As a recruiter or hiring manager, you're aware that attracting talent is easier said than done. In today's relatively healthy job market, there's a world of opportunity out there for skilled job seekers, which means you'll need to take extra steps to reel the right players in. With that in mind, job site Glassdoor did some research to determine the factors that make candidates most likely to apply to open roles, and here's what it found:
|
Factor Prompting Candidates to Apply |
Percentage of Candidates For Whom It's a Priority |
|---|---|
|
Attractive benefits and company perks |
48% |
|
Easy, convenient commute |
47% |
|
High salary |
46% |
|
Good work-life balance |
43% |
|
Work-from home option |
41% |
DATA SOURCE: GLASSDOOR.
If your company has been struggling to fill open positions, you might consider working to address these requirements. Otherwise, you may come to find that the most talented workers out there take their skills elsewhere.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.
1. Solid benefits
Never underestimate the importance of an attractive benefits package. In an age when medical care is so expensive and time off can be hard to come by, offering a solid health plan and generous vacation policy is a good way to capture the attention of prospective hires. But don't just focus on big-ticket items; remember to incorporate some less-common benefits that might push interested candidates over the edge. Offering free snacks and on-site wellness programs, for example, might catch job seekers by surprise in a very good way.
2. An easy commute
As an employer, there's only so much you can do to control the amount of time your employees spend commuting, since that's going to be a function of where they live. What you can do, however, is offer more flexible scheduling so that commuting becomes a less harrowing process for those who need to do it. For example, if your office is located in a busy part of town, you might allow employees the option to alter their working hours so they're not hitting rush hour. And if parking is a problem, providing a subsidy will go a long way. Implementing these policies will not only make your current team happier, but will serve as a nod in your favor when you share them with prospective hires.
3. Competitive salaries
Though you don't necessarily need to offer the highest salaries in your industry to attract talent, you do need to make sure the numbers you're putting out there are competitive. It pays to invest some time into researching salary data to ensure that your company is at least keeping up. Glassdoor is loaded with salary information that will help inform your compensation-related decisions, and it's just one of many resources available to employers.
4. Work-life balance
In a recent survey, only 30% of American workers said they're satisfied with their work-life balance. If you want to entice candidates, be sure to create a company culture that allows employees to separate work and home life, and make that abundantly clear to prospective hires. You may even come to find that some job seekers are willing to forgo a little extra money in favor of not having to deal with late-night work matters on an ongoing basis.
5. The option to work from home
Allowing employees to work from home achieves several key purposes. It helps them avoid an unpleasant commute, gives them a better work-life balance, and in many cases, increases productivity. These days, a growing number of businesses are allowing employees to work from home, and that's not a trend you want to lag on. If you're uncomfortable with full-time work-from-home arrangements, you can offer them on a part-time basis to start. You can also frame this particular option as a privilege that proven performers are granted over time, which gives candidates something to work with.
Knowing what factors are most appealing to job candidates can help you be more strategic in establishing and advertising open roles at your company. Of course, incorporating all of the above into a job description takes some finesse, but even alluding to some of these features might help attract the right applicants. Just be ready to back up whatever claims you include in your job listings. If you state that your company offers competitive salaries, great perks, and flexible scheduling, be prepared to stand behind those statements. As long as you do, there's a good chance you'll draw in the candidates you want.
