Want on Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies List next year? Or perhaps, your company achieved the honor but now wants to stay on the list. Move up? You say you’d sell your grandmother to make that happen? Whoa now. Let’s consider keeping Granny.
Rather, design a career sabbatical program to align with “trends” they’ll be watching to make you stand out in next year’s competition.
Participants wanting the update on the Working Mother 100 Best Application attended a pre-conference workshop last week at the 100 Best Companies WorkLife Congress 2009 in NYC. The panel included three people with hands-on responsibilities - women who develop, score and oversee the application process:
- Jennifer Owens, Senior Director, Editorial Research & Initiatives, Working Mother Media
- Michele Siegel, Manager, Corporate Research/Bonnier Corporation
- Kristen Willoughby, Manager, Editorial Research & Initiatives, Working Mother Media
The two-hour presentation was a chance for companies to “weigh in” and discover what might be on the editors’ minds as they think through the selection process. And if you can pick up a couple of tidbits to make next year’s application process go smoother – well, that’s worth a lot. The application process requires a significant chunk of time and manpower within an organization. Think many, many, many hours and oodles of company-wide expertise. (We met experienced consultants who are hired specifically to tackle the application process for companies.)
Is there a scoop? Sure is.
Working Mother identified three trends they are watching for 2010:
- Economic Impact
- Job Stress
- War for Talent
Innovative programs designed and initiated in this economy to address the increasing job stress felt by employees remaining in organizations is a good example of what might be important in next year’s selection for best companies. Another example could be programs your company has to “stand out from the competition” when post-recession recruitment is ready to roll. Programs that build loyalty and strengthen employer brand could be ones that keep your talent from running out the door . Any initiatives happening there?.
While much of the scorecard remains the same, it will be the new, creative programs around these three trends that just might make your company shine. Combine two or three of the trends they will be watching and bingo – it might make a difference.
Not much brain juice is required to understand that a career sabbatical programs not only allows employees a big break from the grind (job stress), can be a strong attractor for future talent (war for talent) and be accomplished with no monetary investment (uses time as the new currency.)
While one might have expected an agitated, worn-out, application-weary crowd at this presentation, our observation is that if you have intentions of creating a best place to work you should start drinking Red Bull energy drinks if you want to keep up with this group. Wired, having fun, competitive – I bet many have starting to imagine the outfit hey’ll wear sashaying across the stage to get their big, beautiful cobalt glass bowls – the top ten company award for this year.
To add a little oomph to career sabbatical programs, you’ll also be interested to know that for the very first time there will be a line item asking companies specifically about sabbatical programs in their companies – and a couple of supporting questions to answer as well.
Career Sabbatical Programs are a growing trend and we predict that will continue. Wouldn’t you say so?
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