As we are in the 3rd year of the Covid pandemic, there has been a shift in the modern workforce as to what employees are looking for from their employers, besides a livable income.
- In-office vs Hybrid/Remote
- Salary
- Benefits Package
- Bonus and Raise Structure
- Growth and Learning Opportunities
- Company Culture
In-office vs Hybrid/Remote
The biggest deal-breaker in today’s market is remote versus nonremote work opportunities.
If a remote or hybrid work environment is something you prefer, then it is something you should always negotiate for when discussing your offer. In-office work does allow for more interactive teamwork, but I do not think that is a big deal considering most of Gen Z have done school projects via Google Drive, GroupMe, and Slack.
I also think that remote work is more affordable. Without having to commute to the office, you would save on transportation (car or public transit), the 45 minutes to 2 hours daily work commute, not having to buy expensive work outfits (for typically corporate jobs, that would be a lot of suits and jackets and dressed shoes), and the casual once-or-twice-a-week $30 work lunch with the coworkers.
Salary
Do your market research on the position, the location, and the company. There are many databases available online that you can find by just searching on Google. For example, the https://h1bdata.info/ is a great database where you can see salaries for different positions in different locations across America for big companies like FAANG.
According to Indeed, the average salary for an HR Specialist is $44,279 per year in Charlottesville, VA, but the average salary for an HR Specialist is $57,797 per year in Hartford, CT. Salaries can vary by the experience required, the company, and the location of the job.
You should always have a salary range in mind when applying for jobs. It is always better to overshoot than to get an offer below your worth.
Benefits Package
You should always request a copy of the company’s benefits package at the time of the offer. Besides your salary, the benefits package is the 2nd most important monetary factor you need to consider.
- Health Insurance: Check if they have different options to select from, so you are not overpaying for an expensive plan for conditions you do not need as a young 20-something year old. Additional health accounts like FSA and HSA allow you to save pre-tax income for future medical expenses.
- Paid-time-off (PTO): Ask about the details of your PTO allowance. You could receive a flat 10-15 days PTO from the beginning of the year, or it is an accrual plan that you can gain a couple of hours of PTO every pay period. In addition, some companies allow you to increase your PTO after each year of employment; some companies will pay out for the days you do not use by the end of the year, and some companies will allow you to accrue PTO and roll them over onto the next year(s).
- Unlimited PTO: Some employers may offer unlimited PTO, but there is always the fine print to read, so always ask what the average PTO the employees have taken. An important factor to note is that if you do not use any PTO that is unlimited, you will not accrue any time off and get a payout at the end of the year.
- Sick leave/Holidays: Employers may also offer sick leave that is specifically for illnesses and medical conditions, but the conditions may vary. Some can accrue like PTO, or just flat out a couple of days a year. Companies usually offer around 10-12 holidays per year, and some employers even offer floating holidays, where you can just move the holidays time around and take them whenever you want and not just on those specific American holidays.
Bonus and Raise Structure
Ask and confirm the bonus and raise structure of the company during the interview process as well as when you receive the offer from HR. If you are not getting at least an annual raise and/or a bonus a year, then that might be a red flag that you want to look into. And this is coming from personal experience 🙂
The annual raise is usually between 3-7% of your salary and your bonus may vary based on your performance throughout the year as well, but mostly depends on how much profit your company has made that year and how much they are willing to distribute to the employees.
This is one of the most important things to look at when reviewing job offers due to inflation. If you are not getting the raise/bonuses or you are getting the raise/bonuses below the inflation rate, you are essentially being paid less year over year because the value of your money is dropping.
Growth and Learning Opportunities
Another thing to consider is the growth and learning opportunities: Does the company provide professional developments/workshops for employees to learn new skills? Does the company provide tuition reimbursement for when employees decide to go back to school? Is it possible for you to be put on more challenging projects or experience different roles (without compromising your standing at the company)? Etc.
All of these conditions will determine your opportunities to grow in your career as well as in your personal life.
Company Culture
It is important to consider the culture, or work environment, of a company. It is great if a company values flexibility, individual freedom, and small perks like snacks and paid-for lunches.
However, it is a red flag when the interviewer is being too pushy with the company’s culture. For example, it’s when the interviewer says something along the lines of “it really feels like we are truly family here at XYZ company”. That could be a sign of an environment where the company undermines the pay raise and expects employees to overwork under the idea of “family”.
It doesn’t matter what your employers tell you, you are DISPENSABLE, and your company could fire you immediately if there’s a loss in profit or changes in upper management.
Sometimes you might feel guilty for leaving because the company could call you out for not being loyal. This does not mean that all companies will be like this, but it doesn’t hurt to be wary of it. At the end of the day, you will be responsible for all your bills, not your “family”. So consider your job offers carefully and decide what works best for you and your well-being!!!