In ‘The Big Resignation’ Era, Here’s What Job Seekers Want From Employers

While many people held off changing jobs in 2020, the current year is showing employees are ready to move onto something different. Whether they’re looking for a remote office location or are relocating altogether, employees want more from their employers than just a steady paycheck. Some workers may even be prepared to quit their jobs if certain expectations aren’t met, prompting “The Big Resignation” of 2021 and beyond.

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So what will it take to attract and retain top talent in the modern job market? Here’s what 15 members of Forbes Human Resources Council say job seekers are looking for in a potential employer right now.

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1. Flexible Benefits
Employees are looking for flexibility from prospective employers, not just in terms of working from home, but also in the benefits offered. If an organization’s benefits have typically been focused on an office-based workforce, they’re going to lose ground in the new hybrid-working world. Benefits need to be flexible and work for each individual employee rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

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2. A Personalized Workplace
People want individualized workplaces. This means more than just flexibility to decide where and when they work. It is also about how they work and how their work is measured. For instance, 86% of employees say they want to work for a company that prioritizes outcomes over output. Offer a personalized employee experience the same way you offer personalized products and services to your customers.

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3. An Efficient Response To The Pandemic
Prospective employees are evaluating employers in all facets. How did they treat their employees during the height of the pandemic? How was the business financially impacted by the pandemic and what is the growth trajectory of the company? How organized or disorganized is their candidate experience? How much turnover has the company experienced and what is being done to proactively retain talent?

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4. Balance Between Personal And Professional Values
Alignment to purpose and values has been important, but now is more of a criterion for career moves. Many employees’ priorities, goals and needs were reevaluated during the pandemic, and workers need to feel like they are doing work that resonates with their own sense of self and contribution. A match between personal and professional values and purpose is necessary for great work to be done.

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5. Recognition Of Shifting Values
This is a multipronged challenge for employers. The shift in employee mindset has moved from career advancement and total compensation to a greater focus on the things that matter, to what they value the most. This also includes things like a healthy organizational culture, positive and effective leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion and flexibility in how or where they work.

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6. Flexible And Remote Work Opportunities
Remote work and flexibility are crucial for retaining talent in the current environment. Leaders must realize employees may look at flexibility differently and may want to offer a range of benefits, such as employee assistance programs and wellness classes. Offering higher pay is a short-term solution. Creating a culture that values work-life balance will attract and retain top talent.

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7. Meaningful Benefits And Investments
Meaningful benefits like good healthcare, child and eldercare, unlimited PTO and especially career development opportunities. After living through a pandemic, and not knowing whether your job, your company and even your industry would be around when the pandemic was finally over, people’s priorities shifted. They’re looking for tangible proof that employers are invested in their futures.

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8. Potential For Growth
So often companies are looking to hire the candidate that is doing the exact same job today, but typically when a candidate is seeking new opportunities, they’re wanting to expand their skillset and take on new tasks. In recent years, the employer needs and employee needs haven’t been well-aligned. Today’s labor market offers more opportunities for employee and employer alignment.

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9. Positive Impact And Safety Measures
The perfect combination of purpose and safety. Over 70% of the workforce expects that their employer will build products and services that create a positive impact for the community. Purpose-driven work is now a non-negotiable factor. That combined with safety, both physical and psychological. Knowing I can show up as my whole authentic self at work every day.

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10. Strong Company Culture
I don’t believe this is new, but I do believe it is amplified due to the last 18 months. People want a strong culture or community that they feel they fit. They want opportunities for growth and development. And, they want to feel trusted to do the job they were hired to do. Self Determination theory talks about these basic psychological needs for motivation.

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11. Authenticity And Upheld Promises
While this isn’t a common answer, new research shows that authenticity is one of the most valued job attributes that job seekers value in their employers. They want to know that the company is who they say they are and that the employee experience and internal company actions match public promises and perceptions. Authenticity gets at the heart of this.

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12. ‘Whole Person’ Leadership
“Whole person” leadership and flexible work environments to enable healthy personal and professional harmonization. A culture that resonates with their personal needs is key.

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13. Prioritizing Wellbeing
Employee expectations have changed and wellbeing is a top priority. Employees today want to work for an organization that genuinely cares about their employees’ mental and physical health. This means offering flexible working, prioritizing work-life balance, instituting healthy workplace practices and encouraging your employees to have mental health conversations.

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14. Reflection Of Personal Values
Now more than ever, people realize they have choices, and they are looking for employers who reflect their personal values. Companies must be authentic and transparent about what they stand for. Individuals are prioritizing a variety of factors, and where they choose to work is just one of many considerations. To be an employer of choice, you have to make it worth their while to join your cause.

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15. Sense Of Purpose
Fulfillment of personal sense of purpose. The pandemic gave us pause for reflection. What we want in our lives, in our careers and the people we want to surround ourselves with are things with which we grappled. Finding an organization that will support and fulfill our affirmed or newly discovered, personal purpose in life will make for a much better job or company alignment and engagement.

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Source: Forbes.com / October 18th, 2021