We've been all over the world surveying the applicants of the future to find out what they want from prospective employers – be they public or private sector, local schools or global banks.
The Randstad Award is the world’s largest independent employer branding survey - three times the size of any other similar study, polling nearly 200,000 people and covering a substantial 75% of the global economy.
It measures the brand awareness and attractiveness of 5,000 employer brands across both public and private sectors, and helps us put together a definitive ‘must have’ list to let employers know what you, their future potential applicants, look for in a brand.
Here are the top 4 trends you should be aware of:
1. Money matters
During 2011 and 2012 job security was hailed as the most important factor for jobseekers but this year, we've seen the importance of salary and benefits attract 62% of the vote; an 8% increase on last year, whilst job security has dropped 14%.
Although so many positions outside of the private sector are hugely vocational or governed by strict salary bandings, that doesn't mean that money doesn't matter. In addition to remuneration, employees expect personal development and career progression opportunities now, more than ever.
2. Honestly…we're a bunch of softies over here…
For the first time in four years, the Award measured the ‘soft’ values people at the start of their careers look for in prospective employers.
In the UK, the most important factor was honesty (23%), closely followed by security (17%) and reliability (13%).
Honest and reliable were rated the most important values in 17 of the 23 countries, whilst strong and intelligent were the top values in China/Hong Kong and Russia, respectively.
The three least important softer values or attributes worldwide were thrilling, daring and masculine.
3. Collaboration is key
Results show poor cooperation with colleagues voted as a main contributing factor to adverse impact on work-life balance, with 44% claiming it as a high risk factor. This is particularly true for women responding to the survey.
4. Relax…we're working
The results show that the younger generation surveyed (aged 18-39) were more attracted by career progression opportunities whilst the older generation (40-65) favoured convenient locations.
However, all age groups would like to see a more relaxed work schedule and less stress.
When asked what would motivate people to stay longer with an employer, the top answers were fewer working hours and adaptive working hours. Flexible working remains an important factor for 30% of respondents.
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