Gym fee, Netflix or Spotify for staying at work

The desperation of technology companies to retain their workers has reached the point where it is increasingly common for them to offer gifts and benefits to improve their well-being at work.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
21 September 2022 Wednesday 16:32
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Gym fee, Netflix or Spotify for staying at work

The desperation of technology companies to retain their workers has reached the point where it is increasingly common for them to offer gifts and benefits to improve their well-being at work.

The start-up Payflow is the living example of this trend in the sector: "Depending on seniority, our employees can access a long list of gifts, such as subscriptions to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Gold, the Cooltra shared motorcycle service , Spotify Premium, Amazon Kindle or Netflix. They can even receive prepared dishes from Wetaca, play sports in the gyms attached to the Urban Sports Club or access the Gurucall coaching service”, explains Benoit Menardo, co-founder of this company specializing in salary payments in installments.

In addition, the company also carries out business decision-making processes in a democratic manner with all employees on staff. "We asked what aspects would change and, of all the measures that are proposed, we are committed to implementing a part," explains the entrepreneur.

In the digital sector, telecommuting is taken for granted. Even some multinationals such as Netflix, Dropbox, Hubspot or VMware allow their workers to have unlimited vacations. Companies are desperate. And with reason. The rotation of workers in the sector is 19 months and is closely linked to the achievement of a specific project, according to data from the consulting firm Talent Up.

But beyond considering these gifts as a way to retain talent, these services also respond to the growing importance of emotional salary. “A third of our life is dedicated to work, and that is why it is essential to have a good work environment that goes far beyond salary. Since the pandemic broke out, many workers have become aware of this and prioritize work-life balance and free time,” says Paula Arias, co-founder of the human resources start-up Fresh People at a meeting organized by Urban Sports Club. In the United States, the phenomenon is known as the great resignation – more than 40 million people left their jobs voluntarily in 2021 – while in Spain, this trend is beginning to arouse interest with data showing that it is still incipient .

Against this background, the role of the human resources department is becoming increasingly important. “Historically, it was dedicated solely to administrative management and now it is taking more and more prominence in the boards of directors. Their role is key to retaining talent and improving well-being”, says Factorial's human resources director, Mireia Barón.

Technology companies, at the forefront of innovation and trends, are convinced of this paradigm shift. The challenge is to persuade traditional companies to change their corporate culture. “Managers must be sensitive to the welfare of workers. It is of little use that they implement applications and services to improve their comfort at work if they don't set an example later,” says Elena Gómez, co-founder of Baby Friendly Companies, alluding to the long working hours that characterize large service companies.