On the jobs and careers subcommittee, we are focused on retaining young people in the city of Boston by helping them find good, stable careers that they are passionate about, and by helping them build strong networks so they will not want to leave the area.
Recently, the Boston Globe came out with its annual list of the “Top Places to Work”. This list is segmented by large, medium and small employers, but as I read through the different articles, it seemed there were some common characteristics of great places to work that emerged across all of these organizations.
Some of the initiatives that were highlighted included flexible work schedules to allow employees to balance their work and their personal lives, lots of growth opportunities to allow employees to advance in their careers and mentoring programs to help new employees become acclimated to the company or to help emerging leaders develop. It seemed important for companies to have an established set of core values that employees can understand and embody because it helps employees feel connected to their organizations. Many of the listed companies also had systems to recognize and reward employees for exceptional work – something everyone can appreciate!
The examples in “Top Places to Work” should be best practices across any organization that wants to develop and retain satisfied young employees, but some companies went further than others. My favorite examples include a “beauty room” offered by one company where employees can get their hair or nails done on site so they don’t rush out of the office at 5pm for an appointment. I also loved that many food companies use their employees as “guinea pigs” – trying new products before they are officially launched! Some companies went the other way, offering wellness programs such as on-site Weight Watchers meetings to keep employees healthy.
These are all just the tip of the iceberg, there are many other ways that companies get creative to keep their valued employees productive and satisfied. All of these perks sound terrific to me.
What programs and perks do you look for when evaluating a perspective new employer?
