What does this mean for employers?
Northeast Ohio workers reported they are feeling burned out, struggling to make ends meet, reevaluating priorities, and exercising choices. What are employers to do?
Talent can be attracted or developed. Pulled in from the sidelines, brought in from other companies or places, or advanced into new roles or trained into new careers. No matter which category they fall into, today’s workers are different—in their demographic makeup, in how they approach risk, and in how they value and want to spend their time—versus workers 50 years ago, or even just a decade ago.
The bottom line: Employers recognizing this shift in labor market dynamics and attitudes as something to respond to—rather than just get through—will succeed in the quest for talent and be part of what makes the region more competitive and prosperous for decades to come.
Every company needs to have the philosophy,
‘I want to be the employer of choice.’
10 Ways to Become an
‘Employer of Choice’
Click each implication to learn more about the research behind it and potential strategies to employ. Or, click below to explore an interactive toolkit to customize strategies for your business’s challenges and goals.
Pay a competitive wage.
Money might not be the only thing that matters to workers, but it’s still at the top of the list
Include pay in all job postings.
Salary information in a job posting is at least somewhat important to 98% of workers.
Communicate benefits clearly.
Employers can do more to clearly communicate the value of benefits offered.
Think beyond traditional benefits.
Improve retention by reducing barriers to work, such as transportation or childcare.
Value employee feedback.
Ask employees what they think, need and recommend; and be responsive.
Incorporate flexibility wherever you can.
Workers want more flexibility in both when and where work happens.
Address negative work environment.
Workers won’t stay if their environment feels unpleasant, uncomfortable or unsafe.
Help employees see meaning in their work.
A sense of purpose matters for workers in the wake of the pandemic.
Invest in employee career development.
Provide better training and more advancement opportunities.
Connect to workforce systems.
Some barriers are too big to solve alone—so tap into systems that can help drive change.