Modern Day Benefits that Attract New Hires - Spark Hire

Modern Day Benefits that Attract New Hires - Spark HireIf you want to attract top-notch talent, you have to provide top-notch perks such is the talent acquisition market these days. Now that the economic recession is in recovery, mora job seekers have their pick of the job market and with that, theyre making some very specific demands. A Wall Street Journal article looks at some of the top work-life benefits that companies are using to entice new hires.Drinks all around. If a beer cart coming to your desk around 4 pm on a Friday afternoon sounds too good to be true, weve got unbelievable news for you. More and more, large companies and small businesses are shelling out office perks like beer carts and happy hours, also providing sodas to employees who dont drink. But this isnt anything like the scenes you see in Mad Men. Drinks are divvied out as a reward for all of the hard work put into the entire week.WFH. Move over BRB and NP theres a new office acronym thats rising in use and popularity WFH. With laptops, VPNs and mobile devices at every employees disposal, more big corporations and small businesses alike are allowing employees to work from home. Offices are setting their own standards and rules, permitting employees to work from home once a month, once a week or as often as they like. This is luring job candidates in like crazy.Bring your dog to work day. Only it isnt just a day it can be anytime. Some workplaces are enticing new hires with the privilege of bringing their furry friends to work with them. It has been proven that animals decrease stress levels, and with that, theyre making workplaces a little less tense and a lot more fun. Besides that, they give employees a chance to leave their desks for a small break and socialize outside of the workplace while walking their dogs. Granted, bringing your dog to work can result in a decrease in productivity so if your pooch is a little rowdy, this may not be the most attractive work-life benefit for yo u.Giving back. Finally, new hires are looking for companies who do more than give to them through work-life balance initiatives. They want to work for brands and businesses that give back to the community too. From large corporations to small businesses, more and more companies are offering volunteer hours to employees. These are hours during the work week in which employees are paid to take time away from their desk to paint walls at a day care, read to elementary school children or pick up trash on the side of the highway.These days, new hires are seeking way more than competitive pay and health care benefits, they want creative, out-of-the-box work-life benefits that will make them happy to come to work. Implementing a few of these initiatives creates a work-life balance thats attracting top-notch talent and enticing new hires.What are some other creative work-life benefits that are being implemented in workplaces? Share now in our comments

How to Deal When Your Team is Without a Leader - The Muse

How to Deal When Your Team is Without a Leader - The MuseHow to Deal When Your Team is Without a Leader Dear HR Professional,Our department cant keep a leader and is falling apart. Whats the best thing to do when theres nobody there to correct or defend your department?Signed,Lacking a LeaderDear Lacking a Leader,Sorry to hear about your teams situation. Its frustrating bedrngnis to have a steady supervisor in your department- after all, it can take weeks or even months to build trust with a new manager and having many (or zero) managers in a short amount of time can make it feel like no one is looking out for you.And without one, its easy to feel powerless. Rest assured that there are a few things you can do to make things better for you and your department. Heres what I recommend1. Step UpIf you dont have a clear supervisor who can delegate, its a great opportunity for you or someone else on your team to step up and claim some manager responsibilities in the interim. Chances are, y oure not the only one on your team who feels like things are falling apart. If youve identified problems in your department that need correcting, why not start those conversations with your teammates directly? After all, high-performing teams are characterized by the ability to communicate and resolve problems openly. That starts most authentically from the ground up- you dont need a manager to set the tone for an open and trusting team. Try rahmen up a weekly team huddle with your department to discuss updates, whats going well, and what could be improved. Simply providing a safe space to talk about these things will make a world of a difference2. Find an AdvocateThink about leaders in other departments that you work closely with. People who have had direct experience working with your team will be better allies for hearing out your concerns. If there is anyone like that at your company, try inviting them out for a coffee or lunch. While I dont recommend directly asking them to spe ak up or step in for your team (they have their own department to manage, of course), try picking their brain about things that arent going well on your own team and seek their advice on how you can make it better. In turn, theyll be more likely to keep your department in mind when having other conversations that may affect your team.3. Make Your Voice HeardNever underestimate the power of speaking up. If you havent already, you should voice your concerns with someone on your companys HR team. This problem might seem obvious to you, but the rest of the company may not realize how bad things are on your team without a direct supervisor to communicate that to leadership. More than likely, your company will do what they can to make your situation better- no one wins in a situation where an entire team is unhappy.Hopefully, trying one or all of the above tips will help improve your short-term day-to-day. If nothing else, youll be the team hero for stepping up and taking action. Good luc kThis article is part of our Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your biggest career concerns. Our experts are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask an Honest HR Professional in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask an Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.