The employment landscape has changed quite a bit over the last several years. It wasn’t long ago that it was considered an employer’s world, and since employers did the hiring and paid the salaries, they made the rules, regardless of whether the rules favored employees. But a number of things have helped shift the balance of power in the workplace; in particular, social media, employer review sites and a record-low unemployment rate have given employees unprecedented options. As a result, employees demand work through which they can make an impact, and employers that recognize them for doing it.
For job seekers, researching the culture, values and finances of prospective employers is a given. However, there’s more information to be gained by considering how employers show they care for their employees beyond writing about it in job ads. Are the benefits and perks offered truly in employees’ best interests, or is there an ulterior motive? Let’s look at a few perks companies commonly offer in order to attract job seekers and what candidates should be aware of to ensure employers aren’t using them for their own benefit.
Culture Of Appreciation
Most companies know that in order to remain an employer of choice, hiring top talent isn’t enough. They must also retain top talent, and to do this, employees must feel appreciated. Over the years, there have been many stories of companies adopting the startup mindset by adding pingpong tables and arcade games to their offices to create a fun atmosphere. Others provide free snacks or meals, and occasionally free alcohol for weekly office happy hours. Still others provide onsite gyms, massages, dry cleaning and even a bicycle mechanic.
While games, food and over-the-top perks may attract candidates who seek a startup culture and help defray their cost of living, these perks are all designed to keep employees in the office as many hours as possible, thus benefiting the employer. Once the novelty wears off, employees who prioritize work-life balance and spending more time away from the office may find them of little use. Though employers may disguise such offerings as a form of appreciation, job seekers should pay more attention to how the company recognizes and rewards achievement, management’s employee review process and the furthering of employee career goals.
Community Involvement
As companies tap into their communities’ talent pools, it’s always nice to see those that are successful give back through volunteering efforts. Many current and prospective employees feel the same way and want to work for an employer that is socially conscious and allows its workers the opportunity to organize and participate in charitable functions.
However, community involvement can be equally beneficial to employers as it is to the community, helping to drive business, boost talent attraction and enhance the employer brand. Prospective employees should find out how many paid hours employers allot for volunteerism each month or quarter. Companies that “encourage” employee participation in community service activities without providing any time away from work to do so may just want to add the photos to their website to boost their public image.
Commitment To Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance has become a popular topic. According to a Gallup study, 66% of U.S. workers are either not engaged or actively disengaged. As a result, many employers have begun offering unlimited PTO in the hopes that a better work-life balance (or the idea of it) will boost productivity and help attract top talent. However, while unlimited PTO may be a popular trend among the startup culture, how many employees actually take advantage of it?
Job seekers should be wary of this benefit and try to find out how many days of PTO the average employee of a company takes per year. While employers that offer a specific number of hours or days of PTO typically have policies for paying out or carrying over unused time, this won’t be applicable to an unlimited PTO policy. Therefore, employees may be unsure of how much time off they can safely take while still appearing dedicated and productive. Those who take full advantage of the perk by taking excessive amounts of time off may worry it will reflect on their work ethic compared with co-workers who choose to forego PTO in favor of logging more hours, and employers may well take this into consideration during promotions or layoffs.
Commitment To Employees’ Success
Every employer wants their employees to be successful. Employee success is good for not only company business, but also for employee engagement and retention. Employers that are truly invested in their employees’ success offer training and promotion opportunities, allowing employees to learn and grow while the company benefits.
However, how does an employer react when a successful employee leaves the company? Do they take pride in their role in the employee’s career progression and remain committed to that person’s success, or do they feel bitter about the employee’s decision to leave and speak poorly or refuse to acknowledge the individual after they have moved on? If a new venture doesn’t work out, is the employer open to an employee returning as a “boomerang,” or will they be ostracized for leaving in the first place? Job seekers should find out the answers to these questions by reading former employees’ reviews on sites such as Glassdoor and Indeed.
Smart employers know that employee satisfaction is key to success. However, maximizing profitability is also integral to success, and sometimes the lines are blurred between what will attract and retain top talent and what will yield the highest profits for the company. There are many factors job seekers should consider when conducting their search, and everyone will have their individual list of priorities regarding their career. But in the end, those who do their research and choose a company whose culture and benefits prioritize its employees will experience a greater sense of engagement and job satisfaction than those whose employers prioritize profits over people.
