How would you like to turn a quick lunch break into a company-encouraged surf break? Or maybe you’d like to bring home a few pints of ice cream after every shift. As wild as these ideas might seem, they are real perks offered by companies who know how to build a successful company culture.
Even if your company can’t afford to offer rooms just for napping or free intern housing, there many ways to thank employees for the work they do. If you’re looking to offer job benefits that attract the best talent, use these ideas to shape your employee perks.
1. Make it a family affair
For many employees, childcare is a daily concern. Whether your agents struggle to find care or meet the high costs, this is an area of need for many families. Offering on-site childcare allows parents to have peace-of-mind about their children during the workday. Eliminating the stress of childcare costs can keep employees happy and help them focus more during their shift. The added bonus of sharing lunch breaks with their kids can further improve workplace satisfaction.
Paid maternity and paternity leave are also important for parents, children, and your company. Give employees the chance to fully adjust without worrying about lost compensation. Rather than spending $10-20k on replacing agents, offer the support they need to return refreshed and ready to get results.
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2. Promote healthy habits
Sitting all day in front of a computer can contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure, and increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Once you add in stress, long hours, and eye strain, the physical and mental health costs of an office job are grim. Rather than just telling employees to care for their health, offer options that will help them achieve improvements for themselves.
Physical fitness
Invite agents to join company-sponsored fitness classes, such as cycling or yoga. Offer complimentary gym memberships. You can even promote healthy eating by offering healthy snack alternatives and bringing in nutritionists to offer meal guidance.
Mental health
Help your employees manage stresses with either on-site counseling or a monthly mental health stipend. Agent burnout is real threat to your contact center and employees, so give them the resources they need to maintain mental health and strength.
3. Make time count
Unlike most first-world countries, the U.S. doesn’t require companies to offer paid time off. Many employees get less than two weeks of vacation and few sick days, contributing to high work stress. Though you probably can’t offer unlimited vacation days, increasing your paid time off and sick days can keep employees happier and healthier.
If you want to give back to the community, you can also offer paid volunteering days throughout the year to encourage employees to get out and make a lasting difference.
4. Help others succeed
A contact center agent position is often a stepping stone to other positions. When you offer programs that help employees reach the next stage in life, you can encourage them to stick with your company for the long-term.
Mentorship programs
Promoting from within ensures your leadership understands company values, needs less training, and understands the realities of agent work. Mentorship programs allow you to find and nurture top talent, helping employees achieve and learn more. These programs also help leadership stay in touch with agents and their needs.
Educational support
Help your agents deal with the costs of higher education by offering scholarship opportunities or student loan debt reimbursement. Investing in your employees gives them the support they need, helping them find more purpose and passion in their work.
5. Keep it fun
No matter your budget, workplace fun makes any job more enjoyable. Let agents bring pets to work, offer catered meals, or get rid of your dress code for more than a day. You can host paid team-building exercises, such as sports tournaments or field trips. Show agents that you care about more than work and give everyone something exciting to look forward to.
Employee engagement affects much more than job satisfaction. Learn how you can improve your contact center’s results with our new guide to improving employee engagement.
Originally published Aug 26, 2020, updated Dec 30, 2022
