Perks position Gongos as a leader in metro Detroit’s effort to attract top talent [Metromode]
An excerpt from Metromode’s article “Can metro Detroit plug the brain drain with employee perks?” published November 13, 2014. Click here for the full piece. (And photos!)
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Social workspaces and causes
For creative companies like Auburn Hills-based Gongos, whose employee base is skewed to millennials, work-life innovation is critical to retaining talent. A centerpiece of the research firm’s benefit program is “Up North,” a large space with a half-size basketball court, pool table, ping-pong table, Xbox, and other leisure games. Employees are encouraged to use the space for recreation and socializing. The latter is a corporate value, tied in part to meeting the needs of Millennials who want a social work environment, and to create cultural cohesion.
Millennials “don’t necessarily care where they get the work done,” says Chris Carmean, director of People Engagement at Gongos. “To them, they can get it done anywhere. When you deal with Baby Boomers, they feel you need to be in the office. What has been such a pleasant surprise for us is that it’s been embraced not only by Millennials but by some of the older generations we have here. It has turned into a retention tool.”
Gongos designs perks not just as enticements but measures their effectiveness on retention through employee surveys and customer feedback. Carmean says Gongos has a higher retention rate for its employees, compared with other research firms, especially considering the young workforce.
Millennials also want a strong company charity program, she says. Gongos established an employee “gift committee,” which allows employees to determine priorities for supporting social causes.
Gongos also has redefined its definition of worksite. While it places a high value on intra-organizational collaboration, Gongos also allows employees to telework one day a week from home and has employees telecommuting from 19 states.
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