People are now more than ever prioritizing their happiness in their place of work and many employees are quitting their jobs at record levels. With this being said, employers are still trying to recruit staff in the same old ways. New research has identified that there are 5 types of workers, as well as stipulated how employers can reach them.
Traditionalists
These people are seen as career-oriented people. They truly care about a healthy work-life balance; however, they are willing to make trade-offs for the sake of their jobs. They are extremely motivated and are happy to work full-time in exchange for a competitive compensation package with additional perks such as a good job title, company status and opportunity for growth. Companies tend to like traditionalists as they are career-focused and easy to find through common recruitment strategies.
Do-It-Yourselfers
These individuals value workplace flexibility and want to find purpose in their work. Their age range is generally between 25-45 years old, and their work status varies from self-employed, full-time employed in non-traditional roles, to part-time workers. Their main priority is flexibility. This stems from the pandemic where toxic managers and the feeling of not being appreciated led many people to find something different. They want the freedom to set their own hours and have the freedom to decide on the type of job they want to do. To attract these individuals, employers need to find ways to show that their offering is better than what these individuals have created for themselves. They need to sell freedom and a sense of purpose.
Caregivers and Others
These individuals are highly motivated by compensation but require flexibility in the workplace, support for employee health and well-being, as well as a need for career development. Some of these individuals are actively looking for work while others are passive job seekers who will only apply for jobs that justify re-entering the paid labour force. They are generally between the ages of 18 and 44 and are predominately women who are caregivers or parents.
They require much more flexibility and support than what is offered by traditional employment. They are more than willing to lend their time and skills to companies who are willing to work around their busy schedules. Businesses have started to recognize this particular group and are starting to normalize and widen the use of parental leave, which is mostly used around school holidays.
The Idealists
Generally seen as students and young part-time workers, idealists are between 18-24 years of age. Their prime focus is on flexibility, career development, and meaningful work. They value a reliable community of people who are supportive while compensation falls to the bottom of the list. They are not concerned about money. Companies need to allow them flexibility, as well as show them an interest in investing in their development. These younger workers value diversity in the workplace. To create an enticing package for these individuals, businesses need to prove that there is purpose in their work and they need to invest in daily interactions in order to build a culture of quality in the workplace.
The Relaxers
These individuals include those who are retired, people not really searching for work and those who would consider returning to a traditional working environment if the circumstances are right. Most of these individuals have completed their careers and are not necessarily in need of additional income to live comfortably. Companies should consider reaching out to these individuals, as they have not been as active in doing so in the past. If employers had positive relationships with their previous employees, they should consider reaching out and trying to see if they can find the perfect balance to win them back.
It is extremely important to know these different audience pools and know the strategies and channels to correctly reach them. The pandemic shook the world and spurred liberation for millions of workers around the world. Instead of companies re-inventing their value propositions, they need to stick to what their core proposition is – which should be a core representation of their culture, purpose, and values. They need to reach out to multiple talent pools.
View our financial services recruitment division:
https://ca.co.za/services/financial-services/
This article was originally published on:
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-great-attrition-is-making-hiring-harder-are-you-searching-the-right-talent-pools
