Evaluating Job Offers Beyond Salary: 5 Key Considerations

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While the terms compensation and total rewards are sometimes used interchangeably, total rewards encompass far more, bringing together diverse elements that contribute to an employee's overall experience and satisfaction. As a total rewards professional, I help our organization craft offers that reflect our unique philosophy and strategy, going beyond traditional pay to ensure a holistic approach that meets the needs of today’s workforce. This role allows me to merge organizational goals with my experience to attract, engage, and retain the talent that powers our mission. Achieving this means clearly communicating the full range of what we offer, from compensation to well-being, benefits, development, and recognition, showing candidates how these elements align with their values and aspirations.

Compensation

When people think of compensation, many immediately consider base pay, whether salary or hourly wages. Yet, compensation extends beyond this to include incentives, bonuses, and even equity offerings. It’s a package that rewards both individual contributions and company-wide achievements. Typically, incentives are structured around personal and organizational performance, while bonuses may reward one-time accomplishments. As I prepare offers, I weigh each component—base pay, incentives, and equity—to present candidates with a holistic package that aligns with their needs, goals, and values.

Benefits

Benefits often bring to mind health insurance—medical, dental, and vision—but they extend further to include options like short- and long-term disability, retirement savings, health savings accounts (HSAs), and flexible spending accounts (FSAs), to name a few. These offerings support employees in managing their needs, with premiums typically shared between employer and employee. Evaluating these options carefully, including both coverage and costs, is crucial for candidates to determine if a benefits package aligns with their lifestyle and needs.

Well-being

In recent years, employee well-being has emerged as a core element in total rewards, fueled by increased demand post-COVID. In fact, a 2021 WorldAtWork survey found a 61% increase in demand and a 63% increase in utilization of well-being programs. From health screenings and gym memberships to mental health resources, well-being initiatives address employees' diverse needs. For candidates, understanding an organization’s well-being support—and how closely it matches their interests—is a vital part of evaluating an offer.

Development

Development is another area where organizational offerings can vary significantly, particularly when compared to the structured advancement pathways of military service. In civilian organizations, promotion paths can be less defined, leaving candidates to navigate them individually. That’s why I encourage prospective employees to discuss an organization’s development programs openly, setting realistic expectations and aligning them with employer expectations to ensure mutual understanding.

Recognition

Recognition, a cornerstone of any total rewards strategy, may feel unfamiliar to those with a military background where achievements are worn visibly. In the civilian sector, recognition remains essential but manifests differently. Meaningful recognition strengthens employee engagement, and ideally, an organization’s recognition practices align with what its employees find most meaningful.

Bottom Line: Know Your End Game

In military parlance, BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): candidates and employers alike benefit from clarity around their goals and expectations. Stephen Covey’s Habit 2, Begin with the End in Mind, reminds us to define success and pursue it intentionally. While employment relationships may be more flexible than the structured contracts of military service, a well-aligned relationship between employer and employee can lead to shared success. When both parties bring their best, the outcome is often a win-win for all.

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Mark Conwell is a volunteer for Hire Heroes USA, an Army veteran, and an HR and Total Rewards Professional. Mark is an active member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), WorldAtWork, and a board member of the Columbus Compensation Association (CCA). Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management from Franklin University, a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), Veterans at Work certification from the SHRM Foundation, and multiple total rewards certifications from WorldAtWork.

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