If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times – millennials supposedly love hopping between jobs, experiencing many different careers through their lifetimes.
Sure, some of them do love this. But you know what they love more?
DOGS.
New research in Scotland has revealed that two-fifths of employees feel that introducing dog-friendly work environments would boost morale, while 15% say dogs in the office would make them feel that their company cares about their happiness.
Already, 27% of employers have dog-friendly schemes in place, and the number is constantly on the rise. A scheme called Pets at Work has recently been launched to encourage firms to become dog-friendly, with a spokesperson saying ‘pet-friendly workplaces lead to a whole range of positive benefits such as higher employee engagement, talent retention, greater wellbeing, higher performance, increased inspiration and decreased stress.’
Should we really be surprised by these statistics, though? I don’t know about you, but I have a severe tendency of getting far too attached to dogs (and other animals). Within 0.02 seconds of seeing a dog across the street, I’ve already ran over to pet them, usually making strange noises that never otherwise leave my body – within five seconds, I’m already a clingy mess. If there was a dog in our office, I don’t think I could just up and leave him or her. Ever.
On the other hand, having a dog in the office could be a major distraction. I know from experience dogs can be needy, attention-seeking little buggers at times – it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to have someone constantly whining, hanging about your desk and relentlessly panting (wait… did I just describe someone in your office?). As well as the fact I’d need to pet them at all moments of the day, and would probably get little to no work done.
Would the workplace be more productive by introducing dog-friendly schemes? The statistics seem to suggest that yes, it would, despite my initial reservations. At the end of the day, animals have been proven to make us happier, and that should be something all HR and people managers are promoting in their employees.
It’s great that workplaces are becoming more dog-friendly. I love the BrewDog scheme which allows their staff a week’s ‘Pawternity Leave’ to help a furry friend settle into a new home (see this adorable video on the BrewDog website) It’s the little things, like caring about dogs, that staff really appreciate.
As the war for talent becomes increasingly Game of Thrones-esque, perhaps this one little perk could be the key to retaining your best-performing staff and seeing your company sit on the Iron Throne.
Join us next week for more fabby HR fun on the Youmanage blog, and if you’d like to find out more about what we do at Youmanage, head over to our product page. Enjoy your Friday!
