What are employees looking for in a new role?

Recruiters have a number of tools at their disposal to ensure they secure the right candidates – from specialised recruitment software to social media channels.

However, for all these new tools, there are still factors which continue to present a challenge for recruiters. One of these is the question of remuneration, which is constantly changing as applicants seek new offerings from their employer.

These have recently been explored in a survey from Accountemps – part of recruitment firm Robert Half. The research considered what criteria individuals are looking for in a new position, beyond simply the question of pay.

However, this research also took a unique approach – combining a poll of both employees and chief financial officers (CFOs) to understand whether or not there was a mismatch in the way these groups consider to be the qualities that are attracting top staff.

For CFOs, the top incentive they believed staff would value was better benefits, with 41 per cent rating this as an effective tool. On the other hand, 19 per cent stated that more paid holidays would appeal to staff.

This contrasts markedly with the responses from individual staff members. For employees, paid holidays came out as the top priority they would like to see when seeking a new position. Further benefits came in second place, with 26 per cent citing this as a major issue when they begin a job search.

Accountemps underscored that this research revealed the mismatch between hirers and those searching for a job, especially when it comes to annual leave. The research suggested that managers looking to engage with their employees can do more here, by setting an example and taking time off work throughout the year. According to the study, increasing paid holidays might be an easy way to attract and retain staff without making widespread changes to a corporate benefits package.

As competition for talented workers increases, being able to offer the right remuneration package is only going to become more important for recruiters and organisations alike.