FIND THE RIGHT FIT AT WORK

WHAT makes an employer an “employer of choice” comes down to the values of an individual worker.

They may offer flexible working arrangements, career advancement, a great physical environment or diversity and inclusion, but a must-have feature for one worker may be unimportant for another.

Mark Puncher, chief energy officer of Employer Branding Australia, says “it’s horses for courses”.

“No one employer is great for everybody,” he says.

Puncher recommends jobseekers think about what they get out of working for a particular organisation.

“What is the offer? What is it like to work there? Is it the right place for me? Can I thrive in that environment?” he says.

“Read the job ad, look at (the organisation) online, read reviews and find out what people are saying.

“Like looking at restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor, take (company reviews) with a grain of salt, but look for consistent things. If you read 20 reviews and 10 talk about terrible management, there is a good chance the management is terrible.”

In a job interview, Puncher advises jobseekers ask to meet the team they would be working with, not just the boss and HR manager.

“Candidates are put in the best room of the building and shown only the most senior person,” he says.

“If I was a candidate, I would like to look at the team and ask a question of them.”

An organisation can be an employer of choice in the general sense that it is a great place to work, or it may be formally recognised with an award or citation.

The Federal Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), for example, acknowledged 141 employers of choice in 2019.

This included 26 first-time citation recipients, such as Australian Football League, L’Oreal Australia, Hilton Hotels of Australia Pty Ltd and Unilever Australia, which was recognised as a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for a second consecutive year.