FastCompany has launched the Influence Project. You can go to http://fcinf.com/v/dlew/welcome to register yourself as an influencer or to vote for someone who’s already registered as an influencer. Everyone who registers gets their picture in the November 2010 issue of FastCompany.

Of course, you want to thank me for telling you about this hot, hot, hot opportunity . Go to http://fcinf.com/v/dlew and when my caricature pops up on the screen, click the big blue button that says “spread Donna’s influence further.”

What do you think of FastCompany’s Influence Project? Did you register? Did you vote for me ? How can you leverage your registration as an influencer in your marketing efforts? Leave a comment and let me know!

Imagine working for a company that arranges to have your dry cleaning picked up and delivered to you. Imagine that this same company can arrange for someone to go out and buy a birthday gift for your child, niece, nephew or grandchild. This company can also arrange for someone to wait on the telephone for hours and grab those hard-to-get concert tickets for you (personally, I’ve got a yen for Eric Clapton concert tickets). Imagine what it would be like to work for a company like that.

Easy to Implement

Lifestyle benefit programs are relatively easy to implement and surprisingly no-cost or low cost to the employer. For example, here in the northeast there is a chain of dry cleaners called Zoots, and they pick up and deliver dry cleaning for FREE. Don’t have a Zoots in your area, talk to your local dry cleaner and see if he’d be willing to pick up and deliver your employees’ dry cleaning on a weekly basis.

Negligible Cost/FREE

If you’re a self-employed human resource consultant, designing and implementing lifestyle benefit programs for your clients could be a huge, value-added service you provide to your clients, especially those small or micro businesses. Do you have startup companies among your clientele? Employee-paid benefits can be the answer. There are many companies that provide medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance at group rates without an employer contribution. 401(k) plans can be instituted without an employer contribution too. Some of these plans may require administration fees, which can be rolled into the cost to the employees, but hey, the administration fees are negligible compared to what an employer would have to pay if he used traditional benefit plans.

Perfect Timing

I realize that with the job market the way it is now, there’s no motivation for employers to even think about benefit plans, never mind implement them. In today’s job market, employers can cut back on benefits and not worry about employees jumping ship. What you and I, dear HR consultant, know is that the job market isn’t going to be this sad forever. It will bounce back, and employers will be competing for workers again. If they want to be competitive in that job market, employers will have to beef up the benefits they cut back, or they’ll have to find another way to lure candidates. Imagine how perfect your timing will be, if you can suggest a lifestyle benefit program all ready to roll out. If you do the work now, while things are slow, you’ll be at the ready when the time is right.

Lifestyle Benefits Resource

Want to know more about lifestyle benefit programs, or want help designing a lifestyle benefit program for your clients? Contact me at hrva@extra-assist.com. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have or to send you my one-page document with tips for designing a lifestyle benefit program.

What do you think about a lifestyle benefits program? Got your own ideas for lifestyle benefits, let everyone know by leaving a comment to this blog posting.

=>Donna Caissie, the ExtraOrdinary HR Assistant