This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
Startup life isn't easy, but it seems like a hell of a lot more fun than working at a stodgy corporation. Ambitious startups have struck a balance of "work hard, play hard" by offering employee perks that prove the higher-ups will go the extra mile to show their teammates that they're valued and appreciated. The best way to attract fun, hardworking people is to let your team behave as fun, hardworking people — exciting work environments are enticing, so ping pong breaks and team lunches should be encouraged, not frowned upon as unnecessary time-sucks.
"We want to create a place where people are excited to come to work everyday. We think the best way to do that is by creating a fun and productive work environment, where people are growing and doing great things while having a good time," says Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker.
But the fun doesn't have to stop when your company hits a certain size. Even growing companies can benefit from a happy environment and the work of what Warby Parker calls a "Fun Committee" — a group of people that plans fun events and makes sure the startup culture doesn't slip away.
"While we've grown a lot in the past few years, we've maintained our startup roots by cultivating a distinctively dynamic culture where everyone's contributions are valued and encouraged," says Alicia Barnes, head of PR at ModCloth. ModClothers have themed apparel days and a dog-friendly office, among other perks — it doesn't sound like a bad way to spend 40+ hours a week.
Some of you readers might be wondering how a company can afford such frills — shouldn't they be bootstrapping? Certainly, splurging on things to keep employees happy and to attract new hires is a worthy investment for your company's growth plans, but startups realize that you have to cut back somewhere.
"We try to stay frugal — our office furniture is secondhand, but we cater lunch in everyday," says Allison Braley of ZocDoc. "We've tried to be really thoughtful about the perks we offer — lunch helps people get to know ZocDoc-ers from other departments. Aeron chairs don't."
A while back, we highlighted six companies with enviable employee perks. Now, we've asked more than a dozen startups (Thrillist, Fab, Tumblr, Jetsetter, StumbleUpon, Asana, Eventbrite, Warby Parker, Rent the Runway, Coloft, ZocDoc, GetGlue, Foursquare, Birchbox, Modcloth, Evernote) what perks they offer and we've grouped these perks into three tiers, giving you the sampling of who offers what and why these companies think it wise to spend money on them. Startups get a bad rap for not being able to offer benefits that are comparable to "the big boys," but a lot of today's startups actually offer the same — or better — insurance coverage and 401(k) plans as more established companies.
What kind of perks do you have at your office? Do you have a ping pong table? Let us know in the comments.
The Standards
- Free snacks, because we need fuel!
- Free coffee, because how else are you going to pound away at the keyboard all day?
- Free beer on tap, because most people know not to drink it during the day, and it's nice to know it's there. Because it's on-brand, Thrillist even offers vodka, tequila and whiskey tastings (Fab, Eventbrite, Warby Parker, Rent the Runway, Foursquare).
- Happy hour — a great time to consume the aforementioned beer. Giving the team a sanctioned way to let loose and hang out brings employees together and makes them appreciate their company and each other (Rent the Runway, Warby Parker, Jetsetter).
- Company swag, such as coozies and tees. There's no better way to get your company name out there than by arming your team with branded goodies.
- Discounted gym membership or health and wellness stipend (Fab, Eventbrite, StumbleUpon, Foursquare).
- Employee discount (ModCloth, Thrillist, Rent the Runway).
- Casual dress code, because no one feels very comfortable in a pantsuit and pumps (Thrillist, Foursquare).
- Fantasy football and March Madness tournaments. It's comforting to know that no one's going to freak out if they catch you checking your brackets (Thrillist).
- Dog-friendly office (Thrillist, Tumblr, ModCloth).
- Ping pong table, pool table, foosball table or basketball hoop — no, the presence of these items is not a startup myth (ZocDoc, Foursquare, Warby Parker, Jetsetter, Rent the Runway).
Wow, That's Impressive
- Catered lunch every day (Fab, Warby Parker, StumbleUpon) or multiple times per week (Eventbrite, GetGlue, Warby Parker, Foursquare).
- Paid vacation day on your birthday. (Thrillist)
- 401(k) — often with matching (Jetsetter, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, ModCloth, Rent the Runway, Thrillist, Foursquare).
- Flexible spending accounts (Tumblr, ModCloth).
- Awesome reward and incentive programs. Thrillist offers over-the-top breakfasts when a big deal is closed. Tumblr has "referral madness" — a teammate who refers someone who's hired gets a stipend for a team event, such as an outing to Medieval Times.
- Perks and corporate discounts through BetterWorks (Foursquare, Birchbox, Coloft).
- Movie gift certificates to encourage you to explore the cinema (GetGlue).
- A "Fun Committee" to plan company outings, such as ice skating, scavenger hunts, and DJ training (Warby Parker) and Thrivia (Thrillist's weekly trivia night).
- A creative welcome package. Warby Parker's includes a founder's favorite pretzels and a gift certificate to a Thai restaurant, since the founders lived off Thai food during their startup phase. ModCloth's has pens, notepads, a water bottle, mug, mousepad and tote.
- Permission to experience the brand's offerings, whether it's an allowance for a hotel (Jetsetter) or rental of a couture dress (Rent the Runway).
- Free Rdio accounts (Foursquare).
- $100 Uber car credit each month (StumbleUpon) or car service for late nights (Tumblr).
- Monthly celebrations of birthdays, accomplishments and the company in general (Birchbox).
- Fun team events, such as silkscreen night, game night and movie night (Tumblr).
- Equity or stock options (Eventbrite, ModCloth).
Really? That's Amazing
- Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage. ZocDoc and StumbleUpon go above and beyond, offering 100% coverage to employees and dependents. (Foursquare, Fab, Thrillist, Eventbrite, Birchbox).
- Weekly raffles for $500 in cold hard cash (Fab).
- Unlimited sick and vacation days, because "we believe in treating everyone like an adult," says Braley. (Thrillist, ZocDoc, ModCloth, Foursquare).
- In addition to unlimited vacation, Evernote also offers $1,000 as an added incentive for people to go. The more refreshed they are, the more productive they are, says CEO Phil Libin.
- A tab at the local coffee shop, so teammates don't have to eat the cost of networking (Jetsetter).
- In-office massages, chiropractor and acupuncture sessions every week (Eventbrite).
- Yoga classes (Tumblr, Eventbrite, Rent the Runway, ModCloth, Asana).
- iPad reimbursement (GetGlue).
- Vacations as rewards — ZocDoc's top sales performers are rewarded with a President's Club trip to a tropical location, like Puerto Rico.
Do you think these perks are silly, or do you think they really do foster a friendlier, happier and more productive environment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
More Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum:
- Why Social Learning Benefits Your Business
- 9 Steps for Getting Kickstarter Dollars
- Choosing the Best Social Media
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