How many of your employees are already looking for their next job? The past few years have brought about dramatic shifts in attracting and retaining top talent. Employees now have higher expectations of their employers, and they are searching for jobs that meet both their professional and personal needs.
Although pay is still important, additional factors have now become as, or even more, significant. Specifically, employees are looking for organizations that align with their personal values. Workers are quitting by the millions but most of them are not leaving the workforce. Instead, they are moving to new opportunities that better align with their needs and beliefs.
It’s important for employers to understand what employees are searching for in the workplace. Otherwise, your business risks missing out on the candidates you want and losing the current employees you need. Here are some of the key things that employees are looking for from an employer, whether they are searching for a new job or they are already working at your company.
Flexible Working Arrangements
According to a recent FlexJobs employment survey, 84% of workers view flexible work hours as a top priority, even more important than money.1
While the traditional 9 to 5 working hours still remain in many companies, since the pandemic, progressive businesses have switched to more flexible working arrangements. Flexible work schedules make work-life balance easier to obtain and consider the needs and responsibilities employees have outside of their job descriptions. Flex hours give parents and carers the ability to manage both their job and personal responsibilities. They also allow employees the ability to include self care into their day, whether that is focusing on their physical or emotional health. When employees feel at their best, they also perform at their best.
Another essential factor for many job seekers is your workplace's culture. Employees want a strong and positive company culture that inspires collaboration and success. Whether it is policies about returning to the office or the level of mental health support available, the points of view of senior leaders and employees are sometimes miles apart. It’s time to gather feedback. Surveys, team meetings, 1:1 interviews - find out how your employees are feeling and what they value in a good corporate culture.
Approximately 88% of job seekers agree that having a healthy company culture is essential to the success of a business.2 Almost 90% of employees will avoid a business that has a poor reputation or a negative company culture.
Employees now want enhanced benefit packages that provide bonuses, discounts, and financial security. There is also a growing demand in the need for employee wellness offerings.
Fewer people are willing to put up with ongoing stress in the workplace. Employees want more than a quick lunch break in the middle of a hectic day. They are now searching for employers that genuinely care about their health and wellbeing and actively reduce the stress that is placed on their staff.
When an employer offers wellness initiatives and clearly cares about the health of their team members, job satisfaction and employee morale increase. This boosts employee retention and may capture the attention of top talent.
A factor that has become increasingly important for both employees and employers in the last few years is diversity and inclusivity. Over half of working professionals look at a company’s employment diversity and inclusion practices when searching for work.3 Employees want safe, fair and transparent workplaces that respect the whole person, not just the employee.
Strong diversity and inclusion policies help to foster trust between teammates and within the company, creating a culture that is more creative, does a better job of knowledge sharing and is more open to other perspectives.
Ready to invest in a holistic wellbeing solution to see happier and more productive employees? Book your discovery call today to see how Sprout At Work can move the wellness needle in your organization.