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How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
Benefits & Compensation
How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
Exchange ideas about health plans, retirement, work/life benefits, and employee assistance.
Suppose you offer 15 days of PTO to all new hires with no accrual schedule beyond the 15 days. A non-executive but highly desirable technical candidate you're recruiting earns a lot more paid leave. S
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How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
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How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
posted at 7/30/2011 1:27 AM EDT
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Posts: 49
First: 7/18/2009 Last: 8/17/2011 |
Suppose you offer 15 days of PTO to all new hires with no accrual schedule beyond the 15 days. A non-executive but highly desirable technical candidate you're recruiting earns a lot more paid leave. She doesn't want to "start all over again" with vacation time and this is a sticking point. References check out. And the candidate has a strong work ethic and positive team and results-based attitude. So the issue isn't a red flag. What can you do besides offering a higher salary or sign-on bonus?
Example: after five years in her current job she now earns 2 weeks of sick leave plus ~3.5 weeks of traditional paid leave. In another 5 years (10 total years of service) she would have 4 weeks of paid leave and still 2 weeks of sick leave. You check references and the candidate has a great work ethic and attitude. So the vacation issue is not a red flag. If the hiring manager really wanted this candidate, but you're not a small company where anything potentially goes, what might the options be? Executives might be able to negotiate more PTO. But what about mid-career software and civil engineers? For a highly desired candidate for which PTO is the only issue preventing her from coming on board, what other things would you offer her? The PTO offered is a half week less than what she already earns. And in five years will 1 week less. If the candidate is typical, she might use one up to one week of sick leave per year. This means she'd in practice have only 2 weeks of paid vacation per year under the PTO system. Are there any free semi-recent (last 5 years) leave benefits surveys that track the software and civil engineering professions? If not, how much would I need to spend to get access to that data? Free is better. But more accurate and current data is better than free. Maybe the 15 days of PTO with no escalation isn't competitive. Although that doesn't solve the immediate issue. Even with the poor economy, some candidates can afford to be choosy. And many opt for greater work/life balance over salary. |
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How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
posted at 8/1/2011 4:41 AM EDT
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Posts: 2442
First: 2/12/2000 Last: 9/14/2011 |
15 days PTO, if that includes holidays, jury duty, bereavement leave and sick days is very low. Holidays alone are 8-11 days.
Any company I have ever talked to has always had flexibility in this area for both executive and key non executive staff. |
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How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
posted at 8/1/2011 5:03 AM EDT
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Posts: 562
First: 11/12/2009 Last: 9/14/2011 |
I agree that 15 days is low and the no additional accrual for years of service makes it worse.
Rather than looking at this from an isolated instance, I would consider this a significant inhibiting factor in your company's ability to recruit talent. This is an organizational problem, and one that needs to be addressed and solved at that level, not at the individual recruit level. |
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How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
posted at 8/4/2011 4:30 AM EDT
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Posts: 2442
First: 2/12/2000 Last: 9/14/2011 |
Ok this sounds better if it does not include holidays.
Are you flexible enough to provide 4-6 weeks vacation to new but experienced hirers? If yes I believe you could sell this package. Also would help if you had a short term disability insured plan that kicked in after a week. |
Forums » Topic Forums » Benefits & Compensation » How to recruit when you offer significantly less paid leave than what a candidate already has?
