6 of the Highest Priorities for Job Seekers in 2024
As we adjust to a new normal in the post-pandemic world, recruiters in many countries are facing considerable challenges. Even before the advent of Covid-19, recruiters were already grappling with shifting demands in the recruitment and selection processes.
With workers retiring later, younger and more diverse workforces have different priorities and needs. With many marketplaces becoming increasingly competitive, brands have to go above and beyond in terms of differentiating themselves from the competition, helping them to appeal to top talent in a digital world.
For candidates, accepting a job offer is a very personal decision, potentially marking the beginning of a very important relationship that could potentially define years — and even decades — of their lives.
From the employer’s perspective, hiring choices are a critical business decision. Despite the onset of an economic slowdown, unemployment remains low globally, with many companies still reeling from the impact of the Great Resignation. Today more than ever, employers need to work hard to win over top talent, particularly in high-demand fields, where a lack of suitable candidates creates bottlenecks, impeding business growth and elevating the talent issue to the C-suite level.
From flexible working practices to career progression, we look at some of the biggest priorities for job seekers in 2024 and beyond.
1. Work-Life Balance
When considering a job offer, candidates need to weigh a variety of different factors, each of which has its own level of significance. According to a TechGig poll involving 950 participants, work-life balance has emerged as the number one priority for the majority of candidates, with 32% of respondents showing a strong desire for equilibrium between their professional lives and personal well-being. As professional environments continue to evolve, achieving a healthy and sustainable work-life balance has become integral to job satisfaction. Indeed, work-life balance outranked growth opportunities in candidate decision-making, according to TechGig, with many respondents even deeming it a bigger priority than salary.
2. Flexibility
From remote working to job sharing, job seekers are increasingly seeking autonomy over how and when they work as part of their employment wish list. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Report, candidates continue to show a preference for remote working practices, even as employers scale back on remote and hybrid job postings. By way of illustration, according to LinkedIn, remote job postings in the United States reached an all-time high in February 2022, representing a colossal 1 in 5 of all US job postings. These remote positions attracted a staggering 50% of all job applications. By September 2022, remote job posts slid to just 14% of total vacancies, yet received 52% of all applications. LinkedIn’s data demonstrates a strong desire for flexible work arrangements from job candidates, even if employer enthusiasm for remote working has cooled.
3. Income and Benefits
Rate of remuneration is a critical factor for any candidate weighing a job offer and continues to rank as one of the most important considerations. In the wake of the Great Resignation, candidates are acutely aware that it is a job seeker’s market, with huge pressure on businesses to implement wage increases as they seek to enlist and retain top talent. Today’s market-savvy job seekers are well aware of their opportunity to make more money, instilling in them the confidence to expect and ask for higher pay.
4. Company Culture
When sizing up a potential employer, candidates are excited by organizations capable of uniting their team in the pursuit of a common goal. Indeed, according to a 2021 poll, a lack of connection to the company’s purpose was a leading reason for employees to quit in huge numbers that year. Job seekers are not only being swayed by generous staff perks, but companies presenting the opportunity for staff to champion causes close to their hearts, particularly organizations that instill a sense of belonging, making employees feel like part of something bigger than themselves.
5. Job Security
Approximately half of all applicants are looking for roles that provide greater stability and security than their current position, according to a Gallup poll. Nevertheless, for many workers, the notion of what job security really looks like has changed since the pandemic. For many employees, two years of daily uncertainty regarding their health and the economy has helped them to see their role, the company they work for, and the wider industry in a new light. The onus is therefore on businesses seeking to attract top talent to demonstrate that they are a stabilizing force that employees can rely on.
6. Career Progression
Having seen huge volatility in the labor market throughout the pandemic, many job applicants are hungrier than ever before for career advancement, with a renewed focus on job opportunities that help them to take on new responsibilities and broaden their experience and skill sets. According to a 2022 survey from Indeed, “expand my career path” was the second most important motivator for job seekers. For employers, investing in staff development and training is a fantastic way to not only keep workers incentivized and happy, but widen internal skillsets, knowledge, and experience to position the company for success.
