everyone? A rewards and recognition program that puts everyone on the same playing field, and rewards everyone with the same kind of praise and monetary compensation means you don’t have to choose which employees you should focus your efforts on. Not to mention, employees will notice this change in the hierarchy. No one wants to feel as though their employer values another coworker over themselves, so remove that problem entirely with a rewards and recognition program that emphasizes inclusivity.

Timeliness

Imagine you just nailed a presentation or finally hit your lofty goal for your team. You know you’ll be recognized for your achievements, yet you find yourself waiting until the end of the quarter for the company to meet and hand out recognition, or even the end of the year, for that bonus to drop. Soon enough, you’ve forgotten about the achievement and the recognition that comes with it. Worse, you feel no drive to repeat those actions because you saw no praise or appreciation for them. Employee recognition should be given in real time, as soon as a manager (or peer!) hears of it. In doing so, an employee understands the connection between the output of good work and the reward that comes with it. Better yet, they will continue to strive for more rewards, meaning a continued stream of high-quality work.

A decreasing retention rate is something several HR managers are currently dealing with and unfortunately, many of their strategies to fix it aren’t working out well. That’s why a rewards and recognition program is the answer. It allows you to give public, on-the-spot recognition that all your employees can use. Click here to find out more about PerkSpot’s Rewards and Recognition program!

The ABCs of Why Perks Matter

Courtney Shipshock February 6, 2019

Back in 2016, Glassdoor predicted that employee perks would be a huge job trend for the year. Well, they weren’t wrong. Three years later, perks are still one of the leading trends throughout the country in workplaces that are looking to offer their employees more than just run-of-the-mill benefits. We know that perks work. (In fact, we like to think of ourselves as perk experts.) But why do they matter?

Here are the ABCs of why perks matter:

Show your Appreciation.
Foster a sense of Belonging.
Create an atmosphere of Consideration.

A is for Appreciation

First, it’s no secret that employees appreciate being recognized for their work. But, for an employer, it can feel difficult to recognize each employee for their contribution in a way that feels meaningful and impactful. That’s where perks come in. Implementing perks as an added bonus for employees sends a message to each one that says, “I see you and I appreciate you.”. Just like you enjoy small acts of kindness from a friend or family member, it feels the same to experience small gestures from your workplace that show you are being thought of and cared for. If you want to go one step further, consider a rewards & recognition platform for your workplace!

B is for Belonging

Twenty years ago, most workplaces looked the same. Fast forward to 2019 and it’s all about making your company stand out for job-seekers and creating a strong sense of identity for your employees. Perks are a great way to make your culture meaningful. Perhaps it’s having a pet-friendly office space that makes every day “Bring Your (Fluffy) Friend To Work” Day. Maybe it’s offering a paid sabbatical for your employees to develop their professional skills. (Cough, cough, we’ve got both!). Whatever it is, perks like these help illustrate the values and culture of a workplace and create a sense of belonging for your employees.

C is for Consideration

One of the great things about perks is that one size does not fit all, and it doesn’t have to! Offering an option like an employee discount program (we can help you out here!) allows an employer to provide perks to each employee that they can then customize for their own personal preferences. A wide variety of perks, all under one umbrella, means your employees get to choose how and when they want to enjoy their them. Through meaningful discounts, you’re not just checking a box, but providing perks that matter to them.

These days, it’s not just about offering your employees perks that you think might momentarily spark their interest. Instead, we’re focusing on finding perks that actually mean something to them. In doing so, you’re demonstrating your gratitude to each employee, plus setting yourself apart from the rest!

What perks do you offer your employees to illustrate culture and show your appreciation?