Late starts, five-year sabbaticals: The perks luring Gen Z

Late starts twice a week, $6000 a year for wellness and five-year sabbaticals. Despite the ‘tech wreck’, see the hotlist of firms offering top benefits to woo staff.

Perks including late starts, thousands of dollars to spend on wellness and the ability to take a five-year sabbatical are among the benefits being used to lure talent despite ongoing lay-offs and a deepening ‘tech wreck’, with a new list has revealing Australia’s most desirable companies for young workers.

The Hatch Hotlist, launched this week, names the likes of Qantas, Uber and TikTok as well as relatively new start-ups like Eucalyptus and Linktree as being the best workplaces for young people to start their careers.

The list of benefits on offer varies widely between companies, and persists even at some who have laid off hundreds of staff in recent months.

Employees at software start-up Hubspot are offered the ability to take a five-year sabbatical with a $5,000 bonus.

Linktree staffers are given $6000 a year in wellness and lifestyle benefits and SafetyCulture has an in-house chef serving up daily breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks.

Employees at Milkrun, which last month axed 20 per cent of its workforce, can start late on Tuesdays and Thursdays to improve their mental and physical health while workers at Finder, which last month shed 15 per cent of its staff, have access to a ‘development budget’ of $2000 per year and five days of ‘life leave’.

Employees at Milkrun, which last month axed 20 per cent of its workforce, can start late on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Picture: Josie Hayden

Hatch co-founder Adam Jacobs, who is the former co-founder of The Iconic, said that in challenging economic times, companies have the opportunity to stand out from the pack.

“In times of downturn, that‘s when early career hiring becomes even more important, and a company’s culture really kicks into gear,” Mr Jacobs said.

Hatch co-founders Chaz Heitner and Adam Jacobs. Source: Supplied.

“Gen Z and the next wave of talent want to work for companies with a strong mission, that drive positive impact, they value this above all else.

“They’re the generation of talent that start-ups and fast growth companies need right now, they’re not drooling over expensive superficial perks, they want to be a part of a company creating change and driving impact, they want to feel like they’re role in a company has meaning.

“In times of adversity, that’s when a company culture really shines through and the building blocks of a trusting, transparent, and united team can be the make or break of an organisation.”

Hatch, which Mr Jacobs started with Zip co-founder Chaz Heitner, is replicating old-school jobs boards with a marketplace for young professionals to find the workplace that best fits them, with similar functionality to a dating app. Mr Jacobs said that early-career talent is often more cost-efficient than its counterparts and can also support a shift in direction for tech companies.

Safety Culture co-founder Luke Anear.

The Hatch Hotlist will be updated periodically to reflect the fast moving employment landscape an continue to highlight best practices in Australian workplaces, he said.

“People are messy and wonderful, there’s no such thing as the perfect role, or the perfect candidate,” he said.

“Instead, we’re helping people early in their career to find opportunities that have growth and development opportunities, where a candidate can grow with a business and have many fulfilling roles.”

Tania Louis-Seize, talent acquisition lead at Eucalyptus, said that it was especially critical during a downturn to create a positive work environment.

The start-up, which is behind healthcare brands including Pilot, Juniper and Normal, laid off about 20 per cent of its workforce last July.

“At Eucalyptus we know that supporting each other and maintaining a positive culture is key to overcoming challenges,” the executive said.

“We believe you do your best work when you’re in a fun, balanced and motivational environment. We have a buzzing office, free food and drinks, plenty of social events and other benefits; great office, social clubs, professional development budget, wellness programs, and more.

“Nearly one third of our team is early career talent, we want to give as many jobs as humanly possible to an early career, super talented, ambitious and lovely person – then help them grow in the role and (if they want) use it as a springboard to another dream gig.”