WCOTW: WHAT MAKES YOU AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE?

What makes you an employer of choice?

If you want to attract some great quality candidates, there are a few key attributes that your company needs to possess:

Firstly, candidates aren’t looking for a job in which they know their career will not progress. They are looking for an employer where they know that there are training opportunities provided, and that they will be able to work their way up the ranks. Employees want the opportunity to advance and grow in their work and have the freedom to further their careers. Training within the company won’t just be beneficial for the employee, but also for the employer. Training provides new skills for the employee that can then be implemented into the employer’s company. A work environment of continual learning and progression is one that will attract eager and hardworking candidates.

Salary is one of the main driving factors in a candidate’s job search. A candidate isn’t going to be enticed by a job where the pay is unreasonable, or below average. A competitive salary is more likely to attract candidates and make you an employer of choice.

A company with attractive benefits and incentives is obviously going to create some candidate attention. Companies such as Google are renowned for their great company benefits. If you are a small company, attractive benefits may be difficult for you to provide, so you should get creative with them. Some companies are even allowing employees to bring their pets to work as one of their benefits! The most common benefits a company will provide are health insurance, a pension and vacation days. If you make these benefits just that little bit more appealing or ‘beneficial’, then good quality candidates are more likely to look your way.

Charities Aid Foundation carried out some research, in which they found that a quarter of candidates are now preferring to choose to work for employers that have a strong ethic of donating to charity. This is something a company needs to show and report on so that potential employees can see. Employees like a company where it is possible for them to derive a sense of meaning from their work, and they want to feel good about the companies they are working for and the message the company is portraying.

Overall, one of the most important attributes of an employer of choice, is that the company has a good reputation within their market. Quality candidates aren’t going to be attracted by a company with a poor reputation.

What do you look for in an employer? Comment below!