One of many few good issues to come back out of the COVID-19 pandemic was the rapid, widespread broadening of advantages that staff had been requesting for a while. Remote work, hybrid schedules, versatile hours and expanded maternity and paternity leaves grew to become the norm as corporations scrambled to rent expertise within the tight post-pandemic labor market.
With energy on the facet of the employees, the continued labor scarcity appeared to sign that these advantages have been right here to remain and had develop into a part of the tradition of the businesses providing them.
Then, inflation entered the image.
Rampant and seemingly uncontainable inflation at charges most staff have by no means seen of their lifetimes is placing main value pressures on employers. Along with paying a premium for labor, the battle in Ukraine and COVID-related supply chain issues imply they’re additionally paying extra for nearly all the pieces else. Transport prices are by means of the roof because of a mix of excessive gas prices and a scarcity of truck drivers. Employees returning to the workplace have introduced a rise in facility prices. It’s true that corporations will go alongside as a lot of those value will increase to the buyer as they will, however only a few of them can go all of it by means of with out risking pricing their clients out of the market or not being aggressive of their trade.
We’ve already seen corporations shedding headquarters employees and rescinding job affords because the financial outlook begins to development towards an imminent recession. Whereas layoffs are at all times a tough factor, it’s often a great way to chop prices and streamline processes. In spite of everything, a greenback saved in labor goes straight to the underside line. The identical can’t be mentioned for a greenback in gross sales.
What’s extra regarding than assist employees layoffs, nevertheless, is the retraction of different COVID-19-implemented advantages equivalent to new guardian go away. Many corporations, such as Hulu, at the moment are retracting these advantages to the minimums required by legislation. Job seekers ought to concentrate on such reductions in perks and advantages and proceed with warning.
These modifications could be a pink flag for present and potential staff as a result of it offers perception into the core values of the group. Most corporations have a poster extolling their values within the breakroom, however only a few have really embedded these values into the core of their decision-making processes.
If an organization claims to worth its staff’ well-being after which reduces maternity go away to the minimal allowed by legislation and removes paternity go away altogether, they’re sending a transparent message that they worth staff solely to the extent that they’re actively including revenue to the enterprise. Their staff are producers, not individuals. You possibly can wager you’ll discover poor work/life stability assist, and also you’ll most likely additionally see fewer ladies in management positions as they’ve to decide on between motherhood and administration.
Listed below are some questions you may ask in the course of the interview course of to assist determine potential values alignment points:
- What does your organization worth?
- I’m pleased to supply references. Are you able to additionally present me with three staff that I can ask about what it’s wish to work right here?
- What sorts of behaviors do you reward?
- Have you ever added, modified or diminished any worker advantages within the final yr?
- When individuals go away the corporate, what’s the commonest purpose for his or her departure?
After all, that is in no way an exhaustive listing, and there’s at all times the prospect that you simply’ll nonetheless get lip service and are available to be upset later. However these questions give you a chance to study extra about what the tradition is de facto like and the way the corporate handles tough conditions like inflation.
In spite of everything, organizations routinely have verbiage of their job descriptions and worker handbooks that makes it clear that they count on their staff to uphold the corporate’s values. It’s solely truthful that you simply count on them to do the identical.
Heather Mellick is the lead guide at Webb Consulting Group, a administration consulting agency in Bountiful, Utah.
