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Skilled employers demand top pay and benefits for their labor. The need to attract the best talent and employees means companies need to offer more than the basics. Companies must offer increasingly higher pay, and more-lucrative benefits to be competitive. This may include any number of additional benefits on top of the mandatory benefits already provided.

This may be working against them.

More job hunters are focusing on benefits now more than ever before. A March 2016 survey by LinkedIn, sampling from over 26,000 members, noted close to 55% more interested in benefits over any other aspect of the job. With so much to gain through employment benefits, more cases of employees abusing them occur. Employers need to watch for warning signs or risk losing millions.

Workers who show more interest in the benefits than the job are less likely to perform well and may be difficult to manage. They may carry or even spread negative attitudes, affecting other workers. Employers need to protect themselves. Here are 3 red flags employees may abuse benefits:

1. They Are Overly-Interested In Benefits 

It’s normal for prospects to ask questions about benefits included with the position. It’s not normal to focus solely on that. Benefits are part of a job, along with many other aspects and responsibilities. They should be discussed only after the potential employee demonstrates an interest in the rest of the job. Be aware of any prospects who show unusually high levels of interest in voluntary benefits such as:

  • Working from home
  • Paid leave
  • Overtime compensation
  • Vacation time
  • Insurance plans and coverage
  • Bonuses and incentives

These and other benefits are wonderful ways to attract top-level talent but may also attract scammers. If these topics are an issue during the interview process, that prospect may be a potential benefit abuser. It is important to flush these prospects out before they become employees. A mistake early on can be a costly error later.

Helpful interview questions include:

A: Why are you interested in this position?

B: What are you passionate about in your work?

C: How would you comment on this firm’s operating environment?

D: What improvements would you suggest for the company, if offered the job?

E: How would you combine your unique talents with the colleagues in your department?

What to do: If a candidate is showing too much interest in the benefits, tactfully steer the conversation back to job responsibilities. If the candidate continues to focus on benefits they are likely not prepared for the position, or too interested in the benefits.

2. They Are Not Passionate About The Job

We aren’t always able to spot scammers during the hiring process. Some employees manage to navigate the process without setting off alarms. Others may begin as good employees but lose interest in their position over time.

Enthusiasm as an indicator.

Employees enthusiastic about their position are easy enough to spot. They show passion and energy toward their position and advancement. Enthusiastic employees collaborate, lead projects and mentor colleagues. It’s hard to fake genuine enthusiasm.

Be wary of employees who demonstrate a cursory interest in their jobs. Look for a lack of enthusiasm about business direction and affairs and a focus on benefit-related topics. These employees often operate without much teamwork and do not show initiative.

3. They Do Not Maintain A Job For Long

Employment verification is a useful tool for protecting your company. This can help you determine if a candidate is likely to stay with the company or leave after exhausting the benefits. Individuals more interested in benefits than the job are less likely to remain in a position for very long. Employees like this exist in a perpetual state of employee dissatisfaction. They move from job to job for any number of reasons, preying on employers.

A study on United States Worker Advantages Trends (performed by Metlife) reports up to 36% of millennials between 21 and 24 would have no problem changing jobs within a year to search for better benefits.

Employees will leave positions for various reasons. Personal development, family, and school are all normal reasons for moving on. The candidates to watch are those constantly on the lookout for the next best deal. These individuals will change positions often and may give conflicting reasons for doing so.

Somewhere along the way, the idea was born employers stopped calling to verify past employment. You are absolutely encouraged to contact former employers to verify the work history for your candidate. Records that don’t match are an obvious warning sign.

 

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