I read an article in the Weekend Australia some weeks ago that discussed the results of a survey from a recruitment agency (to remain nameless). The article was about what top performers are looking for in their next employer.
I must confess I am often skeptical about these surveys and related studies. They usually don’t really give any indication about the size, number, and demography of their respondents. I question their statistical rigor and validity, and I get the impression that they are using the survey to market themselves.
The particular survey I was reading about indicated that the agency had input from jobseekers from a broad range of industries. This included from top-level CEOs to entry level positions. They then broke down jobseekers by various job categories.
They said the survey highlighted that salary was not the key item offered by the employer they were next looking at. The study said, “flexible working conditions and culture were most important.”
Very interesting and not surprising I thought to myself. However, I suspect these two variables were forced choice selections from a list the respondents had in the survey.
I personally believe there is something more fundamental that jobseekers are looking for. Something that most employees are fundamentally hard-wired to try to find during their working day, and with their current or next employer.
Through the course of HR Reviews, Career Transition Programs, and Recruitment assignments that I have been involved with I always hear employees directly (and indirectly) talk about one thing they are looking for.
The one thing I hear most often hear from employees in what they are looking for is that they “want to be able to make a contribution”. Employees naturally want to feel they are having an impact on what the organisation is doing.
When staff don’t feel they are making a contribution, they often start to think about looking elsewhere, and invariably go someplace else.
So, what’s an employer to do? What’s a leader to do?
Communicating with staff is a good simple first step.
Asking how they can best contribute in their role, get their ideas, and allow them to run with some of the practical ideas can be pretty powerful stuff.