However different generations and individuals may be, there are consistent themes when it comes to values and priorities among today’s talent.
Here’s what is important to candidates of any generation are looking for in an employer today:
Great salary
This is an obvious one, of course, but it bears repeating: in the tough hiring market of today (one in which 70 percent of the global workforce is made up of passive candidates), in order to catch the attention of people already employed and not necessarily looking for another opportunity, you’re going to have to pay them well and provide excellent benefits. (Employers definitely complied in 2019, by the way.)
Speaking of benefits…
Job candidates are asking for – and often getting – some pretty terrific benefits along with those strong salaries.
The Society of Human Resources says healthcare remains the benefit employees care about most in 2020. Yet a really coveted benefit is the ability to “see” a healthcare professional without ever visiting a doctor’s office: the availability of telemedicine benefits has grown threefold since 2016, with 72 percent of organizations reporting that they offered it as a benefit to employees in 2019.
A non-traditional benefit: the chance to work remotely
This is, basically, HUGE! Employees love this perk so much that some HR experts believe it soon won’t be seen as a perk but as a requirement for employee retention, especially if an employer wishes to attract top talent.
Candidates want more than a job; they want a career path
The 2019 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workplace Happiness Index reported that providing workers with advancement opportunities could be the best way to improve employee satisfaction.
What’s more, employees today expect their employers to provide advancement opportunities as a matter of course, particularly as it relates to career and personal growth.
Employees are looking for help managing their finances
Bank of America reported last year that 53 percent of companies now offer financial wellness programs to members of their workforces. Such programs could include access to online tools to help with budgeting, retirement/investment planning, debt management and even receiving advice from financial planners.
Help with elder caregiving
Boomers themselves are reaching their 70s and members of Generation X are right behind them, with the oldest GenX-ers reaching their mid-50s. This means more employees in the workforce are pulling double duty as family caregivers as parents age and need more help.
Your workers need help! Help them and yourself by offering a more all-inclusive family leave benefit, one that includes the option of taking time off to care for elderly family members (here’s a reminder that family leave for newborns and adopted children also remain SUPER important). Converting your paid family leave policy to one that can be used for all life stages and kinds of caregiving can be a great way to attract – and keep — terrific workers.
Help with student loan repayment
Such a benefit would help attract workers of all ages, from millennials to workers aged 50-plus, a group that owed more than $260 billion in student debt in 2018.
In fact, the CEO of Goodly, a company that helps employers offer loan help as an employee benefit, said in 2019 that “one key to improving employee retention is to provide meaningful benefits, not just fun perks,” adding that student loan repayment benefits can be one of the “most cost-effective employee benefits employers can offer.”
Recruiting IT talent made easier
Attracting and hiring top IT pros is by no means easy today, even if your company offers top-of-the-line benefits. Matlen Silver can help source, approach and screen these professionals for your direct-hire and contract-to-hire opportunities. Schedule a chat to learn more.
