Global – Job candidates shift priorities, Futurestep finds

By memberservices@staffingindustry.com (Elizabeth Rennie, CCWP)

Companies face fierce competition to find qualified candidates, and the top priorities of those job candidates is shifting, according to a global survey released today by Futurestep.

The top reason candidates choose one job over another today is “company culture,” survey respondents reported. This compares to five years ago, when respondents cited “benefits packages” as the top reason for choosing a job.

“Millennials are absolutely looking for culture and fit,” said Jeanne MacDonald, Futurestep’s global operating executive and president, Talent Acquisition Solutions. “They want to feel good about where they’re working and require a shared sense of purpose. Gen X, on [the] other hand, are more interested in taking their skill set to a place where they can make an impact. Organizations with a culture of acknowledging that impact also have a greater chance of retaining top talent of that generation.”

When asked what would be the top reason a candidate would choose one job over another five years from now, the highest percentage of respondents chose “flexible working.” According to MacDonald, a flexible environment — from working remotely to flex hours — is becoming common across many industries.

In addition, businesses are seeing changes due to the rise of the contingent professional workforce, or “gig economy.” The report noted 73% of survey respondents reported that they use a contingent workforce on either a regular or as-needed basis.

“Instead of looking for full-time employment, talented, high-demand people will take contingent assignments where they can showcase their unique skills and talents, then complete the project and move to the next gig,” MacDonald said.

The survey also found 54% of hiring professionals reported it’s harder to find qualified talent compared to one year ago. The most sought-after candidate roles varied by region:

EMEA: The most difficult role to fill in this region is sales at 22%, followed by engineering at 18% and IT at 14%.

APAC: Research and development and sales tied for being the hardest role to fill at 22%, and operations and engineering tied at 13%.

Latin America: Respondents said the most sought-after candidates are working in IT at 23%, followed by sales at 17% and operations at 12%.

North America: Nearly one quarter of respondents in this region, 24%, said that IT vacancies are most difficult to fill, followed by engineering at 17% and operations at 14%.

Futurestep’s data comes from a global survey of more than 1,100 talent acquisition and human resource professionals across various industries. The study was conducted in autumn 2016.

Source:: Staffing Industry Analysts Daily Newsfeed