More than four in 10 (45%) employer respondents believe that an attractive salary and benefits package is the main driver for employee motivation, according to research by professional recruitment consultancy Robert Walters and online job board CV Library.
Meeting demands through the job offering, a report which surveyed around 2,500 employees and 30 employers in the UK, also found that only 13% of employees based in London cite securing a substantial pay rise as their number one career priority. This compares to 13% of staff working in the East of England, 10% in the South East and South West, 10% in Scotland, 9% in the Midlands, 9% in Wales, 6% in the North and 2% in Yorkshire and Humber.
Lee Biggins (pictured), founder and chief executive officer at CV Library, said: “Candidates hold the power in the current market, putting more pressure on employers to pull out all the stops in order to attract, recruit and retain the very best [employees].
“If [employers are] struggling with [their] hiring efforts right now, consider whether job offers and [the] workplace environment are truly meeting the needs of today’s job hunters. It’s clear from our findings that it’s not just about pay anymore.”
Two-fifths (40%) of UK employees would consider working in a temporary, interim or contract position for more flexibility and a better lifestyle.
This is especially true for employees working in IT and technology (50%), accounting and finance (43%), manufacturing and engineering (32%), banking and financial services (30%), marketing and PR (30%) and the public sector (30%); these respondents stated that lifestyle would be the main reason to trigger a job move.
Furthermore, 73% of staff in London, 64% in Northern Ireland, 63% in the North and Scotland and 59% in the Midlands and Wales would strongly consider relocating jobs if this provided a better lifestyle.
Three-fifths (60%) of employees in the UK state career development as an important part of a job offering, but only 10% of employers believe that a lack of career progression and development would be a key reason for losing staff.
Chris Hickey, chief executive officer at Robert Walters, added: “With Brexit on the horizon and a challenging time ahead, it is important now more than ever that employers retain top talent.
“Given that over a third of professionals claim that their employer is failing to meet their career expectations, it is concerning how slow [organisations] are to act towards better understanding their employees’ needs.”