Employees at Baxter Credit Union, Vernon Hills, Ill., don’t have to choose between grabbing lunch with friends or racing across town to pick up their child’s birthday cake.

The credit union offers its staff a nontraditional perk: The services of a concierge. The full-time, on-site employee runs errands for credit union employees throughout the day.

Errands entail anything from picking up dry cleaning, getting balloons and a cake for a child’s birthday, grabbing snacks for lunches at the grocery store, or even researching flights, lodging, and activities for an upcoming vacation, Lisa Baron, senior vice president of human resources and talent management at the $2.6 billion asset credit union, tells the CUNA News Podcast.

“Instead of employees using their lunchtime or stopping after work to do errands, this concierge will do them for you during the day," she says. "It gives you time to do whatever you want. For some employees, it’s literally just having lunch with some of their coworkers.”

All of the credit union's 500 employees have access to the concierge. Staff can request services from the concierge in advance or spontaneously when “we see her in the hallway,” Baron says.

Baron heard about the concierge service from her peers during a previous CUNA HR & Organizational Development Council Conference.

“I chatted with them and I kind of joked, ‘So you’re the wife I’ve always wanted to have. You’re somebody who can do all of these things that I spend my time doing.' It sounds too good to be true.” Baron recalls.

In addition to benefits, Baron discusses alternative work arrangements, culture-building, and engagement strategies.

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