9 Unique Work Benefits to Consider for Your Company

Today, top performers always seem to have opportunities. However, it's not enough to just hire the right talent; your business needs to keep its best employees. In a world where anyone can be found on Indeed and LinkedIn, your employees are constantly bombarded with employment opportunities. If you want to keep your employees, you need to offer them unique benefits.

There are many possible benefits to include in your employee package. Here are unique examples to consider for your company:

1. Retirement account

Employees need to start thinking about the future as soon as possible. Whether or not you pay a fair salary, many of your employees won't be able to put too much into retirement as they have other financial obligations and dreams. For example, an employee who just graduated from college needs to begin paying off their student loans while being able to afford their own home, even if it's just a studio apartment.

A retirement account is a great perk to offer employees because it allows them to start thinking about their retirement while making the process of saving easier. Not only that, but a 401k with a company match can help them earn more money while working for your company.

2. Student loan repayment plans

Many young people are in student loan debt because they attended universities to get a job. Employers can make a difference in their employees' lives by helping them repay their student loans faster and with less stress. When building out a student loan repayment plan, you'll need to consider which employees will be eligible based on certain criteria. Of course, it's typically best to help all of your employees pay off their student loan debt, especially if they use the skills they learned in college to do their jobs.

3. Tuition reimbursement

Many employees don't accept a job offer without wanting it to lead to something bigger, such as a career. Overall, employees want continuous career growth, so continued education is increasingly important. Giving your employees' tuition reimbursement can help them go back to school or get a degree that can help them succeed in a position within your company.

4. Insurance

Whether it is health, life, homeowners, renters, travel or car insurance, your company can always offer unique insurance options to make your employees feel valued and appreciated.

If your employees are a bunch of pet lovers, you can help them take care of their precious animals by offering pet insurance just like you do regular health insurance. By showing your employees you care about their pets just as much as you do, they'll feel more loyalty to your company and be proud to work there.

5. Home buying assistance

Top employers go above and beyond for their employees to ensure good work and home lives. By helping your employees reach an important milestone, such as buying a house, you can foster a sense of loyalty and ensure your employees have a happy, healthy place to rest their heads at night.

6. Free swag

Top candidates might not accept a job offer because they get free stuff, but it is a nice perk if your company offers employees free promotional items. For example, instead of a simple, boring business casual dress code, you can let your employees wear whatever they want as long as it's company-branded. By giving your employees something comfortable to wear every day, they'll feel more comfortable and more productive at work. Also, wearing company swag can help them feel like they're an important part of the business.

7. Cryptocurrency

While your employees might not want to see their paychecks in Bitcoin, you can offer crypto as a unique employee benefit that allows them to start investing no matter their experience level. If you provide detailed information about investing with crypto and take the first step for them, they don't have to risk any of their own money to begin investing.

Of course, you should educate your employees about crypto before you ask them to begin investing; some of your employees might not want to begin investing in crypto. If you don't think all of your employees will be on board, consider offering them the opportunity to trade in their crypto for cash. You can do this during the holidays as a bonus for every one of your employees.

8. A collaborative office environment

Nobody enjoys being stuck in a cubicle all day, and as businesses become more modern, they're noticing their employees need to collaborate now more than ever. So allow your employees to share space and use a flexible workspace to allow them to better work together and feel more connected to each other and the business.

Not only that, but you might consider getting rid of offices altogether. While some of your employees may be higher up on the totem pole than others, it doesn't mean your other employees don't deserve space of their own as well. Additionally, by giving everyone the same office environment, you allow a more open work environment that allows people to work with each other instead of separately.

9. Flexible work hours

Depending on the type of business you run, it might not be necessary for all of your employees to work a nine to five. For example, if you're running a marketing company, your graphic designers might not need to be available during working hours. Instead, they could work when they felt most productive and get more work done.

Allowing your employees to work flexible hours can help them better manage their work-life balance, enabling parents to take care of their children and reducing overall stress. But, of course, there are some situations when you'll need your employees to work during set hours. Before you start letting your employees choose their hours, consult HR and determine which employees can work different hours and if it's feasible for your business.

Final thoughts

Not all of these work benefits will make sense for your company. Depending on how many employees you have and their needs, some of these unique benefits might not even be possible. Not only that, but it's important you find benefits that will help you attract and retain your top talent. Talk to your current employees to find out what types of benefits they'd like to make their work and home lives easier.