Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007 - (Page 60)

Management Report Enjoyable work trumps benefits packages for many job seekers BY JEFF DICKEY-CHASINS, Vice President of Marketing, MEP Jobs, Urbandale, Iowa Y ou have scoured the résumés, packed your office with candidate after candidate, conducted a million interviews and you finally have selected an engineer. Now it is time to put together an offer and it is nerve-wracking because you know it pales in comparison with the packages of yesteryear. But with the rising costs of healthcare, your firm cannot offer what it did in the past. Relax. Your new employee will be more understanding than you think. As it turns out, many job seekers in the engineering field understand the effects of rising healthcare costs. Instead of demanding vigorous benefits packages, more job-seeking professionals are placing an emphasis on qualitative benefits, such as enjoyment of their work. emphasis on enjoyment of their work than in previous years. In March 2005, MEP Jobs conducted this same survey. “A Fat Paycheck” ranked at 59%, and “Interesting Work” accounted for 10% of the votes. The former answer went down in percentage points, and the latter rose in the 2007 survey, showing that employees place more emphasis on work enjoyment now. Create your own poll There are several ways engineering firms can leverage this shift in priorities among job seekers. First, firms should ask their employees what they consider “interesting work.” Discover what your engineers find stimulating and exciting. Because employees may have different ideas, business owners should create a culture that encourages team members to share those thoughts. Opening up the lines of communication with employees is key to providing team members with a rewarding career. Employers often guess at what employees are looking for because it’s easier than engaging them in a brainstorming process. Not only does surveying employees take more time, it also may reveal more than they want to know. If getting creative with the types of projects proves difficult, look at other areas, such as tools and processes. After all, it often is the employees who are most tapped into the latest materials and gear, methods and practices. Providing them with contemporary tools of the trade will not only improve the work product, but also the employees’ pride in their work. Veterans are on board Employing industry veterans greatly improves the quality of a firm’s craftsmanship and reputation. Industry veterans also are Employers often guess at what employees seek because it is easier than engaging them in a brainstorming process. However, surveying employees takes more time, and it also may reveal more than what employers may want to know. Discover what your employers find stimulating and exciting. MEP Jobs, an online job Web site for engineers in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing sectors, recently polled its users, asking them to identify the best incentives an employer could offer. Surprisingly, survey respondents chose “Interesting Work” as often as “Full Health Benefits.” Together, the two factors account for 41% of the votes (20 percentage points for health benefits, and 21 percentage points for interesting work), surpassing “A Fat Paycheck.” Although “A Fat Paycheck” ranks highest in responses at 36%, the survey results indicate that employees are placing more 60 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • OCTOBER, 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007 Contents On the Web In the News M/E Roundtable How To Beat the Energy Codes Professional Practices Codes & Standards A Capital Job on Engineered Buiding Systems Going Green in Data Centers Overcurrent Protection: Fuses or Breakers? Third-Party Liability Management Report New Products Product Spotlight Jobs/Classifieds Specifier's Notebook

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - October 2007

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