If you want the ultimate employee perks, look no further than Boston's startup community. From on-site optometry and healthy vending machines to alcohol delivery and in-office manicures, there's a new network growing that can only be described as HR heaven.
Shea Coakley, co-founder of LeanBox, a company changing how employees eat at work, and Alexa Baggio, director of operations and business development for mobile eye clinic Project 2020, were visiting HR fairs when they noticed a void in the services offered. "It was just your standard benefits and payroll," Coakley said.
But like the enterprising entrepreneurs they are, the two turned a problem into an opportunity and on Tuesday, August 26, the inaugural PERKS Convention will be held at Microsoft NERD from 5 to 8 p.m.
"The standard work environment is changing," Coakley noted. Companies care about creating a workplace culture, whether that means offering "restoration rooms" or a bar featuring beers, cold-brewed coffee and tea on tap. And area startups want to do their part to help.
A variety of services will be represented at the PERKS Convention. Handybook will be on hand to help schedule office cleanings; Maxwell Health will be sharing how the company became the first-ever operating system for employee benefits. Employers can then learn more about the on-site chair massages offered by Shari Mespelli, or the immediate medical attention pager provides.
But the "cool perks" don't stop there.
After the event is over, the PERKS network will continue to have a presence both online and off. "We want to create an organization that provides a way for these similar companies to network with each other," Coakley explained, promising they will continue to update the website, which succinctly states the beauty of this new network:
PERKS brings together creative solutions for the office that can improve workplace culture, create convenience and increase happiness. Simply said, we are the coolest service you can provide for your employees on-site.
And what kind of HR professional can't get behind that?
If you go: PERKS Convention; Tuesday, August 26; Microsoft NERD Center in Kendall Square; 5 to 8 p.m.; Registration is free.
