How to attract the right talent with meaningful perks
Employers around the world try to attract talented people by offering amazing perks like massages, Tesla leases and even paid weddings! But do they work?
Instead of following the latest ‘cool' trends, we believe that company perks should be unique to your culture. In this article, we’ll share how we customized our perks to fit our values and resonate with our remote workforce.
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The MailerLite perks package
People with a mindset for personal growth and creativity are the basis of our company culture. We want to grow together, challenge the status quo and discover new opportunities together.
MailerLite offers perks that align with our remote work culture and resonate with our multicultural team such as Parental Days and Global Health Insurance.
But today we’ll highlight 3 of our main benefits, Creative Days, Joy Budgets and Workations and show how they shape the spirit of our teams.
Creative Days
Creativity and innovation are 2 of our core values and traits we try to encourage… Boosting these can be challenging, but we know through multiple studies that having a balanced life and exploring new horizons is crucial for keeping ideas flowing.
That’s why once every quarter, every team member gets a day free to leave their computer and explore the world. They can choose to spend this day however they want! The activity could be visiting a museum or art gallery, attending a creative class, volunteering, going to a natural science museum with their kids, or hiking on their own.
After the day, they share their experiences, thoughts, or photos in our #mailergroup-stories Slack channel. This contributes to our active worldwide community and inspires others to jump into new experiences themselves.
Here are some of the activities team members have done on their recent creative days:
I chose cycling for my creative day because it combines physical activity with nature, sparking my imagination and offering a sense of freedom and solitude. After cycling, I felt refreshed, invigorated, and creatively inspired.
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“I love Creative Days because they give me the chance to try things that I’ve always wanted to do but never got around to. This one was special to me because I finally got to pick up some paints and brushes and let my creativity flow with a group of wonderful strangers, all while taking in the breathtaking sunset.”
Joy Budget
Every year, all members of MailerLite are entitled to a Joy Budget to spend on something that sparks them. It can be focussed on well-being, personal development, professional growth, or anything else they choose!
We offer this flexibility because each individual at our organization is unique and might find joy in different experiences. Whether it's an unlimited Kindle subscription, new desk, piano lessons, or learning a new language, the Joy Budget is here for it.
This benefits MailerLite as well as our employees. By offering flexible benefits that align with our values while appealing to people with different personalities and interests, we can promote diversity and attract a wider pool of candidates.
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Hiking has always been my favorite to unwind and relax, which is precisely why I decided to invest my joy budget in exploring the breathtaking trails of Madeira. After immersing myself in nature, I can return to work with renewed energy, ready to tackle code challenges with a fresh perspective.
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My joy budget allowed me to give my workspace a much-needed makeover. Now, my office corner is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also a comfortable and productive space, which helps make my work life better each day.
Workation
Company-paid workations are one of the perks that resonate the most with our teams. Once a year, each team travels to an exciting destination to spend a week together. Previous workations have been held in Istanbul, Malta, Mexico and Costa Rica.
This perk doesn’t appeal to everyone. But it helps us attract the type of free-spirited people who embrace our unique values and enjoy participating in adventures with the team.
Workations are the perfect opportunity to bond, enjoy new activities together, embrace diversity and have open discussions that will help our teams thrive. Getting to know colleagues in real life for the first time is a nurturing experience that changes the way teams work and communicate.
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I invited the team to go for a jog together in Istanbul, spending time in nature and sharing a peaceful training was a great way to start our day and encourage physical well-being.
Which perk suits your company?
Perks should match your company's culture. Any company can have a sleeping room in the office, but it’s only likely to be valuable if it reinforces your culture in a deeper way and appeals to your people. I totally get it if you work for a mattress company and preach the importance of naps, or if rest is in some way connected to one of your values.
But if you have a sleeping room just because it’s trendy and seems cool, it will eventually turn into a storage area.
You don’t have to copy and paste a new perk into your company benefits just because it is fashionable. Instead, think of the things that matter and truly represent you.
Takeaways:
Don’t copy trendy perks. Think about what matters to you and your company. What do you value the most? Think of ways to incorporate that into your perks. This way your perks will attract people with the right culture fit.
Give people choices. We’re all different. If you allow people to hit the gym in the middle of the day, think of what other people might want to do instead. Some prefer getting a massage, going for a walk or taking a nap. If possible, take it a step further and give everyone flexible working hours.
Invest in people, not things. Perks are nice to have, but people stay in your company for other reasons such as company culture, creative freedom and an amazing team. When you invest in your current team and their happiness, you will attract new amazing people.
