What are the motivational benefits for an office worker and a manual laborer?

Office workers vs manual workers

In today’s times, there is an ongoing battle to attract and retain good employees, and competitive companies are competing to create more favorable offers. More and more employers are also realizing that not only the salary affects job satisfaction, so many of them are introducing motivational systems adapted to the needs of the workforce. So what benefits are most often used? And which of them will work for office workers and which for manual laborers?

Benefits for office and physical employees

How to motivate employees?

However, it is worth starting with how to motivate employees. In today’s times, it is not enough to offer everyone sports cards or cinema tickets to increase engagement. The benefits must be tailored to the needs of specific, individual employees. How to do this? By choosing a cafeteria system.

In a simplified way, cafeteria systems allow for efficient management of benefits and adjustment to individual preferences. Within such a cafeteria system, various non-wage benefits are offered and the employee chooses what interests him. The fact that the benefits are not imposed from above, but can be chosen independently, is of great importance here (what is a cafeteria system – more information).

To make the cafeteria system even more efficient, it is worth generating statistics. Thanks to this, the employer can regularly check which benefits are chosen most often and which are not. From those that are not popular, he can always resign and offer the crew something else instead. So before you start thinking about which benefits to introduce in your company, remember that their differentiation is the most important in order to fit each individual person working in the company.

Most popular motivational benefits

Before discussing which benefits to choose for office and physical employees, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the list of the most popular benefits:

  1. sports cards – the most widespread benefit is sports cards, which allow free or low-cost access to various sports facilities for selected physical activities. During the month, you can use many different sports centers, you do not have to limit yourself to one;
  2. discounts in restaurants – restaurant cards, such as OpenCard, allow you to order meals and drinks in selected restaurants throughout Poland at an attractive price – usually discounts range from 20-50%;
  3. Gift cards – practical benefits are gift cards to different shops, both stationary and online. Cafeteria systems offer a wide choice of different points, so that the employee can choose a voucher for the store of interest and make purchases for the voucher’s equivalent value;
  4. Cinema or theater tickets – another one of the most commonly chosen non-wage benefits is cinema or theater tickets. The offer includes double tickets, so the employee can take a family member, second half or friends to a movie or play;
  5. Medical care – as part of the cafeteria system, the employee can join a private medical care program, which provides free access to a network of clinics throughout Poland. Importantly, they not only benefit from basic medical care, but also from the expertise of specialists;
  6. Language courses – the possibility of developing one’s knowledge and skills is an important motivational factor, and providing such training increases employee engagement, which is why it is worth offering participation in traditional or online language courses;
  7. Financial support for holiday trips – who doesn’t dream of a trip to an exotic place? Therefore, a good way to motivate the crew is to offer a voucher that allows payment for a stay in a chosen place. Reservations and payments can usually be made through the largest portals collecting offers from hotels and guesthouses from all over the world;
  8. Stay in a SPA – the female part of the crew is equally eager to choose vouchers for SPA services, which allows them to relax in a luxury resort under the care of specialized masseurs or cosmeticians.

What motivates office workers and what motivates manual workers?

As already mentioned, not every employee is motivated by the same thing, so it is important to properly match the offer of the cafeteria system. It is also important to know that the requirements of office workers will be slightly different from those of manual workers.

After a day spent in front of a computer or among tedious documents, office employees most often go to the gym, fitness classes, or the pool, which is why sports cards are their preferred choice. Due to often having a quick lunch during work, discounts to restaurants will also be useful to them. This group of people is also constantly striving for personal development, so it is a favorable solution to allow them to attend a free language course.

For manual workers, it is best to offer entertainment and cultural options: movie tickets, a stay at a spa, or a voucher for a holiday. Access to free, private health care or additional insurance in case of accidents is also important for them.

However, it is important to remember that such a division of benefits should not be understood in a “rigid” way. Therefore, it is always necessary to monitor the statistics of the use of benefits and conduct surveys of employee needs. Only then can the most effective motivation system be created.