April 29, 2025 • 16 mins
"Nothing becomes normal and common until somebody disrupts things and makes it normal. And sometimes there's space and room for disruption."
Notable Moments
00:41 Unconventional Job Benefits Trends
05:38 Negotiating a Different Compensation Package
06:57 Evaluating Workplace Culture and Values
10:32 Employee Value Justification
14:34 Pitching Unconventional Ideas to Employers
Connect with Tim and his team:
Website: https://bestculturesolutions.ca/
LinkedIn: Best Culture Solutions, Inc
Instagram: @best.culture.solutions
Email: tim@bestculturesolutions.ca
Asking for what you need at work isn’t just okay; it’s essential. Many of us grew up thinking benefits were fixed, but the modern workplace is shifting. More people are realizing that unconventional benefits, from remote work options to flexible healthcare or extra vacation days, can make all the difference in whether a job actually fits their life.
One thing I always encourage is self-reflection before making these requests. Ask yourself why this benefit matters to you and how it lines up with your values and needs. When you understand what’s truly important, it becomes much easier to explain it to an employer—and to show them the value you bring in return.
Benefits aren’t just perks; they’re an extension of an organization’s culture. If you’re negotiating an offer or considering asking for something a little different, remember it’s not just about the request but the overall value you’re offering in return. Employers want to know how supporting your needs might help everyone win.
Ultimately, being clear, confident, and self-aware can open up a genuine conversation with your current or future employer. Most importantly, there’s nothing wrong with asking for what matters to you. When you articulate your needs and tie them to how you’ll bring value to the team, you’re building the foundation for a work experience that truly supports both sides. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions that matter. It could lead to a better role for you and a stronger organization for everyone.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:06):
Welcome to the World at Work podcast where business leaders and job
seekers come together to create winning cultures and fulfilling careers.
I'm your host, Katie Courant, and I am here with Tim
Dix, founder of Best Culture Solutions. Tim, it's great
to be talking with you again. I would say so, and I'm not even gonna
say anything to you about the recent series between our two favorite
(00:28):
baseball teams. Well, I might remind you that the series
before that one that I happen to get to be there and
go on the field on Ellie De La Cruz night at the
Cincinnati Reds and then watch him hit a grand slam.
So, you know, I just I have to mention it. Fabulous
night for, baseball. That's true. And that's pretty cool. And and
(00:50):
if I'm not mistaken, your daughter had some fun there too. Right? Yes.
And it was all just built out of an opportunity building connections.
You know? It's funny. We talk about the value in that and Yeah.
Getting connected with a group that was hosting a
youth cheer and dance night with some local university
students. And, yeah, she had a heck of a time. There was
(01:12):
a group of girls, I was down there. They were anywhere from seven
to 14 years old, got to go out right before the game
started and stand in the middle of baseball, great
American ballpark and perform a routine. So
talk about a confidence builder that kids just
they they never cease to amaze me. I mean, I you know, and there's many
(01:34):
adults that would be like, absolutely no. Thank you.
Yeah. But they went out and they just impressed a lot of a
lot of people. So it's always cool. You know, we hear a lot about kids
these days, but I have to admit, they're pretty awesome. So, yes,
that was an incredible, incredible time. Well, that sounds pretty
okay. And she had fun. Yeah. It was. That's pretty cool. I have
(01:57):
been on the field once before. Well, a couple of times. I did a tour,
but once actually, like, on the field in Seattle, I know that's, like, you
get to perform and then, you know, and then get to
see probably the team's best player have a great day. That's nothing
wrong with that. Everything kinda stacks up there to make it a perfect experience.
You know? And it was the baseball hat nachos that really just topped off
(02:19):
the nine for me. That can be a lot. I like
them too, but I oh, man. That is a lot. There is a picture of
the face of regret. So I'll have to send that to you. It's actually pretty
funny. So also that is, I did want to
come back to the conversation you and Jody had about the unconventional
benefits because that's something that I know for
(02:41):
a while companies love to talk about. Oh, we have ping
pong tables, you know, that whole silliness that I
like to believe is more just silly conversation starter
anymore that we don't see as much of that. However Yeah.
There is this desire. Everybody has their own story, their own
needs personally and professionally. So it has
(03:03):
become more common for people to make certain
requests when it comes to a job. They might get the offer,
and they might say, well, that's great, but work from home is a
big one right now or certain medical benefits. There's
always these questions around that. And so I thought it was really
interesting to hear you and Jody talk about,
(03:25):
you know, the different values and was curious on how you may
help people that are the in that position of looking for a job.
And when they have certain requests, how do you help them through
that process of asking for unconventional
benefits and navigating the ones that they are offered?
Right. Yeah. Great question. Because, I mean, a lot of people ask for it. I
(03:47):
mean and we, to be honest, on the recruitment side, we often get
candidates that we're trying to present to our clients that ask for something different or
they need something here or they need this week of vacation or, you know, stuff
like that. And I think that it really I
mean, there's a lot of things to consider here. Right? I think the first thing
that you mentioned was the ping pong table. Right? And, you know, and
(04:08):
I'll be the first to say that. And I said this when when Jody and
I chatted too. I mean, I wouldn't necessarily call the ping pong table like a
direct benefit that you get something for it, but, I mean, it's there and you
get to use it. What I mean by that is that the first thing I
always say, and and I mean, this is more on the employer side. We're gonna
be talking on the other side here in just a second. But the biggest thing
I always tell people is why are you adding this? Right? Like, what
(04:30):
culture of your company is not just having these things here. It's how people
think, feel, act, behave, what they value. And
these things benefits, ping pong tables, amenities, all these
things, they can contribute to that 100%, but
you have to ask yourself before you add any of these things, are
you just doing this to create the appearance of something? And
(04:52):
by that and a lot of people do it without even realizing it. It's just
that if you sit in the room and say, yeah. Yeah. You know, we'll have
a really great culture if we have this, then that will not
work. If you say, you know, what does this place need to be, and what
do people need to do, and what do our shared values have to be? What
are our shared behaviors, right, as we work here? And then does
this contribute? Does this foosball table or ping pong machine or whatever it
(05:16):
is contribute to those shared values? Then okay. Then
that that works. Right? The type of workplace atmosphere that
you're trying to create. Right? And so that's what I always say from the
employers. And now from the employee side, you have to ask the same question
more or less. And I think, Katie, the question that you're asking is kind
of surrounding, you know, like, the idea that say, hey. You've
(05:38):
given me an offer with this compensation package. I'd like something a little
bit different. Maybe it's not more or maybe it's not less, but I
would like something a little bit different for whatever reason. And you have to ask
yourself the same question. For what benefit? Right? Like, what is
this that's important to you, and why is it important to you? And is there
value in that importance to you? And sometimes it could be something as simple as
(06:00):
an extra week of vacation, or it could be something as simple as an extra
set of sick days if you need them, or it could be something more extensive
with your medical benefits. Or getting them a common one that I see
is that in Canada, a lot of times, you have to wait ninety days to
get access to your medical benefits. And so sometimes people just for
whatever reason, maybe they have a an issue or somebody in their
(06:22):
family needs extra attention or what have you, they need to get
those from day one. Right? And so if you're on the side
of the employee and you've gotten a deal and you're
not sure, you know, if it's the right deal for you and you need to
see something different in that to make it the right deal for you, there's nothing
wrong with that feeling, and it needs to get addressed. But you also have to
(06:43):
ask yourself very, very honestly, what is the value to
this and why? Why do I need it? Right? And that's where it always
has to start. It's why and what is the value. Tim, that's one of my
favorite questions. Why? And and Okay. I
think taking it back to one of the things you said, I think
was such it just really resonated me with me when you were mentioning
(07:05):
the shared beliefs, the values, the organizational piece
because, yeah, we hear that referenced a lot within an
internal system. We know employees might be aware of it. As
a job seeker, I have learned to ask
more questions about that cultural aspect
of why is that part of your values or your
(07:28):
beliefs and how can I expect to experience that as an
employee? Because listen, I've had some great benefits and
terrible work environments. So it's it's
definitely worth having them really, really explain
some of the values, beliefs, the organizational
purpose, mission. Any number of bold statements
(07:50):
that are made. Because the more you ask about those, if they can
give concrete examples, I feel like it gives a better
glimpse into how they really live that in each and
every day. If they shy away from it or
deflect to a dollar amount, it might be a bit
of a red flag because I've also been in positions where I've taken a
(08:12):
pay cut and yet the mental health aspect, the
value that comes from very traditional conventional
benefits Yeah. Just kinda putting this sometimes a
very traditional employee setup
can give you other benefits in
the mental health, the showing up to work.
(08:36):
And Yeah. I've also found that sometimes, even though it
might seem like they're real sticklers on work from
home flexibility or certain benefits, they're open to
conversation when it's embedded in their core values
and beliefs. So not to say that you shouldn't try to
ask for understanding around the benefits.
(08:58):
I just feel that it's not always
the it shouldn't always be the only piece because they might be
very willing to give you benefits, but that doesn't mean you're gonna have
much of a voice once you're there. That's, I guess, my little scary
soapbox. Well, that's right. And, I mean, that's not to mean that they should use
as a hammer against you either. I mean, the reality is that if they agree
(09:19):
to it, they should live by it. But I think too, like, there's certain things
that you can think about. Right? Like so, I mean, the most common one, Katie,
is people like an extra week of vacation. Right? And so and that happens.
Sometimes people are coming from a workplace where maybe they got four
weeks and and they're gonna be starting at three, and they're and they're gonna be
saying, look. I just wanna be at the same level that I was before. Okay,
(09:39):
fine. You can have that conversation. But the thing is, is that the organization and
then the person so I mean, to answer your original question, if you're the one
that's asking for this as the person, right, then you need to ask yourself,
well, what is the value to the company for that? Now it may well
be that the value is there is no direct return on
investment other than the fact that they get you. Right? They get you in the
(10:00):
organization. They're going to pay more, but they're going to get you. And that's that
is okay if that's the value. Right? But sometimes there has to be
other direct monetary value too, right, to them, and they need to
understand, and you need to kind of create that for them as well. You know,
I've often been a believer that if you ask a company to invest in something
in some way, shape, or form, or in you, right, as your
(10:21):
salary or whatever your total compensation
package is, then you need to be able to deliver
about 10 times value, right, for what their investment is in you. And
if that's everything they're investing in you from salary to
vacation time to like, basically everything that they invest in you, it's then you need
to deliver 10 times the return on investment, if that makes sense. Yep. And
(10:43):
so when you're thinking about adding that benefit to
your compensation package or you're thinking about adding that extra perk
for you, then you need to ask yourself, is, you know, when I consider
this and the value of this perk added onto the value of my salary and
everything else, am I going to deliver to them 10 times the return on investment
in whatever way, shape, or form that takes place? You know, for somebody like me
(11:05):
who does a lot of who does HR, then it's, you know, the return on
investment in having us do do these things for you
is that, you know, you get better recruitment and retention. Well, what's the value of
better recruitment and retention, and how much does retention and turnover cost you?
And and asking those types of questions. But you need to paint the picture of
what the company is getting back in return for their
(11:26):
investment in you. And you need to communicate that clearly no
matter what the benefit is. If it's extra, maybe your
your benefits package comes into play on day one instead of
after day 90. Well, that's gonna be an extra
$1,500 a year investment for the company. Well, can you demonstrate
that you are gonna deliver an extra $15,000 of
(11:48):
value over the year over and on top of what you already deliver based on
your salary. Right? And so you just need to make sure that you make that
value proposition clear and think about that, you know, when
you talk to an employer. The other thing I think you really need to think
about too is understand, be really self aware of what you're asking
for. Is this common? Is this normal? Is this needed? Right? Is this
(12:09):
something that you see elsewhere? Now, don't get me wrong, nothing becomes normal and
common until somebody disrupts things and makes it normal. And sometimes there's
space and room for disruption. But the reality too is that even if you are
going to disrupt, you need to know where you stand before you go in there.
You need to know what is market value for these things or what
is happening in the market. Is this a normal benefit to ask for? Is this
(12:30):
not a normal benefit to ask for? Is this something that you see elsewhere
or not elsewhere? And I think, again, sometimes there are things that
aren't provided by companies as benefits yet, at least not commonly, and it should
be. Then there may be a time and a place to disrupt and be disruptive,
and and there always is, But just be very self aware of what you're about
to do while you do it so you know what the uphill battle may be
(12:51):
in doing so, if that makes sense. That is fantastic. And I
think exactly what you said, having that self awareness,
being prepared to have a conversation and have
answers because there's likely gonna be questions in return. You
know, it's very possible they'll want to understand why you're
asking for it, what it looks like, what it as you said, what that value
(13:13):
is. And as a job seeker, you have to
also remain humble and understanding that, you know, are
you open to hearing why it may or may not work
out in the vision you had for that benefit? And
I am a firm believer, yes, you know your value that you
bring. Yeah. There's somebody coming in new. You also
(13:36):
have to be willing to showcase what
you're capable of. And there's always a
time to take a step back and hear where they're coming
from so that you can ultimately hopefully get that job and
make great things happen in the long term. That's certainly the
goal in looking for a job, I would like to believe.
(13:58):
Isn't it? Yeah. And I mean, I think to sum yeah. Right? And I think
to summarize, it's pretty simple. There's nothing wrong with you know, we talk about
unconventional benefits, and I know I've talked about extra vacation or or getting your
benefits waived early, but or your benefit waiting period waived early. But I think,
you know, like, one other thing to recall is that there are Jody and I
talked about other potential unconventional benefits too in the last
(14:20):
episode, you know, things around gig workplaces or Yeah. You
know, other types of time off and stuff like that. And I guess what I
really wanna drive home is that there's nothing, nothing, nothing wrong
with suggesting any of these things. Right? And it's good. And to
think of these things, and if you're somebody who wants to go ahead and suggest
these things, you know, to your current employer or a
(14:41):
prospective employer, that there's nothing wrong with that. That's a great thing to do, but
just be very self aware about, you know, how unconventional is this.
And then if it is unconventional, that's that's great and that's
fine. But then the next question is, you know,
then ask yourself the value proposition. Right? You know, what value is
this gonna drive home in some way, shape, or form? And it could be as
(15:02):
simple as increased productivity that's hard to put your finger on or or
other things, but you just need to be very clear about why this is gonna
drive value in some way. And you need to lead with that because this is
a two way economic transaction. Right? You are driving value for your
employer. They're driving value for you, and it's clear, and
you need to make that clear as well. Excellent. Well, if somebody is not
(15:24):
fully clear on how to make that happen, I would like to
suggest that they reach out to you, Tim. So how would they best get in
touch? That's easy. Thanks for asking. I can be emailed
at Tim@bestculturesolutions.ca, and our website is w
w w dot best culture solutions dot c a. Excellent. And I know you and
your team are always on top of it. So thank you so much. This is
(15:47):
certainly something that I know a lot of people looking for jobs often
tool around within their minds. So, hopefully, this gives them a little
clarity that, yeah, it's okay to ask questions. And if you're not sure,
reach out and get some more clarity. So I look forward
to talking with you again soon. We'll talk later. Thanks so much.
Welcome to the World at Work podcast where business leaders and job
seekers come together to create winning cultures and fulfilling careers.
I'm your host, Katie Courant, and I am here with Tim
Dix, founder of Best Culture Solutions. Tim, it's great
to be talking with you again. I would say so, and I'm not even gonna
say anything to you about the recent series between our two favorite
(00:28):
baseball teams. Well, I might remind you that the series
before that one that I happen to get to be there and
go on the field on Ellie De La Cruz night at the
Cincinnati Reds and then watch him hit a grand slam.
So, you know, I just I have to mention it. Fabulous
night for, baseball. That's true. And that's pretty cool. And and
(00:50):
if I'm not mistaken, your daughter had some fun there too. Right? Yes.
And it was all just built out of an opportunity building connections.
You know? It's funny. We talk about the value in that and Yeah.
Getting connected with a group that was hosting a
youth cheer and dance night with some local university
students. And, yeah, she had a heck of a time. There was
(01:12):
a group of girls, I was down there. They were anywhere from seven
to 14 years old, got to go out right before the game
started and stand in the middle of baseball, great
American ballpark and perform a routine. So
talk about a confidence builder that kids just
they they never cease to amaze me. I mean, I you know, and there's many
(01:34):
adults that would be like, absolutely no. Thank you.
Yeah. But they went out and they just impressed a lot of a
lot of people. So it's always cool. You know, we hear a lot about kids
these days, but I have to admit, they're pretty awesome. So, yes,
that was an incredible, incredible time. Well, that sounds pretty
okay. And she had fun. Yeah. It was. That's pretty cool. I have
(01:57):
been on the field once before. Well, a couple of times. I did a tour,
but once actually, like, on the field in Seattle, I know that's, like, you
get to perform and then, you know, and then get to
see probably the team's best player have a great day. That's nothing
wrong with that. Everything kinda stacks up there to make it a perfect experience.
You know? And it was the baseball hat nachos that really just topped off
(02:19):
the nine for me. That can be a lot. I like
them too, but I oh, man. That is a lot. There is a picture of
the face of regret. So I'll have to send that to you. It's actually pretty
funny. So also that is, I did want to
come back to the conversation you and Jody had about the unconventional
benefits because that's something that I know for
(02:41):
a while companies love to talk about. Oh, we have ping
pong tables, you know, that whole silliness that I
like to believe is more just silly conversation starter
anymore that we don't see as much of that. However Yeah.
There is this desire. Everybody has their own story, their own
needs personally and professionally. So it has
(03:03):
become more common for people to make certain
requests when it comes to a job. They might get the offer,
and they might say, well, that's great, but work from home is a
big one right now or certain medical benefits. There's
always these questions around that. And so I thought it was really
interesting to hear you and Jody talk about,
(03:25):
you know, the different values and was curious on how you may
help people that are the in that position of looking for a job.
And when they have certain requests, how do you help them through
that process of asking for unconventional
benefits and navigating the ones that they are offered?
Right. Yeah. Great question. Because, I mean, a lot of people ask for it. I
(03:47):
mean and we, to be honest, on the recruitment side, we often get
candidates that we're trying to present to our clients that ask for something different or
they need something here or they need this week of vacation or, you know, stuff
like that. And I think that it really I
mean, there's a lot of things to consider here. Right? I think the first thing
that you mentioned was the ping pong table. Right? And, you know, and
(04:08):
I'll be the first to say that. And I said this when when Jody and
I chatted too. I mean, I wouldn't necessarily call the ping pong table like a
direct benefit that you get something for it, but, I mean, it's there and you
get to use it. What I mean by that is that the first thing I
always say, and and I mean, this is more on the employer side. We're gonna
be talking on the other side here in just a second. But the biggest thing
I always tell people is why are you adding this? Right? Like, what
(04:30):
culture of your company is not just having these things here. It's how people
think, feel, act, behave, what they value. And
these things benefits, ping pong tables, amenities, all these
things, they can contribute to that 100%, but
you have to ask yourself before you add any of these things, are
you just doing this to create the appearance of something? And
(04:52):
by that and a lot of people do it without even realizing it. It's just
that if you sit in the room and say, yeah. Yeah. You know, we'll have
a really great culture if we have this, then that will not
work. If you say, you know, what does this place need to be, and what
do people need to do, and what do our shared values have to be? What
are our shared behaviors, right, as we work here? And then does
this contribute? Does this foosball table or ping pong machine or whatever it
(05:16):
is contribute to those shared values? Then okay. Then
that that works. Right? The type of workplace atmosphere that
you're trying to create. Right? And so that's what I always say from the
employers. And now from the employee side, you have to ask the same question
more or less. And I think, Katie, the question that you're asking is kind
of surrounding, you know, like, the idea that say, hey. You've
(05:38):
given me an offer with this compensation package. I'd like something a little
bit different. Maybe it's not more or maybe it's not less, but I
would like something a little bit different for whatever reason. And you have to ask
yourself the same question. For what benefit? Right? Like, what is
this that's important to you, and why is it important to you? And is there
value in that importance to you? And sometimes it could be something as simple as
(06:00):
an extra week of vacation, or it could be something as simple as an extra
set of sick days if you need them, or it could be something more extensive
with your medical benefits. Or getting them a common one that I see
is that in Canada, a lot of times, you have to wait ninety days to
get access to your medical benefits. And so sometimes people just for
whatever reason, maybe they have a an issue or somebody in their
(06:22):
family needs extra attention or what have you, they need to get
those from day one. Right? And so if you're on the side
of the employee and you've gotten a deal and you're
not sure, you know, if it's the right deal for you and you need to
see something different in that to make it the right deal for you, there's nothing
wrong with that feeling, and it needs to get addressed. But you also have to
(06:43):
ask yourself very, very honestly, what is the value to
this and why? Why do I need it? Right? And that's where it always
has to start. It's why and what is the value. Tim, that's one of my
favorite questions. Why? And and Okay. I
think taking it back to one of the things you said, I think
was such it just really resonated me with me when you were mentioning
(07:05):
the shared beliefs, the values, the organizational piece
because, yeah, we hear that referenced a lot within an
internal system. We know employees might be aware of it. As
a job seeker, I have learned to ask
more questions about that cultural aspect
of why is that part of your values or your
(07:28):
beliefs and how can I expect to experience that as an
employee? Because listen, I've had some great benefits and
terrible work environments. So it's it's
definitely worth having them really, really explain
some of the values, beliefs, the organizational
purpose, mission. Any number of bold statements
(07:50):
that are made. Because the more you ask about those, if they can
give concrete examples, I feel like it gives a better
glimpse into how they really live that in each and
every day. If they shy away from it or
deflect to a dollar amount, it might be a bit
of a red flag because I've also been in positions where I've taken a
(08:12):
pay cut and yet the mental health aspect, the
value that comes from very traditional conventional
benefits Yeah. Just kinda putting this sometimes a
very traditional employee setup
can give you other benefits in
the mental health, the showing up to work.
(08:36):
And Yeah. I've also found that sometimes, even though it
might seem like they're real sticklers on work from
home flexibility or certain benefits, they're open to
conversation when it's embedded in their core values
and beliefs. So not to say that you shouldn't try to
ask for understanding around the benefits.
(08:58):
I just feel that it's not always
the it shouldn't always be the only piece because they might be
very willing to give you benefits, but that doesn't mean you're gonna have
much of a voice once you're there. That's, I guess, my little scary
soapbox. Well, that's right. And, I mean, that's not to mean that they should use
as a hammer against you either. I mean, the reality is that if they agree
(09:19):
to it, they should live by it. But I think too, like, there's certain things
that you can think about. Right? Like so, I mean, the most common one, Katie,
is people like an extra week of vacation. Right? And so and that happens.
Sometimes people are coming from a workplace where maybe they got four
weeks and and they're gonna be starting at three, and they're and they're gonna be
saying, look. I just wanna be at the same level that I was before. Okay,
(09:39):
fine. You can have that conversation. But the thing is, is that the organization and
then the person so I mean, to answer your original question, if you're the one
that's asking for this as the person, right, then you need to ask yourself,
well, what is the value to the company for that? Now it may well
be that the value is there is no direct return on
investment other than the fact that they get you. Right? They get you in the
(10:00):
organization. They're going to pay more, but they're going to get you. And that's that
is okay if that's the value. Right? But sometimes there has to be
other direct monetary value too, right, to them, and they need to
understand, and you need to kind of create that for them as well. You know,
I've often been a believer that if you ask a company to invest in something
in some way, shape, or form, or in you, right, as your
(10:21):
salary or whatever your total compensation
package is, then you need to be able to deliver
about 10 times value, right, for what their investment is in you. And
if that's everything they're investing in you from salary to
vacation time to like, basically everything that they invest in you, it's then you need
to deliver 10 times the return on investment, if that makes sense. Yep. And
(10:43):
so when you're thinking about adding that benefit to
your compensation package or you're thinking about adding that extra perk
for you, then you need to ask yourself, is, you know, when I consider
this and the value of this perk added onto the value of my salary and
everything else, am I going to deliver to them 10 times the return on investment
in whatever way, shape, or form that takes place? You know, for somebody like me
(11:05):
who does a lot of who does HR, then it's, you know, the return on
investment in having us do do these things for you
is that, you know, you get better recruitment and retention. Well, what's the value of
better recruitment and retention, and how much does retention and turnover cost you?
And and asking those types of questions. But you need to paint the picture of
what the company is getting back in return for their
(11:26):
investment in you. And you need to communicate that clearly no
matter what the benefit is. If it's extra, maybe your
your benefits package comes into play on day one instead of
after day 90. Well, that's gonna be an extra
$1,500 a year investment for the company. Well, can you demonstrate
that you are gonna deliver an extra $15,000 of
(11:48):
value over the year over and on top of what you already deliver based on
your salary. Right? And so you just need to make sure that you make that
value proposition clear and think about that, you know, when
you talk to an employer. The other thing I think you really need to think
about too is understand, be really self aware of what you're asking
for. Is this common? Is this normal? Is this needed? Right? Is this
(12:09):
something that you see elsewhere? Now, don't get me wrong, nothing becomes normal and
common until somebody disrupts things and makes it normal. And sometimes there's
space and room for disruption. But the reality too is that even if you are
going to disrupt, you need to know where you stand before you go in there.
You need to know what is market value for these things or what
is happening in the market. Is this a normal benefit to ask for? Is this
(12:30):
not a normal benefit to ask for? Is this something that you see elsewhere
or not elsewhere? And I think, again, sometimes there are things that
aren't provided by companies as benefits yet, at least not commonly, and it should
be. Then there may be a time and a place to disrupt and be disruptive,
and and there always is, But just be very self aware of what you're about
to do while you do it so you know what the uphill battle may be
(12:51):
in doing so, if that makes sense. That is fantastic. And I
think exactly what you said, having that self awareness,
being prepared to have a conversation and have
answers because there's likely gonna be questions in return. You
know, it's very possible they'll want to understand why you're
asking for it, what it looks like, what it as you said, what that value
(13:13):
is. And as a job seeker, you have to
also remain humble and understanding that, you know, are
you open to hearing why it may or may not work
out in the vision you had for that benefit? And
I am a firm believer, yes, you know your value that you
bring. Yeah. There's somebody coming in new. You also
(13:36):
have to be willing to showcase what
you're capable of. And there's always a
time to take a step back and hear where they're coming
from so that you can ultimately hopefully get that job and
make great things happen in the long term. That's certainly the
goal in looking for a job, I would like to believe.
(13:58):
Isn't it? Yeah. And I mean, I think to sum yeah. Right? And I think
to summarize, it's pretty simple. There's nothing wrong with you know, we talk about
unconventional benefits, and I know I've talked about extra vacation or or getting your
benefits waived early, but or your benefit waiting period waived early. But I think,
you know, like, one other thing to recall is that there are Jody and I
talked about other potential unconventional benefits too in the last
(14:20):
episode, you know, things around gig workplaces or Yeah. You
know, other types of time off and stuff like that. And I guess what I
really wanna drive home is that there's nothing, nothing, nothing wrong
with suggesting any of these things. Right? And it's good. And to
think of these things, and if you're somebody who wants to go ahead and suggest
these things, you know, to your current employer or a
(14:41):
prospective employer, that there's nothing wrong with that. That's a great thing to do, but
just be very self aware about, you know, how unconventional is this.
And then if it is unconventional, that's that's great and that's
fine. But then the next question is, you know,
then ask yourself the value proposition. Right? You know, what value is
this gonna drive home in some way, shape, or form? And it could be as
(15:02):
simple as increased productivity that's hard to put your finger on or or
other things, but you just need to be very clear about why this is gonna
drive value in some way. And you need to lead with that because this is
a two way economic transaction. Right? You are driving value for your
employer. They're driving value for you, and it's clear, and
you need to make that clear as well. Excellent. Well, if somebody is not
(15:24):
fully clear on how to make that happen, I would like to
suggest that they reach out to you, Tim. So how would they best get in
touch? That's easy. Thanks for asking. I can be emailed
at Tim@bestculturesolutions.ca, and our website is w
w w dot best culture solutions dot c a. Excellent. And I know you and
your team are always on top of it. So thank you so much. This is
(15:47):
certainly something that I know a lot of people looking for jobs often
tool around within their minds. So, hopefully, this gives them a little
clarity that, yeah, it's okay to ask questions. And if you're not sure,
reach out and get some more clarity. So I look forward
to talking with you again soon. We'll talk later. Thanks so much.
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