Recruiting is a tough game. From getting the wording on your job ad right, to finding the best applicant, to making an offer and then signing the deal, there’s plenty to think about.

Having a bit of information about what job applicants want might make the process easier. So we’ve scoured some recent surveys* to see what it is that jobseekers are really looking for. And here it is:

A clear and reasonable salary - While salary isn’t the be all and end all, it is important to jobseekers. In fact, in the Adobe Future Work survey, 85% of respondents said they’d be put off applying for a job that didn’t show the salary range. For jobseekers in the BCG What Jobseekers Want Employers to Know report, a lack of financial compensation was the #1 dealbreaker..

Fulfilment - Employees want a sense of fulfilment at work and to feel like they were doing something worthwhile and able to be authentic. While 68% of respondents in the PwC Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey said fair financial reward was the most important factor, 64% said that finding the job fulfilling was important and 62% wanted a job where they could truly be themselves.

Many respondents felt their current employers didn’t give them enough support for ethical decision making or did enough to minimise impacts on the environment or dealing with other socio-economic issues. For most of our Do-Good employers, job fulfilment and environmental impact is an easy tick, so make sure to emphasise this in your recruitment process!

Worklife balance - When BCG asked people to envision their ideal career a stable job with a good worklife balance was the most popular response. Two thirds of those in the PwC survey who could work remotely preferred a hybrid work arrangement - 56% of New Zealanders surveyed liked hybrid work.

A great recruitment process - 66% of the respondents in the BGC survey said a timely, smooth process was the number one way for an employer to stand out during recruitment. And more than half said they’d refuse an otherwise good offer if they’d had a negative experience during the recruitment process. That means what you do before the job offer matters!

A reminder too that as a do-good employer the way you deal with candidates is a reflection on your brand, your cause, your potential donors, supporters and more. Make sure you have the process nailed - if you’re not sure what this should include, register your earlybird interest in our Recruit for Impact workshop here

Employees are willing to move, and your for-purpose organisation could be the place to go

PwC’s survey found that one in five respondents were thinking about switching to a new employer and jobseekers were looking for companies with a good record. In New Zealand only 59% of respondents were either moderately or very satisfied with their jobs.

The good news is that there are people out there looking for work and are potentially looking for a for-purpose role that more closely aligns with their values. That means plenty of opportunities for your for-purpose organisation. The hard part is attracting those people.

So what can you do as an employer to make sure that you are getting the right applicants AND are making your organisation a great place to work?

Ethical job ads and ways to make your organisation the right choice

“Realise that applicants are not robots and treat us as individuals” - that’s what one applicant who responded to the BCG survey said. And that’s great advice.

When you are recruiting you should aim to treat applicants as you’d treat your employees - and as you’d like to be treated. Consider the following:

Ethical job ads - Write a job ad that is clear and gives applicants a true idea of what the job entails. And be clear about what you can offer - don’t promise things like remote or flexible working if you can’t uphold that. Make sure your job ad (and your whole recruitment process for that matter) fits with the values your organisation promotes. Access our resource on the 3E’s of writing an ethical job ad here.
Show the salary - Remember those Adobe graduates who were put off by job ads that didn’t clarify the pay? Our job seekers tell us the same thing - knowing the salary before applying is important. Plus it adds transparency to your recruitment process. Many employers are afraid of adding salaries because they think it will reduce the number of people applying for the job. But unless you can seriously negotiate for the right candidate, look at it this way - stating your salary might put a few people off, but the ones who do apply will already be on the right track, and it will save you time in your recruitment process. We encourage all our employers to list a salary or salary range.
Consider compensating people for their time during the recruitment process - Most job applicants expect to write a cover letter or fill in an application form and attend one interview. If your recruitment process entails more than that - say a written test or a second panel interview or an exercise workshop for the final 2-3 candidates, then consider if you can compensate short-listed candidates for their time. This only needs to be something simple like a selection of chocolate or a Prezzy Card, but it tells people that you value their time.
Communicate - Sometimes recruitment takes a while, especially if you wear several other hats alongside the HR one. If the process is drawn out or going to be delayed then communicate. Most people don’t mind a slight delay as long as they know where they stand. And talking of people knowing where they stand, do contact all applicants even if they aren’t successful. There’s nothing worse than not knowing!
Give genuine feedback - Sure, giving feedback to all applicants takes time. But it helps them, it helps your organisation (especially if you wouldn’t mind them applying for another role) and it helps the for-purpose sector as a whole, because with each bit of feedback an applicant gets better. Take time to give genuine feedback to applicants, especially those who reach the interview stage. Highlight what they did well and give them a few tips on what could be improved, whether that’s a better hook on their cover letter or more confidence at an interview.