"Attributes Gap": What Jobseekers Want and What They Feel Employers Deliver Differ, Randstad Survey Reveals

ATLANTA, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Are U.S. employers delivering on what potential employees want most? Results from a recent survey by Randstad US, one of the largest staffing and HR services companies in the United States, indicates that in many cases they do not, and an "attributes gap" exists.

The top three employer attributes that jobseekers value most – salary and employee benefits (#1); long-term job security (#2); and pleasant working atmosphere (#3) – score fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, among the ranking of attributes on which they feel employers best deliver.

Conversely, the attributes that job seekers feel U.S. employers score highest on – financial health (#1); strong management (#2); and good training (#3) – score just fifth, ninth and seventh, respectively, among jobseekers' list of most-desired employer attributes.

"These findings reveal an 'attributes gap' between what U.S. jobseekers want and what they perceive potential employers to be best at providing," said Jim Link, Chief Human Resource Officer, Randstad North America. "What this should signify to employers is a growing disconnect that can be detrimental from an employee engagement, retention and, ultimately, cost perspective. While organizations may not be able to influence every workplace desire, managing workers' wants and needs should not only be done from a macro-level by the organization, but also much more frequently from a micro-level by managers to ensure alignment."

The Randstad Employer Branding Survey, the world's largest employer branding study with more than 200,000 respondents worldwide, also revealed that while salary and employee benefits is by far the most highly ranked attribute (62 percent of respondents ranked it in their top five), other attributes are growing in importance compared to previous year's report. The top three in year-over-year growth are: financial health; flexible working arrangements; and good training.

Tips to Bridge the Attributes Gap

To help employers and their HR leadership better bridge the "attributes gap," Randstad offers the following strategic suggestions to help maximize the effect of employment branding on the attraction, retention and engagement of top talent:

• Measure and Assess – Evaluate where you stand versus companies with which you compete for talent and determine the best steps to take to improve upon performance and/or perception.
• Specify an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) – This requires a clear understanding of your corporate values and culture, and the drivers and motivators of employees, based on input from internal and external stakeholders.
• Clearly Communicate – Be transparent and clearly articulate your employment benefits, programs and cultural offerings to prospective and current employees, taking into account the needs and desires of the target audience.
• Look Ahead – Develop a three-year plan to anticipate future needs of your employees and what employer attributes talent will view as most important. Arm yourself with insight leveraging talent analytics and predictive workforce intelligence to stay ahead of changing workplace dynamics.

About the Randstad Employer Branding survey
Annually, Randstad conducts the largest independent employer branding survey in the world, identifying the most attractive employers among thousands of companies. The survey captures the views of over 200,000 respondents (general public, aged 18-65) in 25 countries and measures the market perception of employers with the largest workforces in those countries. It is an in-depth research program that has been conducted by Randstad's international research partner, ICMA Group, since 2000. Respondents for the 2016 survey were polled between September and December 2015.

About Randstad US
Randstad US is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad Holding nv, a $24.5 billion global provider of HR services. As one of the largest staffing organizations in the United States, Randstad provides temporary, temporary-to-hire and permanent placement services each week to over 100,000 people through its network of more than 900 branches and client-dedicated locations. 

Employing 5,300 recruiting experts, the company is a top provider of outsourcing, staffing, consulting and workforce solutions within the areas of engineering, finance and accounting, healthcare, human resources, IT, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration and sales and marketing. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com and access Randstad's panoramic U.S. thought leadership knowledge center through its Workforce360 site that offers valuable insight into the latest economic indicators and HR trends shaping the world of work.

SOURCE Randstad US

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