There's a greater emphasis these days on working in teams and on employee feedback. That's another mark of a good employer. At AMS University, a training center at its Fairfax complex, more than 75 percent of employees took a course last year in business techniques or computer programming. AMS also sponsors Windows in the Glass Ceiling, a program to help midlevel women managers reach senior management. The need to attract and retain good people explains the benefits being offered.
Most companies now allow some form of flexible work hours.
Employees are asking for casual dress codes, emergency childcare, and even on-site massage. Bonuses and stock options are becoming routine. Nearly all corporate employers pay bonuses when an employee recommends someone for a job who is then hired. At Internet pioneer America Online, employees who refer new hires get a shot at a Harley-Davidson. Net2000, a telecommunications firm in Herndon, leases a new BMW or Dodge Durango for star employees.