Employee retention has been challenging this year. Gallup reported that over half (52%) of employees are “watching for or actively seeking” a new job. Talent is on the move, and high-performing individuals expect to be wooed by employers.

These heightened talent war indicators put retention strategies in the limelight. Perks are no longer optional “extras” in contract negotiations. Nor are they about extravagance. They’re key hiring tools that often boil down to practical effect and impact per dollar.

If you want to retain your top performers heading into 2026, you need to integrate affordable, meaningful perks into your talent acquisition and retention strategy that improve engagement, increase satisfaction, and foster a positive employer perception for your brand.

Why Perks Matter Now More Than Ever

In 2024, SHRM reported that 83% of HR professionals were already finding it difficult to source quality candidates. Other data, like the Gallup research cited above, show employees are aware that their loyalty can be won over, and they’re ready to move on if employers don’t do enough to make that happen.

This makes holding on to existing workers a priority. And yet, Gallup also reports that a staggering 42% of employee turnover is preventable. What makes a voluntary exit “preventable”?

For one thing, the ex-employees themselves report that their managers or organizations “could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job.” Nearly half of employees (45%) also claimed neither a manager nor another leader talked to them about performance, job satisfaction, or their future within three months of leaving a company.

In other words, employers aren’t taking the necessary steps to keep their workers in-house over time. They need to think holistically and with more creativity. Salaries, benefit packages, and performance reviews can help, but they’re expected. Employers need to rethink how they offer what have traditionally been called “perks,” too.

The Shift Toward Practical, Everyday Perks

In the past, the concept of a “perk” was associated with things like priority parking spaces and luxury gym memberships. In a post-pandemic world where costs are always increasing and many work from home (where home gyms are common and office parking spaces hold no value), an important evolution is taking place with the concept of the “perk.”

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