Regular socials, table tennis, darts, freebie breakfasts, fresh fruit, beer taps, margarita slushies… Who’s going to say “no thanks” to those in terms of workplace perks? They’re plus points no doubt, and a decade ago may have been a deciding factor between two similarly paid jobs. But these days, not so much. So, if healthy snacks, unlimited soft drinks and incentivised gym memberships aren’t swaying people as much, what is?

In a nutshell, it’s about building work around your life, not the other way around.

It can’t be denied that competitive pay and benefits are also a draw, but it’s also the company culture, purpose and vision. If they don’t do it for you, what’s the point? Employees are thinking more holistically, far beyond 28 days holiday a year and regular complimentary massages. Instead, people are looking for environments that accommodate their individual (and changing) needs.

Keeping employees a priority

The all-important ‘customer experience’ is a primary concern for many companies, and rightly so. But often, the other side of the coin – employee life experience – falls by the wayside. Making sure that doesn’t happen is essential.

A 2018 study by PwC and CECP revealed people are increasingly seeking out “uniquely human elements of their work”. The research also highlighted that a fulfilling employee experience is at the heart of finding more workplace meaning. To help achieve that, several factors come into play.

Let’s talk purpose

Having a job that pays your bills and affords you the lifestyle you want ranks highly, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But company purpose is also massive. Do your values mesh well with a potential employer’s? People can’t answer that unless businesses have a clear purpose and tight brand values.

Purpose can’t be found; it’s built. And The Organic Agency has worked hard to build theirs. What do we believe? That digital can make life better. We help our clients create positive digital experiences that improve their customers’ lives. And so, ‘Digital For Good’ was born. As part of that, we’re B-Corp certified: a natural progression that’s brought tons of benefits, including encouraging employees to look beyond revenue and profit and consider broader social and environmental goals.

Sprouting from that, ‘Green For Good’ has made its way into our company ethos: making internal operations more eco-conscious and helping our clients do the same. To facilitate that, we’re developing a nifty carbon emissions tool.

Beyond perks

As well as fun stuff like your Birthday off, retail discount schemes and increased holiday in line with service, other benefits are also important. A 2021 report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) highlights that “now, more than ever, we need leaders who show compassion and actively foster a culture that engenders trust and kindness.”

Here at Organic, we’ve stepped up our support system and partnered with Spill, a mental wellbeing tool for employees and managers. Going further than a standard employee assistance program (EAP), Spill facilitates an emotionally open culture.

Thinking more about culture, other key things include promoting a sense of belonging, enabling people to make an impact, and transparency. Whether it’s financial updates or client news, we share knowledge at Organic, and everyone’s kept in the loop.

Training & development: the way forward

Career progression and fostering individual growth are additional things people want from a job, and factors that can help with recruitment and retention. Seeing where you could be in two, five or seven years (if you put in the work) is important. We invest heavily in this area, ensuring everyone has a clear path regarding where they’re heading. 

It’s all about flexibility

A 2021 study by Future Forum of 10,000 knowledge workers showed 93% want flexibility in terms of when and how they work. For us, that involves a continuation of partial working from home, for those who want to.

And when people do go in, we base the office around three C’s. There’s culture: supporting each other, celebrating wins and being there when s**t hits the fan. Next is collaboration: we’re a creative agency and do our best work when we’re bouncing ideas around. And then coaching: driving careers forward and sharing knowledge.

Are you offering the must-haves?

Perks aren’t obsolete, but these days, they’re less of a draw and more ‘nice to have’. Taking over as must-haves are a strong purpose, a supportive culture, robust wellbeing programmes, growth opportunities, and understanding people’s needs. These elements contribute to creating an employee experience that goes beyond work and considers the wider picture, such as families and outside commitments.

By building work around life and trusting that people will deliver what’s expected, we’ve created a flexible environment that’s productive, rewarding and fun. That ethos is applied from the CEO down, and it’s effective – for us, anyway.