Firms Are Competing To Attract Top Talent

Lavish perks and relaxed office environments used to be luxuries reserved for those chosen to work at tech giants like

. However, as the economy improves and hiring picks up, many firms are trying to lure in the best and the brightest by offering their employees a host of

.

One way companies are stepping up their game is by providing employees with free food and beverages. Many are taking it beyond coffee and doughnuts and bringing in gourmet food trucks and offering unlimited expensive beverages.

Some firms are making their offices into a place employees want to be by adding stress relief options including gyms, basketball courts and even meditation rooms. Others seek to keep their employees happy by allowing them to take their pets in to work or providing free dry cleaning services.

Perhaps the grandest gesture from firms trying to attract top talent has been beefing up benefits packages. This week

plans to allow employees to take up to a year off for maternity or paternity leave. The company plans to continue paying its workers a full salary for up to a year and will allow mothers and fathers to return to work part time and take time off as needed for the first year after their child is born.

similarly announced its own improved parental benefits plan on Wednesday, though it's new system only allows for 20 weeks of paid leave.