Many clients come to us because they either need some help setting up a new employee benefits plan, or they are looking for advice concerning an existing plan. However, every once in a while, we get clients who are looking for something unique. These clients want to explore out-of-the-box perks which would attract the right talent, and help their company become recognized as a top-notch employer.

Whether they are adding on to an existing benefits plan or building a new one that stands out amongst the competition, we are always eager to help. It’s part of the added value that we bring to the table as benefits consultants. While we’ve seen industry giants like Virgin offer unlimited vacations, and others that promote flexible schedules, here are a few more ideas from our team that could amp up your benefits offering, and help your organization develop an employee-centric culture.

1. Vacation Bonuses – Most companies offer their employees a certain amount of paid vacation, and its normally something that employees covet. Taking a step further, employers can offer their employees some vacation spending money. If you think they were happy to hear about 4 weeks off a year, telling them they have a vacation allowance will make the perk that much sweeter. What a client decides to allocate per employee is subjective, but we’ve seen some clients offer up to $1000.

2. Networking Bonuses – While some companies might expect this to be part of the job description, others incentivize this task. Offering a spending accounts specifically geared at networking encourages the employee make connections on behalf of the organization, which could ultimately benefit the growth of business. This type of perk also supports the employee in their career growth by getting them in touch with valuable resources and helping them learn more about the progress in industries relevant to their jobs.

3. Financial Planning Services – Offering gym memberships, nutritional or psychological counseling are already very familiar health benefits, but the latest perk is focused on employees’ financial health. While some employees are money-savvy, others might need some additional guidance. Offering financial consulting services could help employees meet financial goals such as paying down student loans, saving to buy a house, planning for a big trip or preparing for retirement. Money can be stressful, so this one perk could lead to happier and healthier employees.

4. Concierge Services – With companies like Magic Assistants and GoButler sprouting up with high-success rates, it’s obvious people need help getting everyday tasks done. Companies can help simplify employees lives by offering a certain number of hours a month of personal concierge services. Employee of the month awards or sales awards could also be supplemented with this type of service instead of financial remuneration. Whether it’s picking up laundry, planning a birthday party, doing the Christmas shopping, employees will be grateful for the extra time they have for themselves or their families with this perk.

5. Choose Your Own Devices – While some companies might have standard IT-approved devices, expanding that list to encompass a few options can be beneficial to staff. They might be familiar with one operating system versus another, and giving them the ability to select their preferred device will simplify processes, and ideally increase efficiency. With remote desktop applications, companies can also allow employees to use their own devices for certain jobs, lessening hardware investments for the company. Meanwhile, the employee is not stuck carrying around two laptops or other devices which are distinguished by personal or professional use.

Think Out of the Box with BenefitDeck

There are so many creative ways to reward your employees. In fact, more customers are asking us for help in setting up group Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) as a first step beyond a traditional or flexible health plans. If you are interested in adding more unique perks, or looking for ways to compensate employees instead of giving them raises, contact our team. We’re always happy to help our clients think outside the box when it comes to employee perks.