Page 109 - INC Magazine-November 2018

DON’T LEAVE THIS ITEM LYING AROUND THE OFFICE
Speaking of perks, online game developer Arkadium instituted what it calls its Infinite Possibilities Prize: Staffers submit essays
describing a lifelong dream. One or two top performers each year will get time off and up to $25,000 to fulfill theirs. The award’s escribing a lifelong dream. One or two top performers each year will get time off and up to $25,000 to fulfill theirs. The award’s
d
inaugural winner set off in October on a three-week trek through Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.

DISCUSS A SHIRT
Are Workers’ TO SAVE
YOUR
Perks Worth It? BRAIN
Football and hockey helmets
do a great job of protecting
Axe-throwing classes. Onsite barbershops. Free gyms and catered skulls, but they haven’t been
lunches. Do they bond workers to a company and boost productivity, or so good at preventing the
do they blow resources in a very colorful way? To find out, Inc. called injuries that happen in neck-
jolting collisions when a brain
on two noted thinkers on the topic, who espouse thought-provoking— slams around inside the skull.
So Charles and Rob Corrigan
and vastly different—answers to the question. —CATHERINE PERLOFF
came up with their Halo shirt,
the first product from their
startup Aexos. The Waterloo,
a JODY THOMPSON Ontario-based brothers know
Co-creator of the Results-Only Work from head injuries: Both had
Environment, which stresses to stop playing hockey as
autonomy and accountability teens after suffering too many
concussions. Halo’s collar,
PHIL LIBIN b made from a “smart” polymer,
Co-founder and CEO of “startup is soft but instantly stiffens
studio” All Turtles; co-founder and when met with an accelerating
former CEO of Evernote force. That should help immo-
bilize the neck when an athlete
is hit in the head—in theory,
limiting brain jostling, and
helping to prevent whiplash,
● ●
We like to see people in the What There’s a tendency for tech too. And it isn’t bulky—a
workplace, so we provide explains the companies and startups to crucial plus. “Athletes don’t
amenities and spend money rise of perk look at all aspects of work- want to add equipment,” says
on making the office nicer. culture? life balance, and create Charles. “They want to stay
light and fast.” The Halo ships
But work isn’t somewhere you programs that increase this fall and retails for $165,
go. It’s something you do. productivity and retention. and while the brothers won’t
name names, they say you’ll
● ● see some notable NFL and
If you’re a prison, you can give You can get instant ROI with NHL athletes wearing it—
people lunch and you can put well-designed benefits. For possibly by the time you read
in a gym—but those things Does it example, added productivity this. “We know this can help a
don’t change the unwritten help increase for good travel benefits, and lot of people, especially young
rules and norms. What peo- productivity? reduced administration costs people,” Rob says. “We’re
ple really want is flexibility—to for unlimited vacation. going to do what we can to
control their time. get this on as many athletes
as possible.” � KEVIN J. RYAN
●
● The assumption that
People start with, “I have a benefits cost money is not
business, and now I have to Are they the right assumption. If you
start creating amenities so necessary have the funding to do it, the
people will want to work for investments for ROI is pretty much instant—
me.” Instead, start with get- you’re saving money.
ting crystal clear about what startups?
the ultimate outcome is, and ●
who the ultimate customer is. I wouldn’t want to hire some-
one if the reason they wanted
● to work with us was the ben-
Health insurance—people Are perks efits. But every program we
want that. They want retire- tried at Evernote, we basically
ment benefits. Amenities effective for tied to productivity or reten-
and perks? If you give people recruitment and tion. The ones that didn’t
complete autonomy, they’ll retention? work, we stopped doing.
give up all of that in a
heartbeat. FROM LEFT: CHELSEA PETERS (2); AEXOS

ADVANTAGE j LIBIN A tough call—but Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace survey found
that 20 to 29 percent of employees would change jobs for benefits like wellness programs and paid
gym memberships—and Millennials are much more likely than their elders to change jobs for perks.

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