Do office perks like free snacks and gym memberships really improve employee experience? Unfortunately, they don’t have much to do with it – at least not directly. Perks like these are not designed to make your employees happy, they’re designed to make you look good to investors, board members, and other people who may be watching your company with a keen eye. This is a snack myth. Employee experience is about the emotional connection employees have to their contribution; it’s about making sure your employees feel valued and supported.
Check out INC’s article on Why Snacks are Not Company Culture
Office perks have nothing to do with employee experience. Your employees are coming to work because they like what they do and find it meaningful. If they were feeling disengaged, they wouldn’t show up! Office perks simply can’t substitute for good leadership and clear direction. An energized, empowered team is more than just a bunch of people working well together—it has to do with creating a culture where employees feel part of something bigger than themselves that aligns with their values.
Office perks and free food have nothing to do with improving your employee experience. Although these treats may boost morale for a short time, they have little impact on long-term engagement or retention. Employee experience is about employees’ emotional connection to their work and their coworkers. Creating an employee value proposition (EVP) is critical for driving true business results. An EVP addresses three main areas that drive engagement—people, purpose, and performance.
Offering all-you-can-eat ice cream, coffee, donuts and other free treats in your office isn’t going to keep people around. Offering a sense of fulfillment and meaning is. People want purpose. They want to feel like they are contributing to something larger than themselves. And most importantly, they want to be able to measure their contributions and know how their efforts are impacting outcomes.
1. Emphasize your company’s core values
2. Make sure employees feel like their voice is heard
3. Build a sense of community
4. Highlight opportunities for growth
5. Give employees autonomy and control over their work environment
Want to bring in Joshua to fix your culture? Contact him now!