What to ask about benefits when starting a new job

The excitement of starting a new job is often accompanied by the anxiety of stepping into a new working environment. Yes, you’ve gotten past the salary negotiation and a high-level review of benefits, but now that you’re officially on the team, how do you know – and take advantage of – all the employee benefits available to you?

Larger organizations are likely to have official – even mandatory – benefits orientations, which painstakingly outline everything from how you accrue vacation time to the different flavors of health insurance. But can a seminar or online training session detail all that’s available? And how could it possibly cover the unexpected?