Free and low-cost ways managers can boost morale.

By Jenny Jedeikin

With the economy in a three-plus year slump, U.S. companies have had to scale back tremendously on the lavish perks they once used to lure employees to work longer and harder. But now that in-cubicle shoulder massages and gourmet meals have been taken off the company ledger, what perks can savvy employers offer in the current fiscal environment to engage and retain a weary workforce without spending all the profits?

“When it comes to the subject of perks, it’s really all about creating an environment where employees feel valued,” says Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day: Employee Recognition that Works. “Whether it’s a perk or simple recognition, people want to feel that their employer cares about them.” And according to Ventrice, there’s a lot managers can do to satisfy that need, without spending a fortune.

Flexibility is cheap

In a recent study conducted by Ventrice, she found that the top priority for all workers across the board among perks is to have some degree of flexibility in terms of their telecommuting and time off. “Time flexibility makes people feel that they are really valued because there’s a trust component that comes along with it,” explains Ventrice. “When you telecommute, the employer trusts that you don’t have to be babysat to do your work.” And with today’s laptops and online office meetings, it’s possible for an employee to work from virtually anywhere.

An engineering firm Ventrice recently consulted asked its employees to help design an effective work environment. “The employees really wanted to create work spaces where people could collaborate comfortably together,” says Ventrice. “They came up with these treadmill stations and scattered them throughout the offices. The treadmills had platforms so that people could put their laptops on them and work and work out at the same time.” During certain hours of the day, everyone is in an environment where people around them are working alongside each other rather than being in their cubicle. This means there is conversation and collaboration going on, which was important to that company.

If treadmill stations seem expensive, there are cheaper ways to achieve a comfortable work environment, “where employees can collaborate and bond, such as game rooms,” says Ventrice. She has seen Nerf guns and little Nerf soccer setups sprinkled around offices, for instance. “If employees are allowed to create their work space however they want to,” says Ventrice, “that’s going to make them more comfortable; so they get more work done.”

According to Ventrice, a perk doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective. “Yes, perks are going to change for some employers because they just can’t afford them anymore, but during the process, they just need to keep the employees’ interests in the equation,” she says.

Finally, Ventrice says we can’t afford to focus just on rewards and perks. “Making people feel valued is a holistic effort,” she says. “It comes from the way we treat people. The thoughtfulness in determining what kind of benefits people receive ultimately emerges from the day-to-day interactions that managers have with their employees.”

Jenny Jedeikin lives in Northern California and her writing has appeared in San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Rolling Stone and In Style, among other publications.

“When it comes to the subject of perks, it’s really all about creating an environment where employees feel valued.”

Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day: Employee Recognition that Works