Dean Davidson
Work life balance is the top priority for Australian job seekers in 2015, trumping salary, career progression and job title, in a list of the top nine attributes professionals look for in a new role, according to new research from leading recruitment specialist Hudson.
The State of Hiring in Australia 2015, which surveyed more than 3,000 professionals and hiring managers across Australia, found work life balance, including flexible arrangements, has taken precedence as the top priority for Australian workers (70% of respondents named it their number one priority). The findings signal a dramatic shift in Australian work culture – and a growing pressure on employers to seriously consider their work life balance offering.
“No longer just a buzz term or the domain of the working mum, work life balance is now fundamental to all Australian professionals and will be firmly on the agenda as we move throughout 2015,” said Hudson Executive General Manager Dean Davidson.
While higher salary came in as the second highest priority for Australian job seekers (67%), it was followed closely by cultural fit (64%).
“The fact that cultural fit – that feeling of belonging – is so far up the value chain, and is actually the most important factor for senior executives, demonstrates that fitting in and feeling valued are also important priorities for Australian job seekers in 2015,” said Mr Davidson.
Yet while employees may be open to being approached about new opportunities, finding and attracting the right talent is becoming increasingly complex, requiring both a competitive employee offering and a multifaceted sourcing strategy. The scarcity of talent is recognised by hiring managers, with 90% acknowledging they need to look beyond active job seekers to find the right candidate.
“This report confirms what we are seeing, in that while digital may have altered the job market forever, best practice hiring is far from a digital-only approach. Social media channels are growing rapidly however their effectiveness as a sourcing channel is still to be proven. External solutions and people networks remain imperative to the process of tapping into high quality candidates,” said Mr Davidson.
The Top 9: What Australian jobseekers are looking for in 2015
- Work life balance (including flexible arrangements) 70%
- Higher salary 67%
- Cultural fit within organisation and/or team 64%
- Career progression/training opportunities 58%
- Better benefits 46%
- A company whose values are closer to mine 36%
- Strong manager 30%
- Better brand 14%
- Better job title 13%
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