Netflix recently announced they will be offering unlimited family leave time to its employees. This is in addition to their unlimited vacation time that they announced in 2012. Other companies have followed suit like Virgin America, Best Buy, Groupon and Eventbrite, just to name a few. And there are few, currently only about 1% of employers offer an unlimited time off policy to their employees. Americans are known for not taking all of their vacation time, so the jury is still out on how unlimited time off will work for the companies and the employees that benefit from the policies. Still, unlimited vacation time can look pretty attractive to a candidate mulling three otherwise equal offers. The idea of unlimited time off might be the reason top IT talent takes a position.
And, Netflix knows it.
“Netflix’s continued success hinges on us competing for and keeping the most talented individuals in their field. Experience shows people perform better at work when they’re not worrying about home,” said Netflix chief talent officer Tawni Cranz.
Netflix knows what most managers know, it’s hard to find top talent these days, so they’re doing all they can to attract the best of the best.
According to a survey by Manpower published last month it’s getting harder to find top talent. The IT sector is one of the hardest industries to fill along with engineers, technicians and sales reps, to name a few. Lack of available applicants was by far the biggest challenge, followed by lack of hard skills. Simply put, the candidates that are available lack the skills needed by todays companies.
Many IT positions remain vacant for longer periods of time. This put stress on the department, the manager and the company.
But, do you really need to offer unlimited time off?
Probably not according to a study by MIT. Graduates reported the top three factors influencing their interest in a job were 1) creative and challenging work, 2) fit with the culture/environment, and 3) opportunity to make an impact.
People want to know that what they do matters, they want to feel like they are part of the team and they want to fit in the culture where they will spend at least a third of their day. No amount of time off can guarantee that the person you hire will be a good fit for your company. At HT Partners we know what our clients need and are skilled at finding the talent that not only has the necessary hard skills but also fits well in the company environment.
If you can’t offer unlimited time off, give us a call, we’ll be the reason you find the best talent for your team.