Reader Surveys

Poll Results: Does Charitable Giving Matter?

By Job Journey on Thursday, June 21, 2018

What’s the best way for companies to show they care?

When a company gives back, it shows they care about more than their bottom line. It helps to humanize a faceless corporate entity. Companies that give back frequently see less turnover and greater success.

Last month we asked readers what type of giving they prefer their companies to engage in.

The Results

Paid time off for volunteer/charitable activities led the responses with over 24% of the vote, followed by corporate partnerships with local nonprofits at 17%, and matching employee donation funds at 13% in second and third, respectively.

Other results included:

Opportunities to provide company services/products pro bono: 13%
Company sponsored volunteer events: 11%
Allow employees to pick organizations/causes the company supports: 10%
Donation drives (food, blood, clothing, etc.): 9%
Other: 2%

What does this mean?

Employees want to take the lead when it comes to charitable giving. They want to help steer the company toward causes they personally support. Whether that means receiving paid time off for their efforts, seeing the company partner with local nonprofits, or having the opportunity for the company to match their donation funds, they just want to be included in the process.

Employees like the communities they serve and want to see a real, lasting impact from charitable giving. When companies and employees are united in their desire to serve, everyone wins.

What is your company doing to give back this year? Let us know in the comments section below!

Reader Surveys The Job Search

Poll Question: What Type of Part-time Work Would You Consider?

By Job Journey on Thursday, June 14, 2018

We are all more than workers. We’re fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, hobbyists, and so much more. Which means we need time to take care of sick kids, help our parents in their old age, or simply to pursue other passions.

But with a fulltime job, that’s not always easy. We need to get things done on a deadline; and sometimes, that means sacrificing time with our family and friends or a possible vacation opportunity.

For some, the standard five day, 8-to-5 work week just isn’t working anymore. Something more flexible is preferred, and part-time work could be the solution.

But not every type of part-time work is going to be right for all of us. What kind of part-time work would you consider?

Reader Surveys

Poll Results: What Benefits Do Employees Crave?

By Job Journey on Thursday, May 17, 2018

Last month we asked readers what benefits, not including health, they valued most from employers.

The Results

Having a flexible work schedule led the pack with 17.57% of the vote, while generous/unlimited vacation time and opportunities to work from home/remotely followed in second and third, with 12.83% and 11.85%, respectively. The rest of the results were as follows:

Access to Training/Certification Classes:10.18%
Casual Dress Code:9.76%
Profit Sharing/Stock Options:8.23%
College Tuition Reimbursement:6.56%
Opportunities to Travel:5.02%
Company Gym/Membership Discount at Local Gym:4.74%
Other:3.07%
Cafeteria Programs:2.79%
Community Service/Volunteer Opportunities:2.79%
Professional Organization Memberships:2.51%
Child Care:2.09%

Employees may love their jobs and what they do, but they aren’t just workers. Each one has family and obligations outside of work. Having the ability to attend to those responsibilities is incredibly helpful, and employees appreciate employers that provide that flexibility.

Reader Surveys

Poll Question: How Should Your Company Give Back?

By Job Journey on Thursday, May 10, 2018

Most companies today understand corporate citizenship not only makes a difference in their bottom lines and communities, but also helps build a more engaged workforce. Employees like to give back, and it’s always great to see your company doing something for the greater good—that they’re committed to improving the community.

In fact, when companies make giving back a key focus of their business strategy, they often see less turnover and greater success overall.

For our May question of the month, we want to know which company-sponsored outreach programs you prefer. Let us know by voting in our poll.

Reader Surveys

Poll Question: What Benefits—Not Including Health—Do You Value Most From Employers?

By Job Journey on Thursday, April 12, 2018

In a competitive job market, companies have to be more creative about how they attract and retain top talent. That might mean offering certain benefits over others in a bid to keep you with them for the long-term.

According to MetLife’s Benefit Trends Study, 61% of employees would be more likely to accept a job with a new employer who offers health and well-being benefits, and 51% if the employer offered financial planning programs.

For our April question of the month, we want to know what benefits you value most in a job.

Reader Surveys

Poll Results: Ace Your Next Interview With These Top Tips

By Job Journey on Friday, March 30, 2018

Last month we drilled down on what readers want to see on Movin’ On Up. We asked one simple question: “What part of the job interview process do you need help with?”

Your answers were as follows:

What’s next?

The results were almost evenly split among the top four, so we’ll be sure to cover all those topics in upcoming blogs. But before that, here’s a bit of information about the top four.

Asking Relevant Questions

Questions you ask after an interview should be uniquely tailored to yourself or your interviewer. The key is to ask insightful, culture-based questions that won’t typically pop up during the interview. A few examples:

What is a typical day like at [company name]?
How is this company different from other companies you’ve worked at?
- What makes it unique?
Tell me about a project or incident you experienced that truly embodied the spirit of [company name].

How to Create an “Elevator Pitch”

First things first—what is an elevator pitch? As defined by Investopedia, an elevator pitch is a “…term used to describe a brief speech that outlines an idea for a product, service, or project.” In the world of interviewing, your “elevator pitch” is a short way of describing who you are and why you’re right for the job. Think of it as a super quick version of your cover letter.

The easiest way to craft an “elevator pitch” is to look at your cover letter. You’ve already done the work! Just condense it into a few bullet points, and mix those with details specific to the job you’re interviewing for.

Despite the name, an “elevator pitch” doesn’t have to take place in an elevator. It works perfectly as an answer to an introductory question like “tell me about yourself.” When an interviewer asks that, they don’t want to hear you list your resume. They want to know about you as a person and how your experiences make you qualified for this position.

Discussing Skills/Past Experience

Listing past jobs in an interview is easy. Really getting into those experiences and the skills they represent is harder.

First, remember that you’re focusing on accomplishments, not job descriptions. Speak on how you increased ROI by a certain amount, typed a certain WPM (words per minute), or completed however many projects in a certain amount of time.

How Much to Share About a Previous Job

It can be difficult to answer questions about your previous job experiences when some of those experiences weren’t exactly positive. If you had a boss that was a tyrant, should you mention it? What about a company culture you didn’t fit in with?

Always keep in mind that your personality is being interviewed just as much as your job experience. You don’t want to appear rude or unprofessional. So, when an interviewer asks you about your previous manager, keep it to the basics. Feel free to mention why you didn’t fit in with a particular management style or company culture, but stay away from personal judgements.

Anything else you want to know about the interview process? Let us know in the comments section below!

Reader Surveys

Poll: What Questions Do You Have for a Recruiter?

By Job Journey on Thursday, March 8, 2018

Movin’ On Up is powered by Express Employment Professionals, a staffing company with 35 years of helping people find jobs. That’s why you can trust us to know what we’re talking about.

You may have noticed that we sometimes post “Ask a Recruiter” blogs with comments from professional staffing consultants. These are the people who work with job seekers and new hires daily. We’ve covered everything from impressing a recruiter to highlighting volunteerism on a resume.

We want to tailor these blogs to your specific questions and concerns. This month’s poll is a single open-ended question: What questions do you have for a recruiter?

If you’ve ever had a question about how staffing companies work, now is the time to ask! Our experts are also happy to answer questions about the job search in general. Career advancement is fair game, too.

Let us know by answering our poll question!

All comments are completely anonymous, so feel free to ask anything you want. We’ll cover your responses in a Poll Results article next month, and then use that information in our blogs going forward.