by Gene Marks, For The Inquirer
Many smart business owners are offering innovative perks to further entice workers to work for them. Here are five that you may want to consider for your business.
It’s no secret that there’s a significant labor shortage and that finding good workers is among the top challenges facing most small businesses. Of course, in times of low supply and high demand, costs go up, which is why many companies have been increasing compensation to attract employees.
So much so that payroll firm Paychex has reported that the average hourly wage has reached an all-time high of $30 and that overall compensation paid to employees has increased more than 11% over the last 12 months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
But it’s not just about wages, it’s also about benefits. Smart business owners I know are offering innovative perks to further entice workers. Here are five that you may want to consider for your business.
Better and more flexible hours
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that many employees are able to get their jobs done even when they’re not in the office. And, as countless surveys have proved, employees very much want this type of benefit. So whether it’s a flexible paid time-off plan, a work-from-home program, or the ability to stagger hours and work whenever and wherever, this is a benefit that’s critical for attracting and retaining employees this year.
“We have five different shift times so that we can be flexible around people’s livelihoods,” said Molly Siciliano, a human resources manager at Evolution Gaming Ltd, an online gaming and casino company with studios in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. “It’s the best of both worlds. People prefer to work different times of the day due to their family situations and we can help accommodate that.”
