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“Standard benefits are no longer effective recruiting tools. Your top prospects already assume that their benefits package will include healthcare, paid vacation time and sick leave. But mention that you’ll let them adjust their schedules to pick up their kids from soccer practice or join a gym on the company dime—now you really have their attention,” Forbes reports.

“To attract and retain outstanding employees, more and more small businesses are looking beyond the basics and offering creative and unexpected perks.”

“Programs that encourage workers to be more physically active, control their weight and manage stress are especially popular among employers,” according to Employee Benefit News.

“Corporate employers surveyed by Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health said they expect to spend an average of $594 per employee on wellness incentives in 2014, up 15 percent from an average of $521 per employee in 2013. That’s a sizable gain, but the biggest increase in wellness incentives comes from smaller businesses. Those with fewer than 5,000 employees expect to spend an average of $595 per employee on wellness programs in 2014, an increase of $151 from 2013. All told, about 95 percent of the employers surveyed plan to offer some type of health improvement program.”