The Most Wanted Employee Benefits

The Most Wanted Employee BenefitsThe Most Wanted Employee BenefitsEmployees are looking for mora than just a paycheck these days when considering staying with a current employer or looking for something better. It appears that employee benefits are weighing heavily on this decision. A new, more informed breed of employees wants compensation thathelps them stay healthy and care for dependents like never before. Recent Study Reveals Employee Benefit Requests and Trends For employers hoping to attract the best new college grads or the top tier candidates on the market,you will want to pay particular attention to this article because we will discuss the top 10 most wantedemployee benefits based on currentresearch. According to aSociety forHuman Resource Management (SHRM) and Colonial Life joint studyconducted recently,these are the employee benefits that a vast majority of career seekers are demanding from hiring companies in 2014 and beyond. Their findings are not surprising, given the drive towards a more balanced work life as a foremost value in the workplace now. Heres a run-down of the top employee benefits requested. 1 Health Care and Personal Welfare The above surveyfound that companies have increasingly offered employees vision, contraceptive, mental health, bariatric and laser vision surgery over the past five years. Over the same period, companies are decreasing in the amount of retired health care coverage and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA)offered to former employees. This means more employees are seeking employee benefits to cover theirbusier-than-everlifestyles. 2 Preventive Health and Wellness Benefits Companies have begun to decrease their health care expenses by offering more in the way of preventive health and wellness programs for employees. These programs include health care premium discounts for not using tobacco products, for receiving an annual health risk assessment, and discounts for taking part in a wellness program. C ompanies have also begun offering bonuses or non-cash incentivesto those who meet their wellness goals. 3Retirement and Savings Planning Employees of all ages are looking for retirement savings and planning benefits from their employers more so now than ever before. Employees are becoming more responsible for their savingsand as a result employers are pulling back on the amount of defined contribution savings plans, hardship withdrawals, and plan loans over the past five years. This is essentially putting retirement planning and personalsavings back on the map as a core value in the workplace. 4 Leave Benefits An incredibly important benefit that employees are seeking these days is that of the leave benefit. From 2010 to 2014, there has been an 11 percent increase in the number of companies offering employees paid time off benefit plans, according to the SHRM and Colonial Lifesurvey. Despite this, the number of companies offering paid personal time off payment has dropped so mewhat. It will be interesting to see how this affects workplace productivity and if the option to work from home is making an impact on the number of days taken off for personal needs. 5 Flexible Schedules Employees want to have a lot more flexibility in their work schedule. Unlike previous generations of workers, younger employeesdonotwant work to rule their lives. Instead, they mucksmuschenstill want to have a social and family life outside of work. Flexible schedule benefits that are mostin demand include flex days, work-at-home options and flexible shifts. This helps more people get the most out of their workdays while maintaining adequate work-life balance. 6 Career Development The study reveals that workplace-sponsoredcareer developmentis becoming a benefit that is somewhat decreasing at companies, due to lack of demand from employees. Even though some companies are worried about a lack of skilled workers, not all are showing the same concern. Some employees still wa nt to be offered career development benefits, which include taking classes on the companys dime and being paid to attend training courses. It has been suggested that open courses andeLearninghave given some employees the chance to learn just what they need to be successful on the job. 7 Business Travel Perks Travel is still an important aspect of the work world today, which is why employees look for business travel benefits when applying for new opportunities. Employees want discounts and theywant to be reimbursed for booking gasthaus rooms, taxi rides, airfare and much more while away from the office. Job applicants look for companies willing to pay for their travel during interviews or for training.This also includeshaving access to company-paid cell phoneswhile on the road. 8 Relocation Benefits This benefit category decreased from 2010 to 2014, as found by the survey conducted by SHRM and Colonial Life. The percentage of employers offering spouse relocation assistance a nd temporary relocation benefits dropped somewhat. Not many employees are willing to switch their residence for a new job, or even to remain with a company that has decided to move its headquarters or offices to a new location. Relocation benefits are highly prized by employees who are willing to make a residence change as a result of a job offer. 9 Compensation Bonuses Companies have exhibited a sizable decrease in compensation benefits offered employees from 2010 to 2014. These benefits include 529 savings plans, incentive bonus plans for executives, dependent care flexible spending accounts and undergraduate educational assistance. Any cash benefits that a company can offer, outside of a salary, are an attractive tool that can be used in recruitment of top-level candidates. 10 Employee-FocusedCommunity Programs Companies may beoffering employees fewer communityprograms these days, but they are still highly coveted amongst a younger, and more social workforce. These are co mmunityprograms that ofteninclude company-sponsored sports teams, executive club membership, travel planning services, postal/shippingservices, onsite dry cleaning, daycare, social clubs,and other options that help employees settle into to their communities. It will be interesting to see what the next few years will bring in terms of the types of employee benefits that grow in demand and what will go by the wayside. The above survey sheds light on certain changes in the values and needs of the newest generation of talent. Image Credit md3d - Fotolia.com

This is the smartest thing Ive ever done in an interview

This is the smartest thing Ive ever done in an interviewThis is the smartest thing Ive ever done in an interviewI studied my interviewer.When I applied for my original substitute teaching job, it welches because I needed a job and was comfortable around teenagers. Teaching was not my dream job. Nor was this school my dream school. I didnt have a credential and my degree wasnt even in education. Sure, I had limited experience with teaching from TAing and tutoring in college, but all of that combined wouldnt have put me above the other applicants.By any measure, I wasnt the best candidate on paper.But I knew quite a bit about the people in leadership at this school. One was a family friend of my college roommate, another frequently gave speeches that I had attended, and the third had actually assisted me in creating an organizational psychology study on school leadership back when I was a junior in college.If I had been interviewed by either of the first two, I probably could have pull ed out a decent amount of knowledge about them and what kind of candidate they looked for. I might have done all right.Ladders is now on SmartNewsDownload the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career news and advice wherever you go.Luckily, it was the third partie that eventually interviewed me for the job. Could not have planned it better if I tried. I literally had a full research paper mapping out how this person felt about their own leadership and what qualities they valued in employees in their own words. Between that and mining the internet for all the things this person had written about teaching and leadership, I had a fairly full picture of what kind of person they were looking for. Relational. High expectation. High support. Transformational.And then I emphasized those traits during my interview. I worked a mirror of their values into every answer, from how Id greet students to discipline strategies to religion (its a private religious school).I didnt lie or manipulate. Everything I said was true and I only promised what I was willing to deliver on if I was hired. I simply presented the parts of myself that the interviewer would be most likely to resonate with. There may have been a bit of flattery thrown in as well, albeit only things I truly felt.Smashing success. I started work the same day, and have worked consistently at the same job for nearly 2 1/2 years now.This article first appeared on Quora.

Balancing Between College, Work, and Personal Life

Balancing Between College, Work, and Personal LifeBalancing Between College, Work, and Personal LifeCreating a work-life balance can be challenging for many people but for college students, a lack of balance can become overwhelming if healthy living and wellness arent factored into the overall equation. Balancing coursework, roommates, co-curricular activities, finances, personal relationships, etc., in a totally new and different environment is a tremendous change for students who may be coming from a world where most of their basic needs were taken care of.? Creating Balance Creating a work-life balance is even mora important during times of stress. It is a known fact that a high incidence of illnesses occur in college during periods when students are under additional pressure such as when they are in the process of studying for exams or completing the many papers and presentations required by professors. Dr. Michele Vancour, Associate prof of Public Health, Southern Connecticu t State University, wrote an interesting article entitled Tips for a More Balanced College Life. The article discusses many ways students can make their lives more balanced while also meeting the daily demands they face while attending college. Reducing Stress In her article How to Reduce Stress While in College, Kelci Lynn, discusses ways college students can reduce stress. Getting plenty of rest, exercise, social time, quiet time, and making time for fun are all ways she suggests for students to balance the many demands of college life. In her article, Kelci offers ten tips for handling stress and learning ways to relax when life becomes too stressful. Specifically, college calls for a significant transition, where students experience many firsts, including new lifestyle, friends, roommates, exposure to new cultures and alternate ways of thinking, according to Hilary Silver, M.S.W., a licensed clinical social worker and mental health expert for Campus Calm. If students do not feel adequate or prepared to cope with the new environment of a college campus, they could easily become susceptible to depression and anxiety, said Harrison Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Counseling and Coordinator of the Community Counseling masters program at North Georgia College State University which is included in the article Depression and Anxiety Among College Students, by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.. Time Management Another problem that college students often face is getting involved in too many activities and not knowing how to assert themselves by learning how to say no. Time management is especially important for college students since college life can suck up every available minute if you let it. Carving out time for social activities and spending time with friends is extremely important but feeling the pressure that you should participate in every social event on campus plus becoming a part of the one or more of the many sports, clubs, and volunteer activi ties offered, can leave you feeling drained and zapped of vital energy. The key is to find the types of activities that make you feel good and helps you to recharge your batteries so that you can face your commitments and responsibilities with renewed energy and a renewed sense of purpose. Tips for Creating Work-Life Balance Some simple and inexpensive ways college students can renew their energy might include reading a good book, watching a funny movie or TV show, taking a walk or a run, going to the gym, having a heart to heart talk with a friend, or even the simple act of taking a nice hot bubble bath. Finding ways to escape from the daily grind will help you function more productively once when you return to the work you will undoubtedly have to wait. Even though finding this balance can be challenging, the positive effect it will have on your overall health and wellness will be more than worth the effort. One of the best resources on health and wellness tips for college stu dents is on RNCentral.com 101 Health Wellness Tips for College Students. This resource has excellent information and tips for making your time in college more enjoyable and more balanced.