Every business owner wants to hear the words, “I love working here,” from employees.

Happy employees make the best staff they work hard, usually stay on longer and talk up your company outside work.

But it’s not easy to become an employer of choice.

We’ve talked about the importance of putting the basics in place. A good HR foundation, from policies to processes, lays the groundwork for building the perk programs employees love to hear about in interviews.

And once the word’s out that employees love working at a certain business, momentum builds.

“Reputation and brand play a big part in attracting and retaining quality staff, with 84% of workers saying they would leave their current job to work for a company with a better corporate reputation, according to Randstad’s survey of some 10,000 employees,” as stated in an article in Human Resources Director.

So what are some companies doing it right? We’ve gathered a few examples.

Bain & Company

Earning the no. 1 spot in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards for 2018, Bain & Company is no stranger to the top ranking. It has been there before—four times in fact.

The company, which has 57 offices in 36 countries, is a consulting firm and dubs its employees as ‘Bainies.’ According to Glassdoor, staff “boast about the high-performance environment with strong emphasis on company culture plus the career-defining perks.”

One amazing perk that employees earn is an externship after three years with the company. The externship allows employees to take a break from their current role and spend four to six months at another organisation that lines up with their passions and career goals.

Google

Google has been offering up amazing perks for its employees since it opened its doors.

Among its many unique benefits, this employer of choice understands that a stressful employee won’t be productive. Whether it’s because of work-related issues or their toddler forgot how to sleep, Google sets a high bar for making the workplace a stress-free environment.

For example, Google employees may release their stress with a massage from an on-site masseuse—there are masseuses on hand Monday through Friday and even offer up various types of massages.

Another popular stress relief—and just a way to feel better—is heading to what they call ‘nap pods’ to catch a few zzz’s before getting back to work. Each ‘pod’ includes built-in sleep-inducing sounds.

Netflix

Flexible hours ranks very high on the list of important qualifications that job seekers look for in companies.

In fact, according to a study by Fractl, 88% of the respondents said they’d pick a job with a lower salary that offered flexible hours over a high salary with a fixed schedule.

Netflix takes it a step further by offering its employees unlimited vacation policy. The company does not track time off, trusting that employees will do their job and can determine how much time they can afford to take off. (Of course, employees must meet performance goals!)

Virgin Atlantic

Consistently ranked in the three places to work in Australia by Randstad, Virgin Airlines offers its employees some of the best perks in the aviation business.

Each year, employees are allowed to use up to seven return standby flights on the Virgin Atlantic network. The only cost is the airport tax. Plus, ‘cabin crew’ receive discounted flights on other airlines for both the employees and their families.

And while you’re on said vacation, you should bring along your ‘tribe card,’ which provides discounts on dining, shopping and more.

And while these perks might seem too “corporate” or “too expensive” for your business, don’t worry. There’s plenty of ways to make yourself an employer of choice.

The point is—what would your staff rave about when it comes to your business?

Next: Are you ready to take the first step in becoming an employer of choice?

The first 90-Day Program started last month, and we’re already getting excellent feedback. Our next session is planned for 1 May 2019. Fast track your leadership and culture with our new 90-day Culture Accelerator Program.

P.S.
Does this sound like a process you need to go through? Is your business running into HR issues? Get in touch with me in one of the following ways:

1. Sign up to our BespokeHR Community to receive complimentary access to free useful tips and tools that help navigate your way through people issues.
2. Like and follow the BespokeHR Facebook page for free to receive inspirational quotes, reflections and current issues.
3. Fast track your leadership and culture with our new 90-day Culture Accelerator Program.
4. Book one of our 1-day intensive leadership programs—commercial, practical and highly tool-based to get you walking out with immediate value, clear implementation, quotes, steps and actions. Our next session is a 1-day Business Owner Session on 8 March 2019.
5. Private consultation. Work directly with me and my team to help set up your people platforms up for success, just reply to this message, with “Private” in the subject line, and tell me a little about your business and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you the details!