Companies like Google and Facebook entice new hires with a slew of perks, like catered lunches and free gym memberships. However, a new survey from BambooHR found that new employees place much more value on training than they do on office perks.
The survey, which involved more than 1,000 workers in the U.S., found that mentoring, job training and orientations are more important to new hires than perks. More importantly, 76% of those surveyed said job training is the most important thing companies can provide new employees. Participants cited having a buddy or mentor has the second most important.
For employees who left jobs within six months, getting feedback was listed as being important to their happiness and success. Meanwhile, less than 1% said "free food and perks" would have led to them staying in the jobs they left.
Perks, however, can be great. They contribute to office culture and often times lead to better health and wellness among employees. However, these perks don't mean anything to new hires if you aren't offering ample training.
Another recent study found that the first 90 days are the most important for new hires, reporting that a new hire's interactions during this time will stick with them. It is training, support from supervisors and relationships with coworkers that lead to engaged and happy workers.
