Working for Love or Money? Employees Say Love Matters More

WorldatWork Newsline

July 13, 2011 — When they're on the job hunt, would-be employees prioritize finding a caring company, fulfilling work and better benefits over dollars and cents, according to a survey by Monster.com in collaboration with employee benefits provider Unum.

In the survey of 468 job-seekers, the top-rated item on would-be employees' wish lists was a company "that truly cares about the well-being of its employees."
Eight-seven percent of those surveyed rated that quality very important in their job hunt — and the result was nearly identical for both the employed and unemployed respondents.

Other priorities for people seeking employment were:

• A challenging and fulfilling position, which 84% of respondents identified as very important.
  
• Job security, rated very important by 82%.
  
• An attractive benefits package, which 74% of those surveyed rated very important.

Coming in lower in the rankings were questions of dollars and cents: A high base salary was very important to 66%, and bonuses were very important to a little more than half of those surveyed. The survey, which also polled human resources leaders, showed a strong connection between caring for the well-being of employees and financial protection beyond the paycheck:

• 86% of HR leaders indicated that making sure employees and their families are taken care of should something happen to them is an important reason for providing financial protection benefits.
  
• 82% of workers agreed that being offered financial protection benefits shows that a company cares about the well-being of its employees.

The research is consistent with findings of a recent survey of nearly 400 human resources decision-makers commissioned by Unum in partnership with Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. That study found that the role of corporate culture is perceived as critical to driving engagement, recruitment and retention of a quality workforce:

• An attractive benefits package and an ethical, transparent culture were more likely to be viewed as very important in attracting and retaining staff than were a high starting salary and job security.
  
• Being a company that cares about the well-being of its staff was twice as likely to be viewed as very important in attracting and retaining staff as providing a high base salary.

Contents © 2011 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.
Access Content Source And Other Great Stuff: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=53799&from=ww_editorial_2911