By Catherine Lang-Cline
What we are seeing more and more often are people looking for jobs that offer them a better quality of life. That quality of life does not always equal who is offering the highest salary. Many individuals in the new workforce are looking for employment that fits with their lifestyle. Work that is enjoyable, reflects their beliefs and allows them to do other things than work.
What are some of the things that people are looking for? To no surprise, healthcare is a must. After that, people are interested in things like flexible work options, working remotely, on-site amenities like gym access or dry cleaning services, unlimited vacation, on-site childcare, and in-office meal options.
Knowing that this is what attracts good candidates, what can you do when some of these things are not in your budget? If you are one of the companies that are still trying to figure out healthcare, see if there are groups in your community that you can join and be a part of a larger group to get more affordable pricing. Chambers of Commerce in your area are one option to look into to get more affordable coverage. Look at other groups you could be already affiliated with or could join that could help offer discounts.
Flexible work options could include part-time workers, 4-day/10-hour work weeks, and allowing employees to work certain days or hours from home if their role allows. Working remotely could also help in cases of emergency childcare needs like last minute school closings or illness. You may not be able to have a lot of amenities on site but can you have free gym memberships? Can you arrange weekly dry cleaning pickup? As far as meals, let’s assume that you do not have a full cafeteria, but is your office located in a place when food options are nearby or walkable? If not, maybe pizza delivery may be in order on occasion.
Unlimited vacation can be tricky. That comes down to trust and trusting the people you have hired are still able to do their job and work will keep moving forward if they are not in the office. Are they people that you know will get the work done regardless of how much time they are actually in the office? Having goals and numbers to be accountable for might be your answer here. “Facetime” doesn’t always mean that someone is being productive. Can you put together a scorecard for them for accountability and check in weekly? Allowing this might get you both what you want.
Employing people becomes more and more challenging as the bar tend to be raised continuously as people fight to get talent. Really think about, or even ask, what your employees think are the most important benefits they need and go from there. What would really make them stay with you? As you are going through your list, it is worth mentioning that no one ever stayed at a place of employment for the bean bag chairs or the foosball table.
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Catherine Lang-Cline is President and co-founder of Portfolio Creative, an Inc. fastest-growing company for six years. Portfolio Creative helps companies connect with creative talent in all areas of marketing, design, advertising, and digital roles for corporations, retailers, and large creative agencies. More information is available at portfoliocreative.com
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. ©2018 Catherine Lang-Cline, Portfolio Creative, LLC.
