Survey Pinpoints Job Seekers’ Expectations

Cleaning and maintenance businesses looking to hire more workers and keep the ones they have will be interested in a recent Gallup survey of more than 13,000 U.S. employees considering new jobs.

The last time Gallup conducted a survey on job seeker opinions was in 2015. In the latest survey, potential workers listed six factors as their requirements for accepting a new job, CNN reports. Employers serious about beating the labor shortage should view the following factors as baseline expectations of potential hires:

1. Compensation: The top factor survey respondents list in their requirements is a significant increase in income or benefits. Most (64%) of survey respondents listed compensation as very important, up from 41% in the 2015 survey when income/benefits ranked fourth on job seekers’ priority list.
2. Work-life balance: More than 60% (61%) listed work-life balance as an important factor in their job, compared to 53% in 2015.
3. A chance to use their skills and do what they enjoy: More than half (58%) of survey respondents said it was important to find a job that lets them use their skills in performing meaningful work.
4. Job security: The same percentage of respondents (53%) now and in 2015 said they need assurance of job security and stability to switch jobs.
5. Vaccination policies that align with their beliefs: Almost half (43%) of respondents said it was important that a new employer have COVID-19 policies that align with their own views.
6. Diversity and inclusiveness: Diversity wasn’t even an option in the 2015 survey. In the new survey, 42% of respondents listed it as very important.

Learn other recruitment basics for attracting and keeping new workers.