iMPact Business Group is a staffing agency specializing in Information Technology, Engineering, Finance/Accounting, and Business Administration/Process positions. To connect with one of our professional recruiters, view our job board for all available positions, or submit your resume for consideration here.
An important aspect of a job interview for most job seekers are the benefits offered with the position. Everyone’s in a different situation and have different needs and priorities as it relates to their benefits package. To some, more vacation days and work flexibility are important, while to others, having a solid health care benefits package for their family is more important. Take your time to research the benefits package you’ll be offered and make sure to ask questions about it at the appropriate time during the hiring process. It is important to bring up and make sure all your questions are answered. It’s better to be informed and have a discussion with the employer before accepting a position than to have an unpleasant surprise later on. Regardless of your priorities, there are some things to keep in mind when discussing benefits with a potential employer.
What to ask
Health
If you are a full-time employee, your company will most likely provide you with some kind of health insurance. In some cases, while working contract positions for a staffing agency such as iMPact, you may also qualify for health insurance. Ask about how much is covered and about the employee premium accounts. Also find out which health care insurance carrier they use and for a summary of the different plan options. Another key question is to find out if there’s a waiting period for health benefits to start. Some companies will start on day 1 of employment and some will wait up to 90 days.
Time off
Most companies will provide some form of paid time off and sick leave. Ask how many days you have when you start and when and how they are accrued. You’ll also want to find out about short and long-term disability.
Schedule flexibility
Find out about options for a flexible schedule and the company policy on working from home. This may be especially important if you have a long commute to work or any other reasons where it would be helpful to you to be able to have some extra flexibility. Although these are things that can be brought up to management at any time, it’s always better to establish during the interview process before accepting a position if you anticipate it’s something you’ll need.
Holidays
Depending on the type of company, industry and job role you may be required to work on all or some holidays. If you’re in a customer service type of role or with a company that does a lot of business during the holidays, then chances are you’ll be expected to work. Some companies will be open on days such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, whereas some will give you the day off. Ask which holidays are off and which ones you’re expected to work so you can figure that into the amount of total paid days/vacation days. If you are required to work on a holiday, find out if you’ll get paid extra on those days.
Education
Does the company offer any type of education and training benefits? If you’re interested in ongoing training and professional certifications, ask if that is that something the company will pay for? If you’re in an IT role and expected to stay current on new technologies, ask if the company will pay for relevant training or if you’re expected to cover that on your own.
If they cover college courses or other types of training as a part of the benefits package, also inquire if family members are eligible as well?
Other benefits
There are numerous other benefits you may want to bring up if they are important to you:
- Allowances: Depending on your job role, they may be willing to offer an allowance for your phone, car, and other expenses.
- Gym membership: This type of benefit may be included with some health insurance plans, or by the company directly.
- Depending on what type of products and services provided by the company, they may provide discounts or even free use as a benefit. A retail organization may offer you a discount on all products sold in their stores.
- 401K: Is it provided and is there a contribution match by the employer?
Although you don’t need to go into granular detail about every single aspect of your benefits during the interview, these are some things to keep in mind and look for, and possibly ask for as you get deeper into the interview process.
When to ask
Even though you might feel that benefits are of great importance, you’ll want to hold off on bringing them up until later on in the interview. The reason the company has invited you in for an interview is that they have a business need and looking to you as someone who can help them meet that need. Focus on showing your value to the organization first. You’ll also want to find out about the company culture and the position to make sure you will both be a great fit. Once you’ve determined that you, in fact, do want the job and that they are giving you serious consideration for the position, that will be a good time to bring up things such as salary and benefits. The greater value you can provide, the more they’ll be willing to include with your benefits package on items where they have flexibility. Bringing it up too early in the process will send the wrong message.
As with everything job search-related, you’ll want to do as much research as you can beforehand. Visit job boards such as Glassdoor to get an idea of what kind of benefits the company offers. This will help you be more prepared and show to the interviewer that you’ve done your homework which will come across positively in an interview.
All iMPact employees and contractors may qualify for benefits. To find out about currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Engineering, Accounting/Finance, or Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board or submit your resume for general consideration. One of our experienced recruiters in either the Grand Rapids, MI or Tampa, FL office will reach out to you if they’d like to discuss next steps.
Finding your next job opportunity with iMPact
Before we start working with a client, we will research them, have in-depth conversations with their hiring team and visit their facilities to get to know them and what makes a candidate successful in their company culture. To connect with a recruiter and find out about our currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Accounting/Finance, Engineering, and Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board to view all available job opportunities. Or, submit your resume here for consideration to connect with one of our experienced recruiters in either our Grand Rapids, Michigan, or Tampa, Florida location.
