From paid travel expenses to office dogs, companies are offering more perks than ever before to their graduate hires.

With the graduate jobs market increasingly competitive, and 62% of grads considering workplace perks to be a key factor in their job search , companies are vying for the best candidates and as a result, are adding kinds of benefits & perks to their packages.

To help you distinguish between the great and the gimmicky workplace perks, we've explored some of the best company perks companies offer graduates in 2019.

Benefits vs Perks

First of all, it's important to note the difference between a benefits package , and perks package.

A benefits package is defined as “non-wage compensation provided to employees” – and includes things like a pension scheme, annual leave, and paid sick leave. It can also include things like stock options, medical/dental insurance and a gym membership – these are seen to supplement salary.

But in order to attract the best candidates, companies also offer a competitive perks package, which includes the non-essential bonuses – often, the more “fun” ones!

Perks often help companies to entice candidates; and are something you should consider on your graduate job search.

Some of the top company perks include:

• An extra birthday day off An increasingly popular perk, a free birthday day off is a nice-to-have for graduates, especially as your holiday allowance won't be huge when you first join a company.
  
  
• Travel allowance Travel giant Airbnb offers a yearly 'travel allowance' – and several companies are mirroring this, offering employees a budget to go on holiday/city break in addition to their corporate travel allowance. Who doesn't love a free holiday?!
  
• Joining bonus
  Lots of companies now offer a joining bonus; ranging from £50 in your first paycheck to a huge bonus of several thousand pounds – just for joining the business!
• Team holidays or away days

An increasingly popular perk in many different kinds of companies, team trips away are a great way to bond with your new team and explore a new activity or country.

• 4-day work weeks One of the more controversial work perks, 4 day work weeks are being offered by an increasing number of firms in the UK. Another popular perk is a shorter workday; such as a 6-hour workday.
  
  
• Free food & drink Often associated with startups, free food & drink (ie breakfast, beer fridges and coffee machines) are an extremely popular perk that has the potential to save you a lot of money! It's one of our top company perks to consider when choosing the perfect company.
  
  
• Office add-ons Pool tables? Pinball machines? Graffiti wall? All of these work perks are quick and easy added extras companies use to attract graduates to their business. They may be slightly gimmicky, but they are fun – and can be a great way to bond with your new teammates over a lunchtime game.
  
  
• Retail discounts Retail & restaurant discounts are a huge draw for graduates; so more and more companies are partnering with retailers and nearby eateries to offer sizeable discounts on purchases. This is another perk that has the potential to save you lots of money!
  
• Unlimited holiday Sounds amazing, right?! While it doesn't mean you can spend one week of each month abroad, unlimited holiday indicates that the company trusts its employees to take as many holiday days as they need, without giving them a set quota. Surprisingly, no-one takes as much holiday as you might think!
  
• Flexible working Another popular perk for graduates, flexible working allows employees to arrive at and leave work whenever suits them. It also might include taking longer lunches, or working from home. It's a fantastic perk that draws many graduates to work for a company.
  
  

A number of companies are now adding great perks to their job offer package; so do your research when you're looking for Graduate Jobs – and consider both benefits and perks in your search for the perfect role!

Give A Grad A Go are the UK's leading graduate jobs specialists. Working across sectors ranging from finance to marketing, we help thousands of graduates find their ideal graduate careers - get in touch to find out how!