Employee Perks According To Wayne Crowsley

 Fortune Magazine recently released its list of the “Best Companies to Work For.” One of the things we noticed that these companies have in common is their perks, which we don’t find in many normal companies. Wayne Crowsley, Human Resources Manager, enlightened us about this. The different thing that these companies do, he says, is that they provide an environment that allows their employees to focus on their work and not be hampered by family or personal concerns. In a nutshell, the best companies solve employees’ problems, which they’d normally have to worry about on their own without the company’s involvement.

Wayne Crowsley believes that for a company to draw out the best from its employees, it has to see things from their point of view and try to help solve the problems that they have. Married employees worry about baby sitters, recreation for their children, having to go to the grocery, workout time, while single employees worry about socialization, gym time, doctor visits, pets. This, of course, is in addition to what all employees worry about the most days – earning enough.

Companies that are able to address these concerns, according to Wayne Crowsley, stand to gain from their employees’ dedication, unleashed creativity, and loyalty. Companies that pay well relieve their employees of the necessity of having to find a second job. Companies that offer perks such as on-site childcare services, gyms, spas, game rooms, laundry and postal services, and doggie sitters solve problems for employees and allow them to concentrate on their work.

For a company to be able to hold on to its employees, Wayne says, it must be able to empathize – not just sympathize – with its people. It means putting yourself in the person’s position and, besides looking at things from their point of view, feeling the way they do. People have concerns that are equally as important to them as work, and which they need to attend to after working hours. Sometimes, these concerns are so important that they spill over into the time the employee should be working, such as worrying about who will watch over the baby or the dog during office hours when the sitter is on vacation. When that concern is solved, the hindrances are removed and the employee is more able to focus on work.

While not many companies can afford the same perks that the best companies have to offer, Wayne Crowsley says, they can provide perks on a smaller scale. To start, having an on-site child sitting service will definitely solve a problem for many married workers, he notes.