This Tuesday, we celebrated the 6th anniversary of Pam Carrier’s employment with Matchmaker. Considering that the average employee spends just 4.1 years with an employer these days, 6 years means a lot. Some companies out there do some pretty ‘crazy’ things to retain their talent:
- Chesapeake Energy offers dermatology services, including Botox injections. Employees also have access to tanning beds and spray tanning services.
- Cisco employees can drop off their cars with mechanics for a free oil change.
- Microsoft’s Redmond Campus has over 20 shops and restaurants, including a spa and a pub!
- Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants allows its employees to drop off well-behaved pets with the company’s onsite “pet care” centers. The company also offers veterinary health insurance.
- Toymakers and staff at Hasbro and Mattel enjoy half-day Fridays.
- Employees of Clif Bar, the energy bar company, not only get access to an on-site state-of-the-art gym, a boulder wall, yoga, and nutritional counseling, they’re allowed to work out 30 minutes per workday, or 2.5 hours each week, while on the clock — meaning they’re getting paid to exercise.
- Financial research and software firm, FactSet Research Systems, schedules special visits from area food trucks. There’s a pie truck, a cupcake truck, a Chinese food truck, and even a SuperDuperWeenie truck.
Pam and the rest of our team don’t get to enjoy unlimited vacation time, concierge service, or free life coaching, but Pam insists that she sticks with Matchmaker Logistics for reasons money can’t buy: “I enjoy the relaxed environment, the flexibility, and the teamwork. This past Friday, when I had to step out to pick up my stepson from school, Bob said: ‘You always have my back and I have yours’. That said, a cupcake from time to time is a nice touch too!”
We encourage you to make this Friday an ‘Employee Appreciation Day’ for your staff or co-workers. It might be coffee, donuts, or a word of praise, but as Pam reminded us, it’s the little things that mean a lot.
