Employer-Employee Alignment (and Misalignment)

Do companies deliver what people are really looking for in their jobs? Here’s where employers and employees are on the same page—and where they’re not.

Infographics

Last year, we surveyed more than 500 executives to discover their strategies for hiring new employees and keeping them happy. We learned that most companies foster positive work environments to engage employees. But is that enough? What else do America’s workers want? We asked 1,000 of them to find out.

This infographic is based on “The 2018 U.S. Workforce Report: Attracting Talent and Retaining Employees.”

1. Interview Expectations

C-Suite

We asked: Has your company expedited the interview process to secure talent?

54%

Said no

Today’s Workforce

We asked: How many interviews should you go through to be considered for a job?

87%

Two or less interviews

It’s also worth noting that 60% of today’s workforce received multiple offers during their last job search. The more swiftly you interview and hire, the more talent you land.

Learn more about job candidates’ mindset as they enter the interview process

2. Pay Pulse

C-Suite

We asked: In what range, on average, do you compensate employees?

45%

Above market average

43%

Market average

12%

Below market average

Today’s Workforce

We asked: In your current job, how well, or not well, are you paid?

17%

I’m paid more than industry average

60%

I’m paid comparably to industry average

23%

I’m paid less than industry average

Most companies feel they pay competitively, but when pay’s so important, they better make sure. When’s the last team you audited your employees’ pay?

Read all about compensation in the full workforce report

3. Top Job Factors

C-Suite

We asked: Which job factors are most important to your employees? (top 3)*

77%

Salary/wages

49%

Health insurance

29%

401(k)

Today’s Workforce

We asked: What is the most important job factor to you? (top 3)

42%

Salary/wages

21%

Work-life balance

9%

Health insurance

9%

Skills training/career growth

*C-Suite could select multiple answers.

Executives got this right: Pay is the most important job factor to workers. That said, it might not be enough to keep them around. Offer plenty of balance and competitive benefits, too.

There are more job factors to consider. Take a look

4. Communication Preferences

C-Suite

We asked: How do you communicate high-level company info to employees?*

61%

Email

31%

Word of mouth

27%

Newsletter

25%

Trickle-down

Today’s Workforce

We asked: How do you prefer to receive high-level company info?

61%

Email

15%

Word of mouth

8%

Newsletter

4%

Trickle-down

*C-Suite could select multiple answers.

Ensure your communications always have a paper trail, especially for those employees who work remotely. And always be more liberal, rather than conservative, when sharing company information.

Get the full breakdown on communication—and much more—in the full report

5. Diversity & Inclusion

C-Suite

We asked: What is the impact level diversity & inclusion has on creating an optimal workforce?

23%

High impact

40%

Medium impact

28%

Low impact

Today’s Workforce

We asked: Do you think your employer is doing enough to create a diverse, inclusive environment?

61%

Definitely yes

15%

Probably yes

8%

Maybe or maybe not

4%

Probably not

4%

Definitely not

Diversity—and the different perspectives it brings—leads to greater creativity. You can read more about why diversity is vital to your organization in our blog post, “The Benefits of Diversity in the Workforce.”

Diversity is one key component of your company’s culture. Learn about the others

6. Sticking Around

C-Suite

We asked: What is your optimal tenure for an employee?

56%of Laggard*

3 - 4 years

56%of Average*

5 - 9 years

71% of Best-in-Class*

9+ years

Today’s Workforce

We asked: What is the ideal length of time to remain with the same employer?

1%

Less than 1 year

5%

1 - 2 years

17%

3 - 4 years

18%

5 - 6 years

6%

7 - 8 years

52%

9+ years

*Best-in-Class is the highest performing company when it comes to workforce management, followed by Average and Laggard.

This isn’t about how long employees are actually staying at their current company; it’s about how long they’d like to. Most of them want to stick around longer; they just need to justify it. Are you helping them justify it?

Our report’s insights help you keep your top talent on board. Get your free copy

In some cases, employers are offering exactly what America’s workers want, and in other cases, not so much. How about your business?

Evaluate these six workplace elements within your own organization to identify where you’re aligned—and misaligned—with your job candidates and employees. Then, considering your organization’s unique means, take action to be as aligned as possible. It’ll undoubtedly help you build your best workforce ever.

To get expert insights on how to do that, along with lots of other data, read “The 2018 U.S. Workforce Report: Attracting Talent and Retaining Employees” today!

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