For employers who are making key decisions towards their hiring and retention strategies, one of the most important pieces of knowledge they can have is what makes employees stay with an organisation, and what makes them move.
For HR professionals, research from the What Workers Want report revealed whilst pay is a major influencer, workplace culture and benefits are also key.
Culture
Whilst it’s no surprise pay is generally rated highly, interestingly, findings showed that workplace culture is rated the second most important factor when it comes to deciding whether to stay with a company or take on a new role, with 65% of HR professionals reporting they would take a pay cut to work for an organisation that offers a more diverse and engaging culture.
An inclusive workplace culture is one that celebrates success, is open in communication and tailors career development paths for each individual. Culture and communication are closely intertwined. Employees should feel they can talk about any issues they are having which may have an affect their work-life balance. Employees in the HR sector want to feel their career development is being approached on a personal basis in an organisation where they are a strong cultural fit.
My advice to employers is to make sure you are mindful of what you are offering HR professionals in terms of their workplace culture. Taking the time to sell what it is about your culture that creates workplace satisfaction may well be the differentiator in your recruitment and retention programmes.
Benefits
Our research found that HR professionals are more likely to assess a potential employer’s benefits offering when considering whether to accept a new job than any other profession surveyed. Most HR professionals have a comprehensive understanding of rewards and benefits, so it makes sense that they are interested in what an employer is offering.
In particular, our findings found that HR professionals care most about benefits such as flexible working and training opportunities. 53% of HR professionals surveyed always look at flexible working policies when assessing a potential new employer, 6% higher than the overall average.
On par with flexible working, 53% of HR professionals reported that they always consider training policies when assessing a potential new employer. Notably, mentoring is much more desirable than in house training. 62% of HR professionals stated they want to receive this, however only 28% reported they do.
When it comes to benefits, flexible working and training, it seems HR professionals want options that are tailored specifically to them. Those employers who seek to understand what their HR staff want and reinforce what is currently available to them will be well placed to retain these professionals in the long term.
My advice is to talk to your HR staff regularly about their careers, and you can even look to offer formal training opportunities and mentorship specifically to your HR team, in addition to what is already offered by your organisation.
For further information visit: www.hays.co.uk/what-workers-want
