I think most of you will agree with me that when we are choosing a new job, it’s not only salary, title and location that matters. It’s becoming more and more popular for companies to offer many various benefits to attract new talents or even to keep employees. It may be health insurance, traveling for work or even office catering.
Sharing his opinion about a few work perks, the founder and CEO of Workhap Sho Dewan posted a TikTok video stating that they are overrated and simply just look better on paper than they are in practice.
More info: TikTok
There are many things that sound way better when they are written - many work perks are no different
Image credits: Sho Dewan
The founder of Workhap lists 3 work perks that are not as valuable as they may seem
Image credits: workhap
“One - It gets old really quickly - traveling for work. Now the first couple of times free food, hotel points, upgrades on flights, it feels cool, but at the end of the day, you just want to sleep in your own bed.
Number two - unlimited PTO. It sounds good on paper, but it's actually a benefit for the company. They don't have to pay you out when you leave.
Three - free holiday parties. You're pretty much obligated to go and they're always during non-work hours. So you're pretty much working when you're not.”
Check out the full video here:
The creator of the video is Sho Dewan, a career coach, content creator, founder and CEO of Workhap. He has helped thousands get hired and paid in careers they love through his programs, and is now expanding his platform to help millions more. On his social media, he posts useful tips and relatable stories that people find inspiring.
As a former recruiter and head of talent development, he posts daily to his community of 1.5M+ followers and reveals the HR secrets and expert strategies he’s learned the hard way. The video where he highlights the most overrated work perks collected more than 40K views and 1.5K likes.
People in the comments agreed with Sho and shared their personal experiences and opinions regarding these perks. Well, to some they seemed like a benefit, but for others more like additional work. “Traveling for work has destroyed me and I'm now numb to ‘fun’ trips,” one user shared.
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)
Well, folks online basically summed up that travel for work may be fun, but it’s not for everyone. When it comes to unlimited PTO, people had different opinions - some enjoy this perk while others have had bad experiences, and corporate parties - well, it also depends quite a lot on your colleagues.
But let’s talk about work benefits in general. Are they really a big deal? First off, according to Better Up, businesses who provide the finest benefits to their employees typically see an increase in employee satisfaction and retention. Good employee benefits are also crucial since they raise workers' quality of life, reduce burnout, promote health, and increase employee satisfaction.
While every person may have a different opinion on what work benefits are the best, there are some which probably would make every employee happy. To begin with - paid time off. It is one of the best ways to improve an employee's work-life balance. Other valuable perks are a flexible schedule, work from home options or health insurance.
Image credits: Tara Winstead (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda got in touch with Alice Stapleton, a career change coach and coach supervisor, who kindly agreed to share her professional insights.
To begin with, she noted that in her opinion, what every employee may see as a ‘beneficial’ perk will vary greatly depending on their age and life stage. “Bonuses, shares, childcare vouchers, and pension payments will appeal to some, whilst others will love the offer of ‘volunteering days’ where you’re welcome to take the day to volunteer for a charity of your choice,” she added.
Alice emphasized that others will really value discounted gym memberships, in-house wellbeing talks or exercise classes, or discounts at local stores. “For some, the ability to bring your dog to work will be a deal-breaker!”
Speaking about whether attractive perks can make it harder to leave an employer, she shares that perhaps it can extend the period that they stay for, but it doesn’t stop them from leaving in the long run. “They look for their next employer to offer something similar.”
Alice also pointed out that some perks may attract new talent, but they’re often seen as added bonuses to the job, as opposed to the key factors. “It may mean they choose one company over another, if they have two similar offers on the table.”
Finally, the career change coach pointed out that if the industry is fairly saturated, the role perks may be more crucial, as the companies are likely to be looking to attract and compete on top talent. “More and more, the less ‘ethical’ and more corporate/profit driven industries may need to rely on perks to attract talent, too - especially Gen Z talent where social impact and ethical practice is important to them,” Alice shared.
So guys, what do you think about these overrated work perks? What would you say are the main benefits that you look for in a company? Share your thoughts below!
People online agreed with the career coach and shared their opinions
