What candidates look for in a new employer

If you’re looking to make a hire, it’s likely you have an ideal candidate in mind. But have you considered what candidates look for in a new employer? Will your offer appeal to them?

When considering a job offer, candidates weigh up far more than just prospective job responsibilities. Factors like the team, commute, working hours, style of work, company values and company history can all have significant weight in their decision to accept a job offer.

So, how can you ensure you put your best foot forward?

Here we look at what candidates look for in a new employer and how you can improve your recruit by writing a more accurate job description.

What candidates want

While remuneration is still an important consideration for candidates, it is far from the only deciding factor.

According to research from SEEK, the following weigh into a candidate’s decision:

1. Financial security – 2 in 5 rates this as the most important.
2. Work/life balance – almost 50 per cent say this is more important.
3. Job security – 2 in 5 rates this as the most important.
4. Flexible hours – 50 per cent of those surveyed said flexibility in some form was important.
5. Good working relationships – rated as somewhat important.
6. Value and culture alignment – rated as somewhat important.
7. Leadership style – rated as somewhat important.

What candidates look for in a new employer: Improve your recruit

Improving your job ad—a candidate’s first interaction with the role and company—will help to paint an authentic, accurate and enticing picture of the position.

In fact, surveys show candidates rate honesty in a job ad as very important and note it is essential that bonuses or benefits are not overstated.

To perfect your job ad, ensure you include the following details:

1. A list of duties and responsibilities.
2. An accurate representation of job security; if this is a contract role without the chance for an extension, be clear.
3. Any career growth opportunities.
4. The location the work will be completed, including any flexible work arrangements.
5. The industries or areas the work will be focused on, for instance, the Newcastle and Hunter region.
6. Specific experience or skills required to complete the job.
7. Desirable experience or skills, that are not required to complete the job but may broaden the appeal for the position.
8. Any qualifications required.
9. Any benefits or an accurate description of what you are offering as part of the job package.
10. Contact details for the hiring manager.

Once you have made note of the essential details, then you will string this together to paint a picture of the opportunity. The language you use is important. (See: The power of storytelling in hiring.)

Consider:

1. Not using a template. Every job opportunity should be treated as a blank canvas. While you may use the same headers to break up the body of the text for consistency, avoid copying and pasting entire blocks of text.
2. Briefly detailing company objectives. You don’t need to include your five-year plan, but simply stating a well-known goal, “We’re on our way to being the biggest supplier in the region” conveys job security and ambition.
3. Conveying culture. Most companies know to mention culture; however, few describe it. There are big differences between a tight-knit team and a social office of a few hundred. Do your best to include a few details so candidates can gauge if this sounds like the environment for them.