10 Companies With Great Perks and Benefits
With the job market more competitive than ever, many companies are working extra hard to recruit the most talented candidates for their entry-level positions. While much of this has to do with campus recruiting strategies and creating a positive candidate experience, companies with a certain slate of perks and benefits have the added advantage of attracting top Gen Z talent.
In our recent article, ‘5 Perks and Benefits to Offer Your Gen Z Employees’ we identified several perks and benefits that are sure to capture the attention of prospective Gen Z employees. From robust training and development programs to workplace flexibility and volunteering opportunities, these benefits are in addition to standard benefits like vacation days and health insurance. Using the criteria in our prior article as a guide, we’ve selected 10 companies with perks and benefits that cater to the Gen Z crowd and are sure to aid their talent acquisition efforts. In no particular order, here are the top companies with the most Gen Z-friendly perks and benefits:
Not only are employees at Salesforce allowed to take up to 56 paid hours (seven days) per year to volunteer, but they’re actually rewarded for it. According to Fortune, Salesforce employees who volunteer for all 56 hours receive a $1,000 grant, which they can then donate to a non-profit of their choice. In addition to regular volunteering, Salesforce also developed a Pro Bono Program, which encourages employees to utilize their skills and experiences – along with Salesforce technology – to work with nonprofit organizations.
Pfizer leaders and managers take an active role in helping employees achieve their career goals. From individual development plans where team members work with their managers to create career ‘roadmaps’ to Pfizer’s online Mentor Match tool, employees have access to a robust set of career development opportunities. In addition to professional development opportunities and Pfizer’s standard slate of benefits, the company also offers great perks such as health and wellness programs and financial planning education.
Netflix employees don’t work on a typical 9-to-5 schedule. Instead, they are encouraged to design their own schedules and choose what’s most important to them. Since the company doesn’t have set work hours, they don’t have prescribed time off or holiday schedules. According to Netflix’s website, employees are urged to observe what’s important to them, and to take into account when their “mind and body need a break.” Their motto? Work smarter, not harder.
American Express offers a great mental health program known as Healthy Minds. “To deliver exceptional customer service, we need exceptional people and we need to take care of them. Just like in physical health, we should be ahead of the game on mental health and well-being,” Dr. Wayne Burton, the company’s Global Corporate Medical Director, said in an article. Part-time counselors are available at each employee clinic for a minimum of two half-days per week, and up to twenty hours per week (depending on the size of the workforce served by the clinic), according to the company website.
In addition to inclusion workshops and various professional networking organizations and opportunities, T-Mobile offers tuition reimbursement and assistance. For example, T-Mobile will pay 100% of a full-time employee’s tuition if they’re enrolled at one of the five online universities the company covers. On the other hand, if you happen to be enrolled in another college or university (not one of the five online universities), T-Mobile offers tuition assistance for both part-time and full-time employees.
Genentech, a San Francisco-based biotechnology corporation, truly has it all. Here, employees are entitled to free counseling, financial, and legal advice; on-site dental care, on-site amenities and services like car wash facilities, haircuts, and spa treatments; and tuition assistance programs (up to $10,000 per year). Additionally, Genentech has bi-monthly “Ho-Hos,” where employees can unwind, connect, and bond.
In addition to catered breakfast, lunch, and dinner – along with company-sponsored happy hours – Airbnb provides employees with a $2,000 stipend per year ($500 per quarter) to travel and stay at an Airbnb listing anywhere in the world, according to Insider. Not only that, Airbnb offers a unique learning and development program called ‘Data University,’ a dynamic data education program that aims to empower every employee to make data-informed decisions.
This consulting company offers every employee an annual $5,000 self-directed personal education budget, which can be spent on anything from books, conferences or trainings to promote an employee’s personal or professional growth. The company also gives its employees and additional paid day off each year where they can “play hooky” with a coworker. According to a Built in Chicago article, that day is meant to be spent doing something “epic,” and activities have ranged everything from skydiving to volunteering.
In 2016, this insurance company announced that they would match employees’ student loan payments up to $2,000 per year for a lifetime maximum of up to $10,000 for qualifying loans. Both part-time and full-time employees are eligible for the program, and Aetna estimated that around 4,000 employees could benefit from the program. In addition to matching student loan payments, Aetna offers expert, no-cost education loan repayment guidance sessions and a tuition assistance program that pays 80 percent of the cost of undergraduate or graduate courses taken while with the company.
Evernote offers an educational perk called, “Evernote Academy,” which provides employees the opportunity to learn new skills like flower arranging, public speaking or lock picking, according to the company website. Outside of the academy, they offer barista training, giving employees the chance to learn how to make fun latte art and bond with coworkers. Finally, the company promotes work-life balance by offering a $1,000 yearly vacation stipend and generous PTO.
While there are many companies that offer Gen Z-friendly perks and benefits, these are just a few that stand out for their commitment to continued learning and development, flexible work, or social impact initiatives. As you evaluate your own strategy for attracting Gen Z talent, take some inspiration from these companies and be sure to offer perks and benefits that Gen Z employees will value when starting their careers.
