4 Things Your Candidates Are Looking for in a Job

A job is so much more than doing the tasks and getting paid. It’s a place where you connect with others, and you want to enjoy where you work, right?

Job satisfaction is important. Some of that satisfaction comes from day-to-day responsibilities and compensation, but nowadays, a large portion comes from what is included in the job outside of tasks. What candidates want can be subjective, but we work with candidates every day.  Here are the top four things your candidates are looking for in a company.

1. Candidates are Looking for Work-Life Balance

Years ago, work-life balance was a foreign concept for some people. The pandemic changed that.  As remote work became the prominent workforce model, the removal of commuting allowed people more time to focus on their lives outside the office and spend more time with loved ones. This balance ultimately led people to reprioritize their lives outside of the office.

While many companies have returned to the office, 70% of candidates still place work-life balance as a non-negotiable when looking for new jobs.

How can you show candidates that your organization values work-life balance? Practice flexibility in the workplace. Do you allow people time to step away to go to a doctor’s appointment or pick up their kids from school? Allowing this type of flexibility can help you affirm your company’s position on work-life balance and enact initiatives that support this. It can attract candidates to your open positions and help retain current employees in your company.

2. Candidates Want Good Benefits

It’s become a standard practice for companies to offer benefits. A typical benefits package comprises health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. Considering this is an expectation for all candidates, how do you make your benefits package stand out?

Adding more to the standard package is the most lucrative way to do this. This can look like ample paid time off, student loan reimbursement, and more. Although this may not sound like a lot, investing in your people is something candidates pay attention to when looking to work at your company. The more you can stand out from other companies, the more candidates you can attract to your organization.

3. Candidates are Looking for Flexibility

The transition from in-person to remote work transformed how we understood what working in a corporate setting meant. From cubicles to work-from-home setups becoming the norm, people have become comfortable and sometimes prefer working from home to in the office. It eliminated distractions that offices full of people can bring, allowing for less time commuting and more time with loved ones. With this change, people began to see the many pros that working from home offered and realized that working five days a week in the office wouldn’t cut it anymore.

Many companies that went fully remote now require employees to come to the office five days a week, or at least work a hybrid schedule. In the competition to find talent, offering flexibility with workforce models can help you stand out to candidates.

There are a lot of benefits to offering work-from-home options, too. Allowing employees to work from home can help them reduce stress, lead to greater productivity, improve their health and well-being, and promote work-life balance.

4. Candidates Want a Positive Work Culture

The average person spends 90,000 hours at work throughout their lifetime. That’s a lot of time to be somewhere. With that much time spent at work, candidates want to go somewhere they feel comfortable and supported, not somewhere they dread showing up to every day. Employers need to consider this when cultivating their office culture.

Everyone can agree that everyone wants to work somewhere with a positive work environment, so it’s important to prioritize this at your company. Doing so will not only help you attract talent to your organization but also help you retain this talent. A few ways to do this are:

• Defining your values
• Enabling employees to share feedback
• Learning from your mistakes

Embracing these three things can lay the foundation for employees to feel comfortable working at your organization.

How to Attract Talent to Your Job Postings

There are a lot of factors as to why candidates accept jobs. This can range from flexibility, office culture, and your benefits package. Understanding and listening to what candidates are looking for can ensure you get top talent to your organization.

Once you know what candidates are looking for, you can work with them to create a positive experience at your company. But first, you need to find talent and Addison Group can help! We have more than 20 years of experience connecting clients with industry-leading candidates who can innovate your organization. Reach out to us today!