If you’ve tried to hire new employees lately, you know it’s not always an easy process. You need to impress job candidates as much as they need to impress you.
What does your benefits and perks package say to applicants? Does it tell them your company is fun, creative and trusting, or are you just rolling out the same old perks offered 20 years ago? The foosball table and on-site gym are a great start, but may not be enough to get top candidates to accept an offer. People want more meaningful perks.
Here are four cool employee perks worth considering:
1. Unlimited personal time off. Giving staff the ability to take unlimited vacation and sick days shows you trust them to manage their time. Before you say, “Whoa, no way,” consider this: Netflix and Glassdoor are two companies already offering this benefit and they sure haven’t gone out of business. They’ve found that employees don’t go overboard taking time off, and use the option to better achieve work/life balance.
You won’t show up to work and be surprised to find no employees there in the morning. People still need approvals from their managers and must meet performance expectations. For this perk to be successful though, executives need to set an example so employees actually do take time off. Many companies with these policies also operate without set work hours.
2. Care for the community. People want to work for employers who are 
invested in the local community. It helps to show you care about what happens outside your business walls. There are many ways to make an impact, from providing employees paid time off for charity work, to giving environmentally-focused incentives to ride bikes to work or take public transportation. Consider getting employees involved in generating ideas for how your company can better help the community.
3. Pet insurance. Cool employee perks can reach beyond the office. Anyone who’s had a pet knows that expenses can be significant if something goes wrong. Vet bills can add up fast! Pet insurance may not be very expensive to offer, but it shows employees that you care about the well-being of everyone in their family, including the furry ones.
4. On-site food. Ever had to leave the office in the rain or 100 degree heat to get a bite to eat? Yeah, not fun. Employers are finding that people love having easy-to-grab food options available in the workplace. Companies are stocking kitchens with healthy (or not-so-healthy) snacks and drinks. Offering bagels and donuts in the morning or Popup restaurant service at lunch makes it stress-free and easy for your employees to eat and get back to work.
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try some cool employee perks. It could make all the difference in helping you land top talent.
