What Do Candidates Want?

By Paula Santonocito

The knee-jerk answer is they want jobs. But in todayís job market, the correct answer is actually a bit more complex.

Most important attributes of employment
ì2007 Job Forecast,î a survey commissioned by CareerBuilder.com, the largest job site in the U.S., conducted by Harris Interactive, provides insight into key factors that influence job satisfaction--and job seeking. The survey of 6,169 workers and 2,627 hiring managers and human resource professionals garnered attention this past January for its findings that one-in-five workers would seek new jobs this year.

But itís what theyíre seeking from new jobs, and why, that offer opportunities for employers and recruiters.

Pay. For a lot of employees, pay is an issue. The survey finds 33 percent of workers are dissatisfied with their pay, and perhaps with good reason. Twenty-six percent of employees did not receive a raise in 2006. Among those that did get a raise, one-in-five were given an increase of 2 percent or less. And additional income in the form of bonuses did not make up the difference for most. Sixty-seven percent of workers did not receive a bonus.

Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com, says the survey highlights how over the last couple of years a lot of companies have scaled back raises and scaled back salaries for new hires.

But change may be on the horizon, at least with regard to new hires. Over the last couple of months, many employers have begun to realize, at least with regard to professional positions, that in order to attract experienced candidates theyíre going to have to offer higher salaries.

Career Advancement. Pay isnít the only aspect of employment causing discontent. The survey finds 35 percent of workers are dissatisfied with career opportunities provided by their current employers. Eighty-five percent did not receive a promotion in 2006, and 26 percent felt they were overlooked.

Haefner also sees this as indicative of the business environment for the past two or three years. ìA lot of organizations were making fewer changes,î she says.

Although business did not come to a complete standstill, the climate was more stagnant. Instead of a dynamic, growth environment where there was a chance to move up, a typical company tended to offer an opportunity for a longer term fit.

Work/Life Balance. The ability to better integrate work and other aspects of life is also on the minds of many employees. The survey finds that more than one-fourth of workers, 27 percent, are dissatisfied with work/life balance. Forty-five percent say their workloads have increased over the last six months.

Once again, Haefner sees the business climate as a factor. For the last couple of years, organizations have been hiring less staff, she says. Making do with fewer people has meant employees have been required to do more. Not surprising, it has taken a toll on work/life balance.

Training/Learning. Worker dissatisfaction extends to training and on-the-job learning as well, with 33 percent of surveyed employers indicating they are dissatisfied with opportunities provided by their current employers.

Haefner links this back to findings on career advancement dissatisfaction, indicating it suggests that some organizations limit training to employees who are in line for promotions or advancement.

She also cites another factor. Because a lot of employers have encouraged workers to seek training and education independently, expressed dissatisfaction among those surveyed may relate more to the methods of available training, as opposed to overall opportunities.

What employers can do
The CareerBuilder.com survey findings may cause employers justifiable concern, and have some looking at implementing changes. But what if an employer canít offer higher salaries, rapid career advancement, fewer hours that result in more free time, and robust learning opportunities?

Itís largely a matter of a company putting what it does offer front and center. ìThe number one area of opportunity I see is just being specific,î Haefner says.

For example, instead of merely saying, ìWe offer great training and career advancement,î Haefner recommends explaining what that means, in detail: ìIn the first three months, youíll receiveÖ and ìEvery year we offerÖî

ìEmployers need to look at career opportunities. Are there success stories within the organization?î Haefner says. ìThere are a lot of things they can do to showcase their offerings.î

Nevertheless, there arenít many companies embracing this sort of strategy. One issue may be limited resources. ìIt takes a great deal of time and work and weíre all very, very busy,î Haefner says.

But she also thinks organizations are sometimes hesitant because they may feel they canít commit to specific training offerings. However, in order to attract candidates, she suggests employers lock in and hedge their bets.

The same applies to work/life balance. Since work/life balance means different things to different people, employers should detail what it means within their organizations. ìThe candidate wouldnít know unless youíre specific,î Haefner says.

Making the most of messaging
Online recruitment offers a huge opportunity for employers to get specific and, in turn, sell their organizations.

Haefner points out that the market for candidates is competitive, and each company is in a race against others. Although many employers include specifics about offerings at their corporate careers sites, Haefner thinks more can be done to hook candidates initially, as they peruse postings at job sites.

ìIím a big fan of entry point. Donít hope theyíre going to go to your site,î she says.

The job posting should serve to cast the broadest net to get as many candidates as possible, according to Haefner. ìI think itís being specific, and itís good old-fashioned sales,î she says.

Haefner acknowledges it isnít always easy, in part because there are so many different things to say and a job posting canít be too long. ìFocus on whatís more important,î she advises.

Best practice example
And a few smart employers are doing exactly that. Consider an unlikely employer as an example: the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

A job posting at CareerBuilder.com for a Science Patent Examiner addresses three key concerns of job seekers: pay, work/life balance, and training/learning.

The job posting begins by explaining the government office: ìThe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), located just outside the nationís capital, is the government agency responsible for granting intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks.î

It then goes on to detail Career Opportunities:

ìAt the USPTO, our engineers and scientists make decisions every day that play a crucial role in fostering economic growth and creating new jobs. Using a combination of technical research and legal analysis, we work to determine whether to grant patent protection for new inventions. USPTO employees receive both formal and hands-on training on the legal and technical requirements for the patent. They support the major functions of the examination and the issuance of patents and the registration of trademarks.

ìThe educational requirement for a Patent Examiner position is a Bachelor of Science or higher degree in one or more engineering or science disciplines, in particular chemistry, computer science, physics. If you want to balance your personal life with your professional needs, the USPTO has what youíre looking for! We offer an unparalleled benefits package that includes:

ï Enhanced Federal Government Salary Rates
ï Law School Tuition Reimbursement Program
ï Flextime or Alternative Work Schedules
ï Paid Overtime or Comp Time
ï 10 Paid Holidays Each Year
ï Business Casual Dress Policy
ï Performance Awards and Productivity Gainsharing
ï Transit Subsidy
ï Health Benefits Plan
ï Comprehensive Retirement Package
ï 13 Vacation and Sick Leave
ï Job Security

At the USPTO, we are dedicated to building a workforce as diverse as the ideas that drive the global economy.î

If this werenít enough, the employer provides more information about the patent process: ìMore than six million patents have been granted since the patent system was established in the late eighteenth century. Each patent protects the inventorís exclusive right to profit from his/her invention. Today, this protection lasts for 20 years from the date of application or 17 years from the date of grant, whichever is longer.î

And the employer offers additional financial incentive for taking the job: ìThe US Patent and Trademark Office is offering Electrical and Computer engineers, hired as Patent Examiners, a recruitment incentive of up to $9,900 per year for a maximum of four years. A service agreement will be required.î

Finally, there is no question about qualifications: ìU.S. Citizenship is required.

All positions are located in Alexandria, VA directly outside of the Washington, DC. metropolitan area. Relocation is required!î

As this example illustrates, itís not quantity of information that makes online recruitment messaging successful. Rather, itís the specific details and the word choices that support those details.

A carefully crafted job posting can go a long way toward providing candidates with meaningful information about the position and the organization, while tapping into what it is theyíre seeking from a potential employer.

Paula Santonocito is a journalist specializing in workforce management issues. She is the author of more than 500 articles on a wide range of topics, including online recruitment, which she has covered since the early days of Web-based employment advertising and candidate sourcing. In addition to serving as features editor of Online Recruitment Magazineís North American edition, she also serves as AIRS News editor, overseeing news content for the global recruitment training and technology solutions company at www.airsdirectory.com. Articles by Paula Santonocito are featured in many global and domestic publications and information outlets, including HRWire, a publication to which she regularly contributes. She can be reached at psantonocito@yahoo.com.

Hear Scott Lichtman, COO, Nitron Advisors develop this topic at the Onrec Conference and Expo 18/19 September 2007