THE PERKS + BENEFITS MILLENNIALS DON’T ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT… AND THE ONES THEY DO

Alright let’s talk about everyone’s favorite topic – BENEFITS AND PERKS.

Millennials are known to be “jumpers.” We aren’t saying millennials are fickle. The notion is that millennials are 1. More opportunistic 2. Connected 3. Mobile and accessible and sometimes 4. Short-term contract focused. Millennials have access to opportunities everywhere now because of the strength of the connectivity given to us all via the internet. 

Companies know this and know they need to give millennials a reason to come and a reason to stay. Many companies are jumping through hoops to entice top talent and then lighting those hoops on fire and jumping through them again just to KEEP this top talent. These hoops are benefits and perks and BOY do they look different today than they did 15 years ago. In fact, they look different today than they did even 5 years ago. 

We sat down with Lars Miller, Manager of Talent Acquisition here at Protis Global, to get his take on the benefits and perks that millennials actually care, about as well as the ones that they probably don’t care as much about. 

Okay, we aren’t declaring that millennials don’t give a… uh… “crap” about these benefits and perks. It’s just that, though clearly nice to have, these perks and benefits are not decision makers. They aren’t the factors that are making millennials choose to work there and they aren’t strong or relevant enough to keep them there when other, more important factors, outweigh them.

TAKE IT AWAY LARS!

“There are so many variations and options now and we are seeing more and more companies with alternative benefit structures. I thought you guys would appreciate it if we went through some of them!

Alright the benefits that millennials do care about are:

  • Flexibility (remote work and flex schedules)
  • Company-paid medical insurance. Healthcare in general is a good thing for millennials.
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Tuition reimbursement (we are seeing this more often now)
  • Mentorship and growth programs (additionally, transparent growth models and salaries)
  • Diversity (this is major and a new priority for the workforce)
  • Free lunch options – and healthy ones at that (this is cost-effective, convenient, and conducive to productivity. Also, this presents an opportunity to network in lines and in food areas which can help with team bonding and transparency across departments.)

And these are the benefits that, though are definitely cool to have, maybe aren’t as crucial and enticing as many companies think they are:

  • Free beer and snacks
  • Games and recreational activities in the office environment
  • Mandatory after hours sponsored events (honestly, team members rarely care, enjoy, or benefit from mandatory outings)
  • Frequent, seemingly fluffy, ALL STAFF emails

So obviously, some of these I find to be pretty cool and some seem less relevant and beneficial. For my take on some of these companies and their distinctive benefit programs, check out the blog I wrote a few months ago, ‘Lars Miller Assesses Unusual Company Perks.’

What are some of the coolest or strangest benefits you’ve heard of? Are there any that you have heard about and instantly knew it was useless? Are there any benefits or perks that you have passed up that you wish you could have? For obvious reasons, WE WANT TO KNOW!

Comment on this blog, reach out to us via email, or find us on our socials and let us know!”

Also, if you are interested in working for a badass company with only the coolest and most enticing benefits, reach out to Lars Miller at [email protected]. Also, go ahead and send him your resume too while you’re at it!

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