4 things that will instantly attract candidates to your company

You craft a job ad for your company, are convinced it sounds enticing – and you pop it onto a jobs board, waiting for it to attract candidates. Ideally good ones!

You wait. And wait. And all you get back is… crickets.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Your job ad may be similar to other ads you’ve posted in the past that got a good response. So why isn’t anyone applying?

The truth is, there’s been a lot of change in both recruitment and retention in recent years (thanks, COVID!) And many of the strategies you may have used to hire good candidates (and keep employees with your company) just aren’t working for you like they used to.

For example, a laundry list of perks at work don’t necessarily get candidates in the door. In fact, our research shows perks in general are at a low priority for job-seekers in 2022.

What’s affecting recruitment and retention?

Number one: a sheer fall in the number of applicants in the market. The pandemic has also shifted what’s important to job-seekers – so companies are working harder to attract candidates. But don’t despair. Our 2022 Feel Good Index Report uncovered the four most important things job-seekers are looking for in your company. Drumroll, please…

1. Good leadership

It’s often said that ‘people leave managers, not companies’ – and our research bears that out. To candidates in 2022, being under good leadership is the number one priority when it comes to feeling happy at work (and sticking around). We’re talking leaders with a collaborative working style. Leaders who are good communicators – and good listeners. They know how to motivate a team, and are flexible problem-solvers when things go pear-shaped. A good leader is also proactive when it comes to recognising employees and showing appreciation for good work. If this sounds like your leadership style, make it clear on your job ads.

2. Learning and development

Our research showed that retraining and upskilling is more important than ever in the world of work. Job-seekers want to future-proof their careers and ensure there’ll be career progression (rather than stagnation) in the roles they apply for. And studies show a whopping 94 percent of employees would stay at a company if it offered learning opportunities. So it’s critical for your company to highlight how you invest in your employees’ growth, learning and development. Do you offer bespoke corporate training programs that give employees in-demand skills? Are staff given opportunities to develop career pathways and discuss their goals? Implementing a strong learning culture will benefit both your recruiting efforts, and your existing workforce.

3. Wellbeing initiatives

Not surprisingly, another post-pandemic priority for job-seekers that came out in our research was a company’s approach to wellbeing and wellness. This means embedding wellness into your company design, finding out what your employees want – and delivering on it. Do you focus on organisational wellbeing, perhaps with mental health programs, wellness activities, flexible working arrangements, resilience training? Do you have supportive HR policies and offer employer-sponsored initiatives to help support your workers’ health and wellbeing? If so, these are important to mention in your job ads.

4. An autonomous working style

We’ve written before on our blog about the need to give employees autonomy to just get on with the job – and fostering a company culture that values autonomy and trusts employees to do their best. And while autonomy was a much higher priority in our 2021 research, it still came up as important for job-seekers looking for roles in 2022. High levels of autonomy lead to happier workplaces and can make for a team that’s easier to manage. Studies show it can also lead to higher levels of creativity, innovation and performance overall.

Need a hand to attract better candidates?

We can help. And don’t forget to download our 2022 Frontline Feel Good Index Report for a heap of stats and intel on how to create a happier workplace for your employees.