6 most important aspects of becoming a workplace of choice

Finding the ‘perfect job’ is something that often seems impossible for jobseekers. Whether it’s snagging a well-paying role with a popular hospitality company or finding a healthcare gig that matches up with an employee’s ethos – jobseekers usually have to compromise on what they really want.

But there’s a reason why companies like Hilton constantly top the ‘best places to work’ lists in Australia – it’s because they listen to what their people actually want. From flexible work arrangements to gender diversity, opportunities for growth and more, here are the six most important aspects of becoming a workplace of choice.

1. Offer flexible work opportunities

Flexible working is a much-sought-after perk for many jobseekers – and for parents, 84% of them say it’s the most important factor in accepting a job offer. But flexible work doesn’t simply mean the ability to work from home.

Workplaces of choice create a variety of opportunities for flexible work, including the ability to work from anywhere and anytime, to job sharing between employees, flexible scheduling and even a shorter work week (by stuffing more hours into each shift).

A company that works around an employee’s schedule (where possible), rather than the other way around, is a big tick for jobseekers, particularly in non-office industries like retail, hospitality, construction and healthcare.

2. Focus on growing employees with the company

In the age of COVID-19 where there have been significant job losses and huge disruption to industries, it’s never been more important to find work that is stable and has a steady future.

By developing a work culture where people are happy to come to work, you can start to invest in your people for the long term. By doing that, your business will be seen as a workplace of choice that supports its employees and even provides them with dedicated growth opportunities.

3. Highlight your ethics

With Gen Z and millennials dominating the workforce, they want their employer to hold similar values that they do – so showing your ethical side as a company is extremely important.

They show a strong interest in joining companies that exude good ethics and values. In particular, there’s interest in businesses with a strong eco-conscience, especially as the youthful generations are the ones who will be most affected by climate change. Smart employers are also adopting community-driven practices such as giving staff a day off from their usual work to volunteer with charities.

4. Diversity!

There’s no getting around it: if you want to be a workplace of choice, you need to embrace diversity of all kinds. Young jobseekers, in particular, are hyper-conscious about companies that are closing the gender pay gap or promoting women.

The benefits are for both sides – research shows that gender diversity makes companies more productive. So there’s no reason why you wouldn’t want to shout about your diverse workplace when looking for new talent.

5. Be technologically savvy

Globalisation, digitalisation and pandemics like COVID-19 are forcing traditional companies out. In their place is a surge of digital-first businesses. And it’s not just happening in the office.

Construction companies are leveraging the power of wearables and RFID to streamline operations and make their workers safer. Similarly, the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and even virtual reality (VR) are all streamlining the way hospitality staff interact with customers.

6. Offer financial flexibility

Just as more people want flexibility in their hours worked and where they work from, they are also looking for an employer who understands the importance of financial flexibility.

One way that businesses can offer that is by giving employees access to their earned wages as and when they need them. With Wagetap, you can financially empower your team and give them the freedom to instantly access their earnings.

This has a variety of positive outcomes for your company – greater productivity (because employees are less stressed about money), higher motivation (because they can see what they’ve earned, when they’ve earned it) and a perk that can help you attract and retain the industries best talent.

Improving your team’s financial wellbeing is easy – start by booking a Wagetap demo today.