The benefits to look for in this new remote world of work

 

AS WORK ENVIRONMENTS CHANGE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON YOUR BENEFITS AND PERKS.

The company you work for can make a big impact in helping you and your coworkers feel confident in navigating a crisis (say, a pandemic). From traditional benefits to office perks and company culture, things will continue to look different as more than 20% of the working population does so from home.

As work environments change, think about what you need with a new perspective.

When it comes to classic benefits, compare or consider:

• Health care and related support. Make sure any healthcare plans offered align with your typical and ongoing needs but ask your potential employer if the company has made changes since to these policies in response to the pandemic. Are they now covering more of the premium than before, has mental health support been added or are there other new benefits to help employees take care of themselves and stay healthy?
• Paid time off, parental leave and flexibility in hours. If you’re working where you’re living, you still need time off to decompress and recharge. How does this company expect you to be “on” during your work hours? Is there flexibility to pick up kids from daycare or run an errand during the day when stores are less crowded?
• Hazard pay and safety measures. Maybe you’re not fully work-from-home, and you have to travel onsite to support clients, receive inventory or any other duty that requires an in-person appearance. Related: transportation accounts. Pre-pandemic, a company might have covered your parking garage fees or allowed you to contribute to a commuter account before taxes. Ask if hazard pay and/or transportation perks are available and the safety measures the company is taking to protect employees right now.

Now, the perks of a job. Office dwellers could usually depend on a selection of “extras” that improved cubicle culture, from snacks to happy hours or activities. When considering a remote position, there are two important questions to ask yourself or the hiring manager:

Was the process easy? Job hunting won’t ever be as easy as essentially signing-up for a gig, but companies, especially now, should be making an effort to have a streamlined and seamless hiring process start-to-finish. This shows this employer wants applicants to feel part of the team from the beginning, as well as demonstrating this team cares about your experience.

How does the company try to replicate or replace in-person interaction? From Zoom hangouts and companywide meetings and events, to recognition on internal platforms, check if your potential future employer is investing in its culture. Connection to your coworkers is important for productivity and team success.

How does the company make sure you feel part of the team? Family, pets and roommates are now common guests in meetings, as are grocery deliveries and loungewear. How often these work from home quirks appear can say a lot about your potential employer. Maybe childcare is a benefit you’d like, or, maybe the company proactively communicates that it’s no problem for kids to be part of your daily professional life. Inclusivity is important, and that comes from both benefits and culture.

How a focus on skills can expand your career

INSIGHT INTO WHY DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING ARE CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS.

In an effort to share the stories of the CareerBuilder employees who are hard at work #BuildingForYou, we continue our employee feature series, from celebrating individuality and lending personal experience to their insight on industry trends and everything in between.  

Anna Pena joined the CareerBuilder team a little more than two years ago and has since grown with the company and improved her skills while advancing products. Through her work as the Senior Release Manager for our global Product Teams, Anna touches every part of product development and has learned much along the way. Read on to learn about her favorite project at CareerBuilder and how her dad inspired her career choices. 

How have you grown professionally during your time at CareerBuilder? 

I have had fantastic opportunities to expand my skill set at CareerBuilder, starting with certifications in the scaled agile framework and release training engineering. I can reinforce and apply the learnings from the certifications directly into day-to-day work. The certifications and experience gained at CareerBuilder allowed me to move from focusing solely on release readiness activities to facilitating Research &Development/IT planning.

What do you enjoy most about working at CareerBuilder? 

The best part about working at CareerBuilder is hands down the people. CareerBuilder is stacked with dedicated, smart people who are self-motivated to get the work done. There have been countless times when team members step up to help hit a deadline and still manage to have fun doing it.  

What is your favorite project that you have worked on during your time at CareerBuilder?

Facilitating and participating in the CareerBuilder beta program has, by far, been my favorite project. Being part of a process where we engage our internal experts in test driving new features and products before release has been rewarding. CareerBuilder is full of very passionate and knowledgeable employees who know the industry and our client needs exceptionally well, so getting their feedback before launch has been very beneficial.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received? 

Get out of your comfort zone! Becoming an expert in something is great, but you cannot stop learning and challenging yourself. The majority of the time, taking on something new (even if it is hard at first) is where you grow, so don’t be afraid to raise your hand for a unique opportunity. 

What was your first job, and what were your biggest takeaways from the experience? 

I had a paper route delivery with my sister when I was 12. I learned very early on what it means to commit to a job; if you commit to something, you need to follow through with it even when it is raining outside and you have papers to deliver! 

What inspired you to choose your current career path? 

Seeing my dad work his way up to managing a major manufacturing facility was an inspiration to get into some facet of the business world. He made it look easy when it wasn’t, and I got to see firsthand how a good leader can set up teams for success. Watching his career progress showed us where hard work and a career you're passionate about can lead.