Job seekers have a selection criteria too!

Just as employers have a wish list of preferred candidate qualities, job seekers too have their ideal selection criteria when it comes to choosing an organisation to represent. And companies need to take notice! If you want to attract the best candidates, you need to know what their employment values are. Let’s take a look…

Ask around and the organisational values that are continuously seen as being the most valued from an employee’s point of view are as follows. And while I offer the below as the top core values employees seek, they are in no particular order. Yet employers you do need to be mindful of these desirable organisational characteristics if you are to build a marketable reputation that attracts top quality candidates to your vacant positions:

  • Offers work life balance
  • Offers flexible working arrangements
  • Offers career development and opportunities for professional growth
  • Has strong leadership and mentors
  • Recognises and rewards effort/achievements
  • Sound values embedded within a strong company culture

While it is important for employees to have a fulfilling role, it is equally important that their need for a meaningful life outside of work is recognised by their employer. If an organisation is to achieve success they must understand that their employees have responsibilities, relationships and roles external to the workplace. Cluttering an employee’s days and evenings with work commitments and responsibilities will soon lead to burn out and resentment. Room for success outside of the workplace must be provided for. Ignore this and sooner or later a resignation will be penned. Offering flexible working arrangements on an as-needs basis can also go a long way to balancing work and personal needs.

Often when seeking out a new position, a job seeker is looking to take the next step in their career. So they need to see that there is scope in the role to grow and develop their skills, knowledge and experience. In fact, this can be the primary motivator for the ambitious job seeker. The astute employer will pitch meaningful investment opportunities to mentor, advise, instruct and encourage employees who will derive long term purpose and vision from these promises. Strong leadership and the potential to develop under a more seasoned manager is a powerfully appealing drawcard.

Of course, no candidate wants to be taken for granted. And employees can easily become caught up in the day to day operations of their business and forget to recognise efforts and accomplishments. The undervalued employee whose hard work and contributions goes unappreciated will develop a negative attitude. The danger of course with this is that this attitude influences the organisation’s culture. And not in a good way! Your reward system needs to be a part of your recruitment strategy. Candidates need to recognise that by choosing your organisation, they will be appreciated.

Finally, a job seeker wants to engage with a company that has a clear vision, sound values and an admirable reputation. How many times have you reached out to your networks to enquire after a company’s character when considering a role within their ranks? We all want to represent a company whose principles align with our own personal and professional values. It provides us with a sense of belonging. And when we respect our employer, it is manifested through hard work and devotion.

It goes without saying that a hiring manager wants to employ the best candidate on the market. In most instances the best employees are happily employed. They are not considering moving on from their current position, thus are not active in the job market. Presented with the right incentives though, even the most settled employee would sit up and take notice of a new opportunity. So understanding that your candidates too have a selection criteria, you can tailor your job advertisements to appeal to their wish list. Thus in lies the challenge to build a recruitment process that attracts the ideal candidate to your door…even if they’re happily employed elsewhere!

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SJ Personnel offer recruitment and HR services to businesses and candidates throughout Geelong, Surf Coast, The Bellarine and western Victoria region

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