Perky Jobs Make For Perky Employees

As a software developer, I thought it was a pretty sweet deal when I got a $500 clothing allowance at one job I had. I mean really, what kind of developer gets a clothing allowance? That seemed a bit extravagant to me. But a Porsche 911? I didn't think I'd ever see an East Coast company offering something like that.

OK, this company isn't actually buying a car for each employee. But Command Information, a company that's bringing IPv6 to government agencies, does have a Porsche 911 at their Herndon, Virginia headquarters, and it's available for employees to take a joyride whenever they feel like it. That makes their XBox look rather ordinary by comparison.

Clearspring, a McLean, Virginia-based company that provides cross-platform widget services, is another East Coast firm borrowing from Silicon Valley's playbook to attract qualified workers in a tight job market. Clearspring's "war room" has a movie projector, a Wii, an Xbox, bean bags, and sleeping bags (although I'd consider the sleeping bags a red flag).

Of course, employee perks can be overdone, as in the dot-com bubble that I still haven't really recovered from. But it's not hard to provide enticing fringe benefits in a cost-effective way. A workplace with really cool perks can have higher morale and retention than a ho-hum workplace that offers higher salaries. Here are some simple suggestions that will make more people happy to go to work, without breaking the bank:

• Casual Fridays
• Casual Mondays - Fridays
• Flexible hours
• Occasional telecommuting
• Lunch on Fridays
• Continental breakfast
• Sodas and snacks
• Gym memberships
• Early closing on Christmas Eve
• Field trips or company outings
• Foosball, ping pong, pinball, XBox, etc.

Most of these ideas are very easy to implement and have a miniscule cost compared to the impact they have on making employees feel comfortable and appreciated. And when employees feel comfortable and appreciated, guess what? Productivity goes through the roof! Of course, if a company has money to burn, they can splurge on things like a Porsche 911. You have to consider the kind of people you're trying to attract in deciding what benefits are worth it. As for me, give me a casual dress code and some caffeine, and I'm good to go.