3 Benefits New Parents Should Look for in Their Job Search

3 Benefits New Parents Should Look for in Their Job Search3 Benefits New Parents Should Look for in Their Job Search Whether youre re-entering the workforce or simply looking for a change of pace, both parents and soon-to-be parents face unique challenges while job hunting. Considerations move far beyond basic benefits and salary questions. Asking, How well can I take care of my family with this job? raises the stakes much higher than asking, How well can I take care of myself and my partner with this job?And when you add in the fact that everyone - parent or not - wants to best serve their career goals with every job change, the situation becomes much more complicated.At Zappos , Ive been fortunate enough to experience a workplace that is not only family-friendly, but in some ways, family-first. Since I began working at Zappos, Ive had two children. Ive seen the landscape evolve from flexible for parents to supportive to parents. Its a subtle distinction, but its an important one. Although Zappos employees may be uniquely lucky in that respect, there are certain features that parents in any field should keep top-of-mind while interviewing for new roles.Here are the top three to considerFlexibility alone isnt enough, but its indispensable, particularly for new parents. Working around daycare hours, adjusting to a new nanny, even adjusting to the transition back to the workplace itself is difficult Id never recommend going into an interview and asking, How flexible are you when I have childcare concerns? but do pay attention to how flexible they are with scheduling in general.Having an employer who focuses on getting the work done well instead of when youre doing the work is nice-to-have for a single person, but its a game changer for a parent.One benefit Ive been seeing more and more employers offering is a ramp back program. It can take many forms, allowing parents to ease back into their working lives after staying at home with thei r little ones. At Zappos, we created a program around this mindset. We offer a program that allows new parents to work on an altered schedule so their transition back to work after maternity or paternity leave is less stressful. When heading back to work, parents arent always prepared for how disorienting the change can be. One day, youre in all-consuming baby mode, the next youre back at your 9-to-5. Its a drastic change New parents shouldnt be penalized for taking maternity or paternity leave. Employers should make coming back as easy as possible.Benefits arent always intangible - dont forget to take a look around at what they offer at the office.Here at Zappos, were always learning from like-minded companies and listening to feedback from our employees. One benefit weve recently implemented is emergency off-site daycare, meaning that parents never have to be put in the uncomfortable position of trying to find child care belastung minute.We also have mothers rooms throughout th e building for nursing mothers. I think this is really cool, because it means that if youre breastfeeding, you no longer have to be relegated to the bathroom or closet, which is unfortunately too real for lots of moms. Not only do our mothers rooms offer privacy, Zappos also provides hospital-grade pump machines (no more lugging bulky kits to work) and refrigerators in every room to store the milk.While not every company has the resources for pump rooms or daycare , its important to think about proximity to your child while job hunting. Shaving off an extra minute here and there means a lot.Traditional benefits are still extremely important.A lot of companies are catching up with fantastic maternity and paternity benefits - at Zappos, we offer 4 months off at 100 percent pay, with an extra month ahead should it be medically necessary. When doing research on maternity leave policies, there are few that offer one year of paid time off or anything close to it so when you find a goo d policy jump on itOur healthcare is similarly impressive, and great for families. We cover 100 percent of health care for employees and 50 percent of health care for dependents. When you get down to brass tacks, your health care plan is one of the most important benefits you get from your workplace. Even though parenthood presents a new host of considerations for your job hunting, dont forget to interrogate the foundational stuff that would make or break another opportunity, pre-parenthood. Emergency daycare and offering flexibility in schedules is nothing without a healthcare plan that is both affordable and makes sense for your family.