Perks for your people

By Melissa Shaw
Network World Management Strategies Newsletter, 04/30/01

During the dot-com boom we all heard a lot of stories about the outrageous incentives start-ups were offering folks to join their fledgling ventures. In addition to piles of once-valuable, now-worthless stock options, companies were dangling everything from cash to cars in front of starry-eyed candidates.

I always enjoyed these fantastic anecdotes, jealously imaging what it would be like to not only get a great new job, but also, say, a new Jeep for my trouble. That's why when reading our NW200 feature on the " Top 10 start-ups to watch " (www.nwfusion.com/nw200/2001/startup/startup.html) I found it interesting to read how some of these up-and-coming networking companies have scaled back their extravagances from those of their dot-gone brethren. These companies perks are so near normal maybe you and I can pick up some ideas.

* Access360, which produces access control software, considers its employees " invaluable assets " and is big on food. New employees get wine and cheese baskets, and the company caters in lunch and dinner every day (plus breakfast on Fridays). But Access360 says it is not trying to simply keep employees working through meals; it believes the central lunchroom fosters socialization across departments.

* Extranet services provider CoreExpress has a management problem familiar to many of us — geographically dispersed employees. In CoreExpress' case, 200 employees are in its St. Louis headquarters and 150 work in its other headquarters in northern Virginia. Last fall, the company bought tickets to the Monday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and the St. Louis Rams. The most rabid fans at each location got to attend the game.

* Systems management software vendor Ecora, which has a scant 85 employees, hosts hikes and fishing tournaments to promote its small-company vibe.

* Surgient Networks, which will sell a platform that provides intelligent Internet content delivery, is coming up on a summer deadline when it will detail its platform. In order to keep employees' eyes on the prize, the company provides many concierge services, even bringing in a florist on Valentine's Day so employees could send flowers.

* Then there's the other end of the scale. Internet infrastructure products vendor Procket Networks' employees work around-the-clock and on weekends — perk-free. The company wants employees focused on delivering products.

Remember, whether you're offering your folks a free meal or a free car for a job well done, it's the thought and sincerity that counts. We tend to overlook this one, but the simplest thank you is just that — a thank you. And the best part is, it's free.

What's your take on employee perks and rewards? What works well for you? Let me know at mshaw@nww.com.