How many executives can claim the title of manager of culture, training and enrichment? Michael Neumann can. But then again, Neumann's entire job at Service Net Solutions LLC, a Jeffersonville, Ind., company that administers service contracts and warranties on consumer products, is one that you don't see very often: Neumann works hard to make sure that the company's 325 employees–two-thirds of whom work in its call center–take enough time off.

It may sound funny to the type of executive who tells new employees about their vacation benefit and then asks if they really plan to use it. But as the job market begins to revive, managers are going to have to devote more thought to what they can do to retain their workers when new opportunities beckon. And while companies have come up with a wide variety of perks–from adoption assistance to legal services to massages done at the employee's desk–some experts claim that the benefit employees appreciate most these days is the gift of time. "Having time away with family or just having time out of the office is becoming increasingly important to employees," Neumann says.

Winning Hearts and Minds