Hays delves into the new generation of candidate priorities in today's labor market

Higher salary, development and promotion opportunities, location and nature of work performed: these are the reasons why employees most often consider changing jobs. The current market favors specialists with appropriate competences that translates into their unwavering optimism. It also means that candidates are considering more aspects of the potential workplace than before.

Hays Poland research shows that most employees are actually optimistic about their professional future. Consistently high, the percentage of employees that declare having all the competencies necessary for their current position as well as skills that they can successfully use in the future is over 80%. And although companies make every effort to provide employees with career opportunities and create friendly jobs, for employees, these are not sufficient arguments to remain in the company. Only every fifth employee declares that they are not considering changing jobs.

The main reason why employees consider changing jobs is the desire to get a higher level of pay and a richer package of non-wage benefits. Further on the list of the most common reasons for starting a professional search: development opportunities, location, colleagues, supervisor, nature of work, flexibility, and company image. The departure from the current employer is caused by a lack of satisfaction in these areas: bad relationships, unattractive employment conditions, a sense of mismatching the current role to their abilities and aspirations, or the market perception of finding even better jobs.

INDUSTRY CHOICE

Not only does the company matter - recruiters are increasingly hearing from candidates about industries and specializations in which they definitely do not want to work. This attitude most often results from the candidate's worldview, and offers received from companies that in his opinion act unethically or contrary to his beliefs, are often rejected at the start. In this respect, the alcohol, tobacco, defense, and pharmaceutical industries are in the lead, as well as companies producing unhealthy snacks, businesses that generate large quantities of plastic, or do animal testing. The candidates' reluctance also applies to industries that involve gambling, and enterprises that exploit cheap labor in various parts of the world.

"In the age of the Internet and the great ease of accessing information and opinions, candidates making professional choices pay attention not only to the company's products, services and business model, but also to the broader perspective of its business," explains Dorota Hechner, Business Manager at Hays Poland. "Candidates take into account the behaviors accepted by the potential employer, being sensitive to the strategies, operational activities and external messages of the company with which they do not want to identify."

In turn, the list of professions and specialization areas is growing, in which candidates see attractive development opportunities, but at the same time - in their opinion - more consistency with the values ​​they profess. Management, detection, and reduction of fraud risk enjoy positive reception. Health protection, production of medical and rehabilitation equipment, and devices for people struggling with limitations or illness are certainly specializations that give candidates a sense of meaningfulness in their work.

INCREASING FREEDOM OF CHOICE

It's not only candidates evaluating employers from the perspective of professed values ​​and the way of work with which they want to identify; companies are more and more consciously running their businesses and refusing to provide services to entities whose actions they assess as ethically questionable. An example would be companies that have adopted a pro-animal policy, according to which they cannot build relationships with organizations testing cosmetics on animals or using products of animal origin. What's more, almost every company is guided by specific principles, a code of ethics and a policy of ethical behavior, which new employees must become familiar with.

The labor market is changing dynamically in many respects - including the criteria that makes candidates appealing to potential employers, and companies to their employees. A dozen or so years ago finding an employee was much easier, and space for individual preferences definitely less. 

For mature employees, work, for many years, meant basic value and was associated with a willingness to sacrifice on the path to professional success. In contrast, younger employees were characterized by different priorities and boldly set expectations for companies. 

Currently, however, this attitude is no longer limited to the youngest generation in the labor market.

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