As Employers Try to Bring Joy to the Job, Perks for Workers Go Way Beyond the Basics
When a bigger investment is involved, some employers are piloting the benefit first, says Jessica Rohman of Great Place to Work, a California consulting organization that compiles that annual Fortune list. “When you are dealing with human beings, getting a sense of what the obstacles might be goes a long way,” she says.
Kaufman Rossin, with close to 350 employees in four South Florida offices, has gone that route to pilot its newest benefit — onsite physical therapy. Now, along with subsidized massages, staff can get treatment for their aches and pains from a therapist. Kaufman began rolling out the perk first in its main office, gauged its popularity, and will soon offer it in the firm’s other locations. The accounting firm also beefed up its online learning culture — offering 1,600 courses — and hiring a nationally known consultant to put on “people management” workshops.
“We ask our staff what they like and don’t like,” says Janet Altman, marketing principal at Kaufman Rossin in Miami. “They like spending time together having fun, so we added more social events and contests.” Altman says the firm has even started offering onsite lunchtime or evening workshops on cooking, caring for orchids and making beer.
In accounting, a field where competition for talent has intensified, Altman says Kaufman recognizes it needs the core benefits that create a good workplace culture and the wow perks that attract new hires. Says Altman: “This has to be something you care about, not just something you do to look good.”
