A high salary and a good health plan aren’t the only things workers want from their jobs anymore. Today, more and more employees are seeking a better work-life balance. And companies are responding with a wide range of support both in and out of work to attract and keep these workers.

While highly publicized perks are available at some of the largest employers like Facebook, who offers onsite dry cleaning and laundry as well as vending machines for electronics, and Netflix, which boasts unlimited vacation, even smaller companies can boost their retention by making simple investments in their workplace culture.

Here are five things you can do to drive employee satisfaction, and your success.

5 Employee Perks That Workers Want

Offer Flexibility: The number one perk workers want, regardless of age, is flexibility. For some, that means the ability to start and stop their day when it works for them, as long as they maintain a certain number of hours. Others want the option to work remotely either all or part of a day. With companies increasingly realizing that employees can be trusted to be responsible for their own results, try designing an alternative schedule that can work for both you and your employees.

Promote Continued Learning: Paid professional development opportunities are among the most important to workers. But beyond just education that will help employees currently, be sure to offer cross-training that will strengthen their skills for a future role as well. Don’t forget to have clear promotion tracks so employees know what to work towards.

Add the Fun Factor: Lifting the spirits of employees through group activities can also boost morale. And it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Bring in a Ping-Pong table, schedule a board game afternoon, hire a comedian to come in at lunch or arrange an outing or some other bonding experience that employees can look forward to. To make sure your efforts hit the mark, ask employees for their input.

Give Free Stuff: Everyone loves to get something for nothing so even if you can’t offer free daily meals, consider delivering the occasional pizzas to the office or providing breakfast once a month. Or keep the break room stocked with snacks and beverages. Something as simple as setting out a candy jar can even make an employee’s day better.

Sponsor Sports: While many companies have built on-site gyms, some have gone a step further and offer classes like yoga mid-day or a lunchtime walking group. Or they organize a regular outdoor activity like department kickball games or sports teams that play in leagues outside of work. Even sponsoring fitness challenges can engage employees.

Happier employees are more motivated employees, and they’re more likely to stick around as well. To learn the top benefits companies are offering to transform their cultures, read the excerpt on intangible benefits from the SHRM 2018 Employee Benefits Report.

The most recent CareerBuilder annual forecast revealed that 45 percent of HR managers have open jobs they can’t fill because they can’t find qualified talent. With low unemployment, recruitment in today’s job market is more important than ever. But hiring is a challenge for many companies.

From creating job postings and managing applications to bringing the best candidate on board, the time and effort it takes to successfully recruit top talent is often overwhelming. To streamline the process and help your organization stand out among employers, here are three simple strategies.

• Differentiate yourself: Many career pages on websites sound the same so set yourself apart by communicating your employer brand. Share your unique culture and purpose. And show you value employees by stating clear career growth opportunities so job seekers understand you want to help them reach their goals.
• Embrace technology: Technology is changing recruiting, so don’t get left behind. From AI-driven candidate assessment and text interviews to cookie-based targeting and virtual reality office tours, leveraging the latest advances can ease hiring for your team and show that your company’s tech-savvy.
• Act quickly: Applicants may opt out of your hiring process if you don’t act fast – or be gone from the market entirely if they’re looking at several vacancies. Don’t miss out because of slow decision-making. And keep candidates informed by explaining each step in the process so they know when to expect to hear from you next.

To help your organization gain a competitive advantage in hiring, download our toolkit with practical tips on optimizing the recruitment process.

There’s a lot of talk about the gig economy these days. For businesses, the growing gig economy provides greater flexibility, lower labor costs, and immediate access to skilled workers. But there is also risk involved in taking on a large number of contract workers.

A poll by NPR/ Marist revealed that 20 percent of jobs in this country are held by contract workers. That number is only expected to rise over the next decade.

Karyn Rhodes, VP and Director of Complete HR Solutions, a division of Complete Payroll Solutions, wrote about how businesses can benefit from the gig economy for the August edition of Cape and Plymouth Business magazine.

“While an alternative work arrangement gives companies access to talented professionals they may not have been able to afford previously, it is important to be clear about how you plan to use the workers for projects,” Rhodes writes.

She also cautions businesses to pay attention to legislative trends that may impact worker relationships, particularly related to benefits.

Read the article at Cape and Plymouth Business or get in touch with Rhodes and her team at 401.332.9325.

A good job posting is critical in today’s competitive hiring environment. But it can be challenging to write a description that attracts top talent while limiting the number of unqualified applicants. Here are some examples of job postings that work— and some that don’t.

Bad Job Posting Examples

Example 1

Job Title: Part-Time Administrative Assistant

Job Description: We are seeking a part-time administrative assistant to support our team. In this role, you will perform a variety of administrative tasks, including:

• Greeting customers
• Drafting correspondence
• Plan and scheduling appointments and events
• Answering phone calls
• Maintaining organized files
• All other office functions

To qualify for this position, you should have previous office experience, be able to multitask and prioritize, be detail-oriented and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Please submit your resume for consideration.

What’s wrong?

This posting is for a part-time position but it doesn’t list any information about work hours or days of the week.

Example 2

Job Title: Stockers and Cashiers

Job Description: We are hiring for multiple full-time stocker and cashier positions to join our family-owned business at our Boston location. As a stocker in this fast-paced environment, you will help customers find products, carry purchases out to customers’ cars, and stock shelves. Cashiers will operate a cash register.

We offer a complete benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, vacation, paid holidays and a 401(k) plan.

To apply, you should be reliable, self-motivated and a team player. Excellent customer service is a must! Please contact us at 555-555-5555 or shoot me an email at johndoe@company.com.

What’s wrong?

The post combines multiple positions. Always post a separate ad for each job rather than combining multiple jobs into one posting to simplify the ad for applicants and improve your keyword rankings. Use of the phrase “shoot me an email” is unprofessional and including an email address can lead to phishing scams and hacking. 

Examples of Good Job Postings

Example 1

Job Title: Teller

Job Description: Community Bank is looking for an outgoing individual to serve as the face of our institution.

About Community Bank: Community Bank is a local leader in financial services. Founded in 1821, our bank serves the needs of area customers with personal and business banking and wealth management services. Regardless of what our customers’ needs are, we meet them with the personalized attention only a community bank can provide.

What it’s Like to Work Here: Ask our employees and the one word they’d use to describe working at Community Bank is “great.” Our team members all share a positive attitude, problem solving abilities and patience, enabling them to provide excellent customer service even during fast-paced shifts. Our culture, plus continuous opportunities for growth, have resulted in an industry-low turnover rate. Don’t miss out on this rare opening with us!

A Day in the Life as a Teller: As the first person customers engage with when entering the bank, you will help complete transactions, uncover financial needs, recommend products/services to help them meet their goals, and refer them to other specialists at the bank if appropriate. With each transaction, you will need to ensure compliance with our policies, procedures and security requirements as well as government regulations.

Qualifications to be a Teller: No special skills are required but some requirements mean you have the potential to be a great teller:

• Cashing handling skills
• Caring attitude
• Detail oriented
• Good communications skills
• Strong math skills
• Knowledge of core computer programs and aptitude for working with new systems and software

Ready to apply? If this job sounds like a fit for you, then click on the ‘apply’ button below. Good luck!

What’s good?

This posting gives an overview of the company and the culture, describes the role in sufficient detail, and limits the qualifications to those that are most important to keep the ad brief. The language is engaging and broken up into clear sections to make the post easy to read.

Example 2

Job Title: Senior Account Manager

Job Description: Drive customer satisfaction and revenue growth through strategic relationships as a senior account manager in our sales and marketing department in our downtown office.

About Us: We provide global communication solutions to customers in 150 countries. Rated a top 100 employer two years in a row, we hire the best people and provide them the best benefits to improve their lives, including a competitive salary, medical, dental and vision coverage and perks like a fully-stocked break room with complimentary food and drinks, on-site gym and frequent company and team outings.

About the Role: You will help distinguish our company with professionalism, best practices and deliverables that build customer loyalty. Among the responsibilities of the role are:

• Opportunity Development: You will help manage the customer relationship based upon new project direction, including assisting in RFP responses, contract negotiations and supporting the development of the solution review.
• Portfolio Expansion: For existing customers, you will work to expand the sales of additional deliverables.
• Maintenance Renewals: In a timely manner, you will collaborate with other team members to manage renewals.

About You: The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experience:

• 5-6 years in consultative selling
• Experience in creating solutions for customers based on their initiatives and our offerings
• Understanding of the industry and the business challenges customers face
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

If you are ready to become part of our family, apply online here. In your cover letter, please explain why your experience is relevant to this role.

What’s good?

Section headings are clear and straightforward. Requiring additional personal information in the cover letter requires more effort of applicants and will reduce the number of submissions from those who are not serious about the role.

For help with crafting the perfect posting, download our cheat sheet. Or call Complete Payroll Solutions at 888-865-4470 for more guidance to boost your recruitment efforts.