Employee vs Employer Views on Benefits

Employee vs Employer Views on Benefits Theres more to a job than the role and salary, so  lots of businesses offer employee benefits and desirable packages in order to attract talent to their business and to retain their best staff. But how effective are these benefits  and do employees really want fancy perks or are security and appreciation a larger priority? Employee benefits can range anything from flexible working hours, to free gym memberships and employers believe that offering such things can improve job satisfaction and help them to stand out from their competitors. In order to attract the right employees to the company, employers must understand what it is that their target market want, whether it be financial security, or a good work-life balance. Raconteur, have put together this research  looking at how employees regard benefits, compared to how employers. Employee vs employer views on benefits https://t.co/gP9kDZ9G2W #HR #employerbrand #recruiting #RECongress #hiring pic.twitter.com/7M61za2l9Z Jefferson (@Jefferson_MFG) February 28, 2016 Here are some of the key findings: What are the most desired benefits? The most desired employee benefits is a contributory pension scheme, particularly among above-average earners. In second and third pace are childcare voucher and private medical insurance, also valued more by above-average earners. The most valued benefits by below-average earners are life insurance and a cash plan. What are the most common benefits offered by employers? Childcare vouchers are most widely offered by employers. 25+ days holiday and work mobile phones are also popular benefits offered by employers. At the lower end of the top 10 benefits are bonuses and healthcare plans. What effect do benefits have on employees? Benefits are not a deciding factor for most people when deciding to work for a company. Employers believe that the factors that improve employee performance and job satisfaction are  that they receive recognition of their work from management and they feel that they belong to a successful team. Why do employers offer benefits? The top reason that employers offer benefits is to retain their current staff and help them to maintain good health and wellbeing. They also use them as a way of attracting talent to the company. The effectiveness of these perks can be measured in employee  engagement levels and their retention of staff. How do employers ideas of what boosts retention differ to employees? Both employers and employees feel that the base salary offered for a job is the most important factor for retaining staff. Employers rated the length of the employees commute and job security as some of the most important factors for retaining staff; whereas these were not important factors for employees. Employees regard factors such as limiting work-related stress and learning opportunities as more important; two things that were not considered important by employers. Image: Shutterstock

The Benefits of Using the Best Resume Writing Services in Philadelphia

The Benefits of Using the Best Resume Writing Services in PhiladelphiaIf you are looking for a way to increase your chances of getting hired at your dream job, it is time to start using the best resume writing services in Philadelphia. A successful resume can play a vital role in determining whether or not you get hired or not. This is especially true when you are applying for a position as an entry-level employee or in management.Resume writing is nothing new. You can find resumes all over the place on many different websites. The most common type of resume is the list of accomplishments you have achieved throughout your career. Many times, these lists are meant to highlight the 'best' accomplishments of the applicant, which makes it easy to overlook the less-than-stellar ones.It is also helpful to start with the best resume possible in order to gain a competitive edge. This means you need to make sure that your resume is created to be unique and eye-catching. Since a resume is a ve ry important part of the hiring process, it should be impressive enough to be noticed by the employer.You can achieve this by writing a compelling resume that contains solid information and must-know facts. A good example would be an account of how you have managed to keep up with the ever-changing and ever-improving workforce of the present day. It should give a clear picture of your skills and knowledge so that the interviewer can understand why you are the right person for the job.Good communication skills are also a big part of the interview. As a candidate, you will probably be using an online form to communicate with your prospective employer. You will need to have a clear idea of what questions you are able to answer, as well as how to answer them.Most top resume writers are able to provide you with an autoresponder that will allow you to send out your resume online at any time. This allows you to take advantage of the best resume writing services in Philadelphia, which are w ell known for their high quality and convenience. You can even customize your autoresponder based on the company you are working with.Whatever your current job is, you should be prepared for your interview. If you do not know how to prepare, the best resume writing services in Philadelphia can be of great help. They can take your resume and review it with you, thus giving you all the help you need to come out looking your best on your first day of work.Resume writing is a huge business in today's world. This is why companies like to outsource this service to freelance professionals. If you are willing to put in the effort to be the best that you can be, then it is likely that they will be proud to have you as one of their valued clients.

Nine sure-fire ways not to get the job!

Nine sure-fire ways not to get the job! As careers advisors we see lots of amazing job candidates and great applications. Sometimes, however, it’s not quite so good and experience tells us that a student just isn’t going to be in the running for that dream job. So, what are the very worst things you can do which are likely to guarantee that your application is not going to progress? 1. Fail to research the organisation you’ve applied to. We’ve recently been observing recruitment interviews and were mortified when candidates were asked what they knew about the employing organisation. It was clear that some candidates had not bothered to find out anything. See our Webpage for advice on how to research effectively. 2. Ignore the Job Description or Person Specification. Sometimes when candidates are asked what they understand by the job role, they describe a job which bears no resemblance to the actual job they’re applying for! It creates the impression that they’re describing the job they want, not the one which is actually available. Lack of  insight into the job  betrays not only a lack of preparation but also a lack of motivation for and interest in the role. 3. Arrive late for the interview- and fail even to apologise. What can I say…….this scenario will simply not end well. Generally throughout any recruitment process you need to be unfailingly polite. Nobody wants to take on the rude employee! 4. Ask  Careers for advice and expertise, then challenge and  ignore  it. Weve all heard it. “But my friend/family member/senior says (for example) that it’s fine to have a 5-page CV.” Well it’s not! Before you seek the advice of others, consider their credentials. Is your friend/family member/senior employed by the organisation you specifically want to work for? Do they work as a graduate recruiter? If the answer is yes, then there will clearly be some specific value in what they know. Remember though that  Careers Consultants speak to and visit graduate recruiters across a range of different sectors constantly,  we can give you up to date and accurate information and advice. Its  our job. 5. Claim you have amazing communication skills and provide no evidence. What on earth does “outstanding communicator” mean? What kind of communication? Verbal, written, inter-cultural? In what context? How were you effective in demonstrating this? It’s ironic really, as by failing to qualify with evidence, you are clearly demonstrating the exact opposite of effective communication skills! (See our  blog  post  for good advice on  how to demonstrate your skills effectively). 6. Fail to plan ahead. For example, arrange an interview for just after your plane has landed so that when the flight has been delayed you can’t let anyone know as you are still ‘in flight!’ All attempts to rescue this one are likely to undermine any claims of effective planning examples you may have claimed in your application. Global travel does not trump good time management. 7. Fail to understand what is meant by “Tell me a bit about yourself”. This is not about listing your qualifications and interests  or talking about where you are studying   all information that the recruiter can see perfectly well from your application. This is time for your elevator pitch    Have a look at  Helen Stringers advice on how to answer this very  question.  You should also have a look at my posts on strengths based  interviewing. This is a strengths question. Understand what the employer is getting at. 8. Decide that recruiters don’t pay any attention to the cover letter. Yes- someone has actually said this even though the application clearly asked for a cover letter! Recruiters have a tough job screening applications, they don’t ask for things they don’t want. Ignoring what they ask for will guarantee you that rejection! 9. Make assumptions without any real evidence to back them up. “My friend applied to x organisation last year and got in without having to sit an assessment centre.” Are you sure their processes will be the same this time round? Check it out recruiters are constantly updating their recruitment methods. Which ones have moved to Strengths-based interviews? Which are using Situational Judgement Tests? You would not make the same assumptions when undertaking an academic assignment you would check the robustness of your information sources. Graduate recruitment works the same way. “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance”. George Bernard Shaw    

The power of social media

The power of social media A guest post from  Tripp Martin, Talent Acquisition Manager  at  Enterprise Rent-A-Car, assessing the growing importance of social media as a job search tool. I have seen a lot of changes â€" both personally and professionally â€" in 15 years of working since I graduated from James Madison University in 1997. Back then, the Internet was in its infancy and we certainly didnt have YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Job seeking (and socialising!) happened the old fashioned way, but some things hold fast and one of those is the power of networking. The how has changed but not the why Surround yourself with good people One thing I did learn from one of my business professors is the power of networking. I can still hear Dr. Jone’s voice, I don’t care how successful you are or how high you get in a company, always have your resume up to date and always surround yourself with good people both inside and outside of your organisation. I have always remembered that advice and in my 15 year working career I have enjoyed great success mainly due to the people I have surrounded myself with. Social media speeds up the process So how does this relate to social media? The concept of networking and building relationships has not changed. What has changed is how easily and quickly you can pass information and reach contacts within your network. I see many students who wait until graduation to start looking for work. They take one look around and are puzzled about where to start. I encourage students to start building relationships now. If you aren’t already, get involved on campus, get as much  work experience  as you can, and utilise  Careers Services  who already have contacts within organisations you are interested in working for. Sign up for LinkedIn and connect with the professionals you meet on campus and through your work experience. We know that Twitter is only used by a minority of students and grads, but thats set to change: its a great way to build on relationships you develop, so get tweeting. Making it work The media is replete with stories of graduates taking to Twitter to further their job search; some of you may be familiar with the story of Ulrike Schulz, who used Twitter to  land her dream social media role at We Are Social. If youre a current job seeker and use Twitter (perhaps you just lurk) youll probably have seen the growth in job search hashtags as more and more people switch on the power of online networking. Here are just a few currently doing the rounds: #hireme #needajob #jobsearch #jobhunt Ive got a great personal example of how this works. Ive known Peter Bailey, a student from Loughborough University, for over two years. I first met Peter when he applied for the  Targetjobs Management Undergraduate of the Year  sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. I interacted with Peter on numerous occasions after that, mainly through  SIFE  (Students in Free Enterprise). Peter never missed an opportunity to get to know as many business professionals as possible both within Enterprise Rent-A-Car and other companies. Recently, Peter’s 12 month placement in Malaysia fell through. It is difficult enough to find a placement a year in advance but it was now June and he was without a placement for this year. Peter tweeted about his placement falling through, how difficult it would be to find a placement at such short notice and, importantly, that he was actively looking. I immediately contacted Peter and he is now working at one of our local West Midlands offices as a Management Trainee Placement. Not bad for 140 characters! Youre in control This is a perfect example of the power of social media. You still have to go out and get to know people and build a network of contacts. Social media simply allows you to contact a larger audience more quickly and efficiently. In Peter’s case, instead of calling up his contacts one by one over a matter of weeks trying to find a placement, he simply typed a 90 word message and hit send. That’s powerful, and immediate.

The Truth About Resume Examples

The Truth About Resume ExamplesThere are a number of resume examples out there, but only a few actually work to help you develop the winning resume that will land you your dream job. I like to think of a resume as an adult shoe with three toes, but the number of options available to the applicant can vary considerably. Some people don't even know what the resume is or the purpose of it, which is why I like to focus on the aspects of the resume that you can change to get the results you're looking for.The typical resume example will focus on your educational background and whether or not you have a college degree or other degrees. I have seen examples where the applicant had a diploma and was just listing them out for the employer. If you think about it, the resume example was pretty stupid, but I doubt if any employer would have noticed this was happening. However, the important thing to remember is that this type of information is not the most important part of the resume.The resume example is also going to contain information on your experience in the field you want to apply for, but this is not very effective in determining if you will receive an interview. Many employers are looking for specific qualities. If you are interested in working in a particular field, you should be able to demonstrate this through education and work experience.In addition, the resume example is going to focus on the requirements you must meet if you are to receive the position based on the specific job description. This can include training and education, special skills, and other important factors. All these types of requirements are going to be listed, but in reality, they are probably not necessary. You are far more likely to receive an interview based on your personal qualities than your level of education.When you fill out the application for a full-time employee, there are far more requirements than for a part-time position. The requirements are going to be based on the natu re of the job and the kind of person you are. This means that the amount of detail in the resume example is going to differ greatly from the one you are submitting for a part-time position.One of the key factors when you fill out a resume is that you must be honest. If you are not completely honest, you will have a very difficult time filling out the information properly. It is far better to be honest with the employer, but you need to show how you can work towards improvement.If you have any gaps in your education or your school years, it is going to be much more difficult to answer the questions on the application form. However, you can include some additional information that will tell the employer you are willing to work toward becoming educated. This can come from courses you have taken, a certificate you may have earned, or other information that is valuable to the company.I recommend that you avoid using resume examples in order to achieve the results you are looking for. You should use the information that is listed on the job posting itself to get your name out there. Therefore, you should only submit your resume once and then start working towards your dream job.

How Can I Update My Resume For the New Times?

How Can I Update My Resume For the New Times?If you have a resume that is dated this year and needs to be updated, don't despair. You can easily update your resume for a few dollars online. And you will also have the advantage of some great tips in this article.This is a very good way to save money on your resume. What happens when you update your resume? Some employers will ask for it and some will not. But your future employer may be aware of your last updated resume.When your resume becomes outdated, it is quite a new thing to them that you are looking for a new job. The old resume will no longer work and they will probably use one from a few years ago. You will be able to update your resume if you know where to look for it.A lot of companies these days are relying on free resume templates to give their employees a more modernized look. These types of templates are not hard to find and are usually free.Most companies will provide these free templates to all their employees. But th ey have also seen that more people are going back to the older versions of resumes and they are making it easier for these people to get access to these old resumes. These companies are now giving the old resumes a second chance to be scanned and updated.What these companies are doing is making these old resumes available for you to print out if you want to update them. There is also a type of template that has been digitized and can be printed out instead of scanned. The only downside is that they don't seem to have a ton of spaces left on these original paper documents.To make things even easier for you, just keep in mind that you should not photocopy your old resume or contact the company with this idea. It is better to just scan them and use these new digital templates. A lot of people may say that having an updated one is a waste of time and they are absolutely right.The best place to find these free samples would be on the internet. There are tons of websites that offer up to date and updated resumes for free. There are many, many more that will also give you several different types of templates as well.

Five Networking Lessons I Wish I Learned In High School

Five Networking Lessons I Wish I Learned In High School This past weekend I attended my high school reunion. It was great to see old friends,   but one of the things that struck me was how many people I never got to know in high school. For many, the high school years are often tough ones, defined by insecurities and confusion. Kids often create their own social hierarchies in order to survive. Most teens arent mature enough to understand the nuances of networking effectively and they miss opportunities to build certain relationships during their high school years. Unfortunately, as many of us age, we hang on to our high school insecurities and fail to nurture a robust and lasting network of people to reach out to as we build our professional lives. Here are my five suggestions for breaking out of the high school mentality in an effort to achieve your professional goals and move towards a stronger professional network.Eat lunch at a different table each day. In high school, students tended to share their lunch hour with the same group of kids day in and day out.   And I often see adults in the corporate world do the same thing. Dont go to lunch with the same person every day. Expand your network by reaching out to others in your department or division. Spend time with people in peripheral departments with professional agendas that are different than yours. Lunch time is a great time to get to know someone on a more personal level. People who take the time to build strong personal relationships have stronger networks to reach out to when they need assistance.Touch the untouchables. When I was in high school there were several cliques. It could be very hard to break into a clique if you werent part of the activity such as sports or theater that fueled the clique. Adults often think that certain people on the corporate ladder are   untouchablethat they cant approach a C-suite executive or a potential contact in a new industry they are interested in penetrating. They assume they wont give them the time of day. While som e wont, others will. You wont know until you approach them.Stop thinking that everything is about you. High school students often obsess about themselves and everything that is going on in their life. Small defeats seem like major ones and many teens are convinced that everyone is watching their every move and waiting for them to slip up. Sometimes we carry this me-centric way of thinking into our professional lives. Usually people arent paying nearly as much attention to you as you think they are. But they will pay attention to how you interact with them. So when you network, stop thinking about yourself and what you need and start thinking about how you can help another person. Give to give and if you get something in return, consider it gravy. Chances are good that if you position yourself as someone who tries to help others, the reciprocity will follow.Interact with people who are not just like you. In my high school it was sometimes tough to interact with students in different grades. A junior generally didnt   hang out with a freshman and you rarely saw a sophomore dating a senior. Friendships across racial and ethnic lines occurred, but probably not as frequently as they could have. This phenomenon happens with adults all the time. People often limit their networks to contacts in the same job function, industry, or professional level. Older professionals reach out to their younger colleagues with less frequency, and networks arent always as racially integrated as they should be. To improve the quality of your network, diversify. Be all inclusive and reach out to people of all ages, professions, and backgrounds.Have a life outside of high school. When I was a teen, most of my social life centered around high school. It wasnt until I was a senior and got my first real job that I started interacting with people I didnt know from school. Most of them were high school students as well and most of them went to the same school but I never would have met them i f I didnt have this job. For various reasons, our paths just never would have crossed. And this part-time job was perhaps the richest experience of all my high school years. It taught me that my life could be enriched by people that were outside of my usual inner circle. Adults sometimes become enmeshed in the culture of their companies and forget that there is a whole world of professionals to tap into. If their position is downsized, they struggle because all their connections are with people in the company that just let them go.   To better manage your career, find other communities that support your professional goals. Consider joining a professional association for your job function or industry to connect with others and build your network.What insecurities or bad habits are holding you back from being a more effective networker? And what can you do to change your strategy moving forward?

How To Decide Which Job Is For You

How To Decide Which Job Is For You Glassdoor recently came out with their list of the 25 Best Jobs in America for 2015. Their criteria for the Glassdoor Job Score is based on three factors earning potential (average annual base salary), career opportunities rating, and number of job openings. Its a pretty nice list, from the sales engineer at #25 to the #1 physicians assistant. It covers a lot of career fields and your own best job just may be on the list. Then again, it might not. Filter Job Options Wisely Picking a career based solely on how much money you will make is not a good idea because there are a lot of other factors involved. The career opportunities and probability of employment (number of job openings) are two more factors, and for a list that covers everybody in America, Glassdoor does a good job. But narrowing down the options to the best strategies for your particular career path means you need to filter out what wont work for you. One place to start would be in taking a good look at your current resume to see what you are qualified to do. If you dont want to do what you are qualified for, you have a great place to start deciding what needs to change. Look at why you dont want to do what you are qualified for, what you may be interested in, and research how to explore that potential. Other filters to use are location, current debt load, and family obligations. Every factor you can think of should come into your planning. Your dream job might be a nightmare if you dont consider all the factors in your own life first. Get Sound Advice Choosing a career mentor  who is willing to help you figure out your options is one of the best things you can do with your career plans. This is a long-term networking strategy that should be mutually beneficial. Getting a lot of advice from many sources will give a big perspective, but getting advice from someone who knows you is going to help you avoid some stumbling blocks in the path of your career.