Boosting Employee Satisfaction with the Right Perks

In today’s competitive landscape — especially with the peak of remote work experience in the last few years, which expands job opportunities for professionals — effective talent retention strategies have become more crucial than ever.

One of the key strategies is offering employee perks that go beyond financial compensation. The right benefits can shape how employees perceive the company, develop strong connections between them and the organization, and even influence their decisions when considering a job change.

In this article, we’ll share actionable insights on employee incentives that can help you attract and retain top talent, along with tips on selecting the best options for your organization.

Must-Have Perks for a Competitive Workplace

Here are seven perk options that can help your company attract and retain top talent from today’s diverse and globally distributed workforce:

Flexible Work Arrangements

Flexible hours have become one of the most sought-after perks for today’s professionals and can bring real advantages to your employees.

From boosting developer productivity to reducing stress and burnout, offering flexible scheduling with asynchronous work can keep employees happier and make them appreciate their work environment more. 

As a result, this will also help with talent retention and help to develop a loyal team.

Home Office & Tech Equipment

Offering home office stipends and tech allowances is another way to show care for remote employees. 

Covering the costs of basic items — such as internet access, an ergonomic workstation setup, or work materials — can be the deciding factor that makes your employee want to stay with you long-term.

This type of benefit goes beyond financial support because it shows that the company genuinely cares and takes direct action to ensure employee well-being while working.

Professional Development & Upskilling

Professional development and continuous learning opportunities are also valuable perks that employees appreciate, as it usually feels like an investment in their own growth.

 This is beneficial for both the employee, who sees that the company is investing in their development, and for the organization, which gains a more qualified employee over time.

Research shows that a lack of growth and development opportunities is one of the top three reasons developers leave a company. This is especially true for skilled software engineers who constantly seek to learn new technologies and refine their expertise to stay ahead in the field.

This benefit can be offered through a variety of options, such as courses, training, and certifications, as well as opportunities for employees to attend industry events, participate in mentorship programs, and access other resources that promote continuous professional growth and development.

Wellness Programs & Mental Health Support

Mental health is a key topic today, and organizations that offer effective mental health and wellness programs are more likely to be the most attractive to top talent. Check some of the most common programs you can implement:

• Gym membership partnerships;
• Mental health counseling;
• Partnerships with mindfulness apps;
• Practical, personalized workshops focusing on mental health.

Performance-Based Bonuses & Stock Options

Just because non-financial employee perks are important doesn’t mean financial benefits are any less so. That’s why it’s also crucial to offer practical financial benefits to employees, such as performance-based bonuses and stock options programs.

By offering these perks, you not only keep employees motivated but also instill a greater sense of responsibility. They become directly accountable for earning extra money based on their own performance, and a stock options program can give them the opportunity to feel like they own a piece of the company.

The result? Everyone aligns with the same goal: keeping the company growing and thriving.

Paid Time Off & Company-Wide Breaks

Offering a good time off policy is also important, regardless of the employment type (whether contractor, temporary, or in-house employee). This type of perk creates a sense of security for employees, as they know they can rely on it when and if needed.

Some ways to implement this benefit in the company include offering unlimited PTO, mental health days, and company-wide shutdowns.

Team Retreats & Virtual Social Events

Despite all the benefits of working remotely, off-site employees miss an important aspect of the traditional work environment: physical interaction with colleagues.

Even with the help of chat apps for internal communication, it’s important for the company to also organize retreats and online team-building events, with a focus on creating stronger team connections and building a positive team culture.

These events can be organized at different levels and frequencies. For example, team-specific integration events can be held monthly or bi-monthly, while company-wide events can take place quarterly or semi-annually.

Choosing the Right Perks for Your Team

With so many options available, it’s important to plan to choose the best perks for your team, prioritizing those with the greatest impact. Here are some tips to guide you in the selection process:

• Plan ahead: offering effective benefits to your team is crucial, but it needs to be done with careful planning to ensure the investment is worthwhile. Study each option available and assess the expected outcomes.
• Collect feedback: encourage employees to share insights about their needs so you can identify which benefits should be prioritized.
• Test and evaluate results: implement a few perks that seem most relevant based on the organization’s context and the feedback from your team. Then, evaluate the impact each one has had on employee satisfaction and talent retention. Afterward, make adjustments as needed.

The Long-Term Benefits of Thoughtful Perks

By choosing thoughtful employee perks, you’ll be building a stronger culture within your organization and directly impacting the well-being of your employees.

In the long-term, this strategy can lead to retaining qualified professionals and attracting new talent, especially when your current employees become loyal advocates for your company — a win-win for both sides.

Keep in mind that this is not a one-time effort: the key is to continuously revisit the topic, test new perk options, and gather feedback from the team so the programs evolve alongside the changing needs of the employees.

Want to learn how to optimize resources while building a strong workforce? Book a call with Strider and discover how we can help you hire the best developers for distributed teams.