5 Office Perks to Attract New Hires & Keep Current Employees Happy

When you’re running a business, it’s important to provide some extra incentive to attract new hires to your company. Not only that, but you also want to keep your current employees happy so they’ll stick around for a long time to come. A bored, unfulfilled team leads to low productivity and a high turnover rate.

So how exactly do you keep your team happy and create a work environment that’s fulfilling, exciting, and appealing to work in? If you find yourself stumped, you’re in luck! Today we’re going over the top five office perks you can implement to attract new employees and keep current ones happy.

 1. Fresh Fruit & Healthy Snacks

It’s no surprise that what you eat greatly impacts your mood and energy levels. Therefore, to keep your employees happy and productive throughout the day, our top recommendation is simply to give them access to fresh fruit and healthy snacks. It can have an incredibly positive effect on your team’s morale.

Still not convinced? A survey of over 1000 full-time office workers found that 56% of full-time employees are “extremely” or “very” happy with their current job. However, that number jumped up to 67% when the employer offered free food. Healthier food options also tend to attract a younger demographic.

If you’re a business owner thinking about the hassle that comes with having to regularly stock healthy snacks, you don’t have to worry. ThirdLeaf NW has you covered. They deliver and stock your office with fresh, seasonal fruit and various healthy snacks so there are always options on hand.

You don’t have to worry about placing weekly orders because they stock-up your fridge on a delivery schedule that works for you. Not only that, but they’ll even put everything away right where you want it. What I personally love about their service is that it cuts down on wasted fruit. This is because they monitor your usage so your unique plan is fit specifically for the amount of employees you have and how much they eat.

It’s a service that’s designed to make your life easier, while also putting a smile on the faces of your employees and keeping them energized throughout the day.

2. Dog Friendly Office

Dogs are more than “man’s best friend”, there an offices best friend too. Why? A 2013 study that followed 30,000 students from 30 different universities found that when used in high-stress environments, dogs provided a viable therapeutic stress-management tool. This is because positive interactionsbetween people and dogs release oxytocin and dopamine—neurochemicals associated with positive feelings.

This is a pretty easy perk to implement too. It’s as simple as having certain days for everyone to bring their dogs to work. Or, if no one in your office owns a dog, you could arrange occasional volunteering with a local animal shelter.

Being dog-friendly is also a fantastic way to attract new employees. You can include it in your job listings to get people excited about applying to position within your company.

3. Office Yoga

Being stuck at a desk staring at a screen all day isn’t that appealing for most people. And guess what? It’s not great for our bodies either.

We need to make time to get up and move around because it’s important to get the blood flowing throughout our bodies. In addition to helping boost our moods, it also improve our brain function by allowing us to focus better.

That’s why incorporating office yoga our next favorite perk to help you attract new hires and keep your employees happy.

According to a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, just 20 minutes of yoga can boost brain function. After yoga, the participants in the study found they experienced better focus, could process information quickly, and they were able to hold information longer. Plus, their learning was improved as well. This could be the ticket to keeping your employees performing at their absolute best throughout the week – just 20 minutes of yoga per day!

4. Team Building Exercises

People don’t only go to their job because they want the money, they go to their job to be part of a team. A team or a community not only has a stronger bond but works more efficiently together, communicates better, and functions in a more positive atmosphere.

While the thought of doing team-building exercises may sound rather cheesy at first, they can actually be incredibly beneficial for creating a community.

It’s important that employees can effectively work together and get along with one another. Team-building exercises can help facilitate that by encouraging them to collaborate and get to know each other on a deeper level. After all, they’re a team and they should operate as one!

Try doing a day all about team-building or have everyone pack their bags for a weekend away once or twice a year. It can be as simple or as involved as your time and budget allows. Here are some great team building exercises and activities to help get you started.

5. Encourage Breaks Outside

Last, but certainly not least, one of the great office perks you can start implementing as soon as today is to encourage your employees to take breaks outside. Getting some fresh air and sunshine has been proven to work wonders for our mood and overall health. Instead of keeping everyone cooped up in a cubicle, suggest getting outside more often. Research has shown that “green” offices can actually increase employee productivity.

This is due to the fact that nature can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and even help improve your body’s immune function.

Encourage your employees to take lunch breaks outside. Set up an outdoor area where they can work with their laptops or hold meetings. Or you can even suggest taking a quick walk around the block to get the blood flowing and enjoy some sunshine. Whatever you do, get your employees outside more often and you’ll notice the benefits! Not only that, but they’ll appreciate having an employer that cares about their well-being.

Final Thoughts Whether it’s healthy snacks (like subscribing to a fruit club) or simply encouraging your employees to take a break outside, it’s important to foster an office community that is attractive to new hires as well as current employees. These activities not only increase productivity but they encourage a team atmosphere that the whole business can benefit from.

 

**Dan Scalco is a business owner, blogger at FoodBoxHQ.com, and health enthusiast. He researches and writes about ways people in personal and professional settings can reduce their stress, increase productivity, and live an overall better life.

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