When differentiating one leading employer from another—outside of major factors like competitive compensation and growth opportunities—aspects surrounding company culture played a significant role in the job seeker thought process, according to respondents of a new FPC poll.
 |
Recruiting professionals at FPC, a national executive search firm, asked job candidates visiting the FPC website their opinions about workplace trends and the jobseeker experience. FPC surveyed over 3,200 professionals to determine what elements were most important to them when evaluating company climate and culture.
Working in a collaborative team atmosphere garnered over 81% of jobseekers’ votes. A collaborative working environment fosters an innovative, creative workspace, leading to enhanced productivity and growth. It takes the idea of working in an isolated silo to participating in a large team, while focusing on organizational and technical items.
One person’s weakness may be another person’s strength which fosters unity, as no one wants the team to fail. A collaborative environment also supports telecommuters in their individual and cooperative work.
Other items the survey touched on were benefits and time off. Twelve percent of jobseekers surveyed felt the level of company contributions to employee benefits made a difference in evaluating company culture.
Gone are the days of needing a PhD to navigate a company’s healthcare offerings. Employees have clearly benefited in the post Affordable Care Act era. With employers required to offer a minimum contribution to a bronze tiered health plan, employees’ per paycheck deductions have decreased. Also, candidates no longer need to juggle offers while they wait for the HR Director to send them a copy of the benefits plan.
Only a combined 6% of jobseekers felt taking time off and options to telecommute were important. While some employers think most employees dream of working from home, most mainstream companies have incorporated telecommuting into their business model.
Most employees and managers view telecommuting as an effective business strategy instead of a perk. According to Forbes.com companies like Xerox, Aetna, and Dell, allow anywhere from 11% to 43% of their total employees to telecommute.
Telecommuting is no longer a hope and a prayer away; it’s an expected business practice. Additionally, most collaborative work environments incorporate the idea of using earned time off to telecommute.
When weighing virtually equal job offers, it is critical for a jobseeker to identify what aspects are most important to them. An environment that focuses on cultivating employee talent and blending different types of employees proves to be effective for employees and helps to increase overall productivity for the company. Company culture, though sometimes overlooked, can also be a big competitive advantage when vying for top talent.
For more information on this poll, visit the FPC website.