Nowadays, hiring top talents is becoming more challenging. A useful tool for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors is to offer office perks to their employees. When we talk about perks, we refer to particular advantages (goods, services, opportunities) that someone has because of their job. We use these advantages to keep workers motivated, loyal, and happy in their workplace. Employee satisfaction is essential to the success of the company in general; satisfied employees provide better results. That is why it is vital to establish a positive corporate culture and offer incentives and job perks that motivate and attract new top talents.
There are many ways to keep workers happy, and not all of them involve a large expenditure of money. Many employees appreciate companies that are empathetic towards them and consider their well-being when choosing between two jobs. One of the perks that has become more popular in the last ten years is to allow dogs in the office.
Dog-Friendly Office
Employers are recognizing that allowing pets on the job is a low-cost mechanism for improving their employees’ well-being and productivity. Pets at home and in the office have a very positive impact on our physical and mental health.
At first, it may seem that having pets in the office makes us more distracted, but the truth is just the opposite. Several scientific studies have shown that playing or petting pets can increase the levels of oxytocin and reduce the production of stress hormones.
Many people consider their pets to be their children. So, leaving them alone at home to go work makes them feel worried, which leads to a decrease in concentration. Another study conducted by the University of Lincoln revealed that people who go to work with their pets are 22% more satisfied with their work situation. The report also shows that because pets are in the office, their dedication and work commitment have increased by 16.5% and 14.4%, respectively. Having your pet next to you while working makes you feel more relaxed because you have one less worry.
Taking the dog to the office indeed brings a lot of benefits. But there are some factors that we must consider in advance. For instance, hygiene, vaccines, if the dogs have any contagious health conditions, or if they should be completely dewormed. To prevent problems, the ideal dogs to bring to the company should be well-behaved and not have any aggressive behaviors.
Other Office Perks
There are other perks that a company can offer its employees to keep them satisfied other than having a dog-friendly office. To name a few:
Support for Training and Learning
More and more companies are allocating some of their income to promote scholarships or training programs for their employees. It is an excellent opportunity for company members to expand their knowledge and advance and facilitate the achievement of their educational goals. Providing training programs shows that you are willing to invest in your employees’ future and help them progress.
Team-Building Events
Fostering relationships between workers helps to create a better working environment. These events can range from trips with all company members to after-work celebrations or birthday parties. These activities help those who don’t see each other in the office bond and improve their interpersonal relations.
Wellness Programs
Implementing and promoting healthy living habits and good health regimes among employees helps them improve their health. There are different tools to enhance your workers’ wellness, from subsidized gym memberships to morning yoga classes. If employees are healthy, they’ll be happy too, which has a positive impact on the company. Having healthy employees also means that there will be fewer absences.
Not all of them must lead to a significant expense for the company; some of them can be cost-free:
Employee Recognition Programs
Although we might not think about it, a simple “thank you,” “good job,” or a compliment can make an employee happy. We can use several employee recognition programs to acknowledge their contributions to the company. We all like to feel recognized at work for what we have done. This is one of the simplest perks that a company can offer to keep the employees motivated.
Flexibility
Combining work and family is one of the most important aspects that people consider when looking for a job. Having flexibility when choosing vacations, working some days remotely, and having a flexible schedule can increase employee motivation and be very attractive to candidates. It can even make employees more productive during their working hours.
As we can see, office dogs and other office perks bring different benefits, both for the company and worker:
Company Benefits
- Development of new habits
- Less stress and preoccupations, more motivation
- Increased physical and mental endurance
- Improved interpersonal relationships
- More satisfaction with work and working conditions
Employee Benefits
- More productivity
- Higher levels of employee commitment
- Reduced absenteeism rates
- Improved positioning to attract and retain talent
By Kaixi Jia
