Employees look for more than just a good salary

Most employers want to be the destination of choice for employees, not all of them however succeed. The world of work is ever changing and the technology of yesteryear is so much different to that of today.

Similarly, the workforce of today is also very different, with more knowledge availability at their fingertips and their requirements from an employer are more intensive and personal to them as individuals with speed and convenience of internet search engines and social media and other technological means enhancing this.

Prospective employees will not hang around waiting for an employer to make a recruitment decision, they will simply look elsewhere with the perception that this particular employer is no longer the right fit for him or her.

When it comes to sourcing that elusive top talent that every employer wants and needs, he who dithers loses out - to their competitor.

The employees of today and tomorrow won’t settle for second best. Once recruited, employees are impatient for advancement as they acquire and build up their skills and therefore want to be the first adopters of new technology applications in the workplace. They don’t want to be left behind.

Newer generations joining the workforce place especially high importance on honesty, transparency, equity and openness; and an organisation’s total rewards programme should account for this value system.

In addition, employers should bear in mind that this generation also have specific requirements compared to previous generations, which includes paying off education debts, saving for life events and travelling.

There is a fallacy that offering a good salary is sufficient however, that alone will not work advantageously for either the employer or the employee.

Other factors such as company culture and career opportunities will motivate employees. Technology can also be used to successfully attract and retain top talent. From social media to online learning and development platforms, the right technology used the right way can enhance an organisation’s efficiency and performance as well as having knowledgeable, engaged employees.

Becoming the coveted destination employer of choice for any workforce is by no means simple.

The enlightened employer has moved away from traditional approaches, setting their organisations apart from their competitors and in doing so is taking a more focused effort in meeting employee expectations with focus on four core areas in their people strategies. That is their need to Attract, Develop, Reward and Engage their employees to enable retention of current and future talent.

Attract: Identify what talent means to your organisation, then recruit to maximise your organisation’s performance and agility.

Develop: Encourage and train your employees to better align them with your long-term organisational goals and allow them to maximise their potential.

Reward: Design compensation solutions that improve your organisation’s ability to motivate its employees and allows them to achieve their objectives.

Engage: Manage your employees more effectively to maximise their impact on your organisation. This includes listening to your employees and involving them.

According to the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) employees who are managed well will not only be happier, healthier and more fulfilled, but are also more likely to drive an organisation’s productivity, better products or services and innovation.

Other factors such as company culture and career opportunities will motivate employees