Get healthier to shape up your job search
According to FitnessMagazine.com, the number one song for sweating it out these days is Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack.” Not exactly sweating to the oldies.
The question is, with the mounting cost pressures on employer-sponsored health plans, can projecting a healthy glow in interviews bring the sexy back to your job search?
Tim Sackett, executive vice president for HRU Technical Resources, on his blog Fistful of Talent, suggests some companies may be paying closer attention to evidence of good health these days when it comes to hiring:
Is making your employees go get a health screen a bad thing? Probably not … The fact of the matter is we have a broken healthcare system and most employers have to do something to reduce costs. So they can either interview under the precursor ‘does this person look young and healthy’, or we can allow them some slack to help make their own workforce a bit more healthy.”
I know what some of you are thinking: there may be age and disability discrimination issues at play here. And while those concerns should be taken seriously, there is an unmistakable trend among employers to promote fitness and healthy living among their employees — as a proactive step to reduce healthcare expenses, sick days, and other costs.
According to a report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Home Depot was so sure about the positive benefits of shaping up that the company sponsored a program to help workers set exercise goals. Nearly 1,500 employees participated in the three-month voluntary program and few dropped out. The result? Increased stamina — but even more importantly, improved group and organizational goal-setting and a rise in peer encouragement.
So why buck the trend? Talent, skill, experience, a good interview, good coaching and a positive outlook remain the biggest factors in landing your next job … but being and looking healthy is a bonus that could sway in some circumstances, and a little working out never hurt anyone. Especially during the rigors of a job search.
By the way, if you’re not a Justin Timberlake fan, a couple of other hot workout songs — according to Fitness Magazine — are “It’s Not Over” by Chris Daughtry and “This is Why I’m Hot” by the Mims. Those tunes should help you keep focused on the job search.
