What Benefits Do Your Virtual Employees Really Want?

Office yoga. Five o’clock office happy hours. Ample vacation time. These benefits were great when companies committed to them in 2019 – employee engagement is critical to a company’s success! But 2020 presented a whole new range of employee engagement issues. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that employers still need perks and benefits to attract and retain top talent.

What do virtual teams want most, and how can you provide it? Rethinking which perks will benefit your remote employees most in the COVID-19 Era. Check out these staff benefit ideas and helpful tips from HR experts.

Reward Remote Employees by Making Remote Work Simple

Flexible schedules and work-from-home options are no longer a perk – now they are a necessity to business continuity as organizations throughout the U.S. navigate the challenges of COVID-19.

Rather than touting a flexible-work policy, employers would do better to talk to their employees – what do they need in this new world of work? What would be the equivalent perks to the days of in-office yoga? How can you as an employer committed to ensuring the success of your employees accomplish this?

By now you have no doubt provided workspace efficiencies like ergonomic office chairs, and extra computer monitors, office supplies, etc. What about the many childcare issues facing so many working families? Can you offer a specific number of “free hours” per week for those very busy parents who now find themselves as teacher’s aides? Making it easier for them to feel that their families are taken care of and their work is being done with the full knowledge and assistance from their employers. Being fair and equitable matters even when many of your employees are working from home. For those without children, perhaps those few “free hours” could be used to take a walk or pop off to the gym.

6 Benefits Tailored to a Virtual Workforce

Perks are a way to demonstrate your company’s commitment to going beyond the bare minimum. Pre-COVID-19, extras usually took place in the office: fitness centers, free lunches, or a coffee bar – none of which are feasible in the COVID world.

Employers need to figure out what their virtual employees want, including:

1. Employee discounts. Can you work with local stores or restaurants to get deals for your employees? Take out seems to be all the rage even in a pandemic. Consider gift cards from restaurants that are easily accessible for your employees.

2. Professional development programs. Now is a great time for your employees to engage in activities that will enhance their career prospects and participate in virtual on-the-job training.

3. Tuition reimbursement/student loan pay downs. Millennials and homelanders will flock to you.

4. Stock options.

5. Recognition gifts. Acknowledging your remote employees who go above and beyond is always appreciated.

6. Extend personal time. Certainly, use it or lose it rules need to be relaxed. Can you enable your employees to keep some extra paid time off hours or take a bit of an extended vacation in 2021 or 2022?

Ask Your Employees What They Want

While the way we work and play has changed, one thing remains the same: to provide the best possible benefits to your workers. Ask your virtual workforce what they’d like, and which staff perks will benefit them. Many employees’ needs have changed during the transition to remote work, so now is the ideal time to re-think your benefits packages and continue to improve your corporate culture.

Do you need a hiring partner to help you find your next best in-office or work-from-home employee? Get in touch with Elite Personnel and learn how our employment agency can help you hire great staff.