what makes an organisation attractive in 2019.

With Australia’s unemployment rate at five per cent and an eight-year low, competition for top talent continues to be fierce. Business leaders must put their best foot forward to provide a great employee experience if they are to attract and retain quality employees.

In the 2019 Randstad Employer Brand Research released today, we once again explore Australian workers’ perceptions of employer brands, providing a unique understanding of employee and job seeker drivers.

the results.

Our research revealed a stark gap between expectations and reality in what makes a sector or employer attractive. Whilst Australians want work-life balance (54%), attractive salary and benefits (52%) and job security (47%), companies are perceived to offer healthy finances, and job security and use the latest technology. Closing the gap between expectation and reality is what makes an attractive employer. 

At a company level this year, Qantas has reclaimed the number one spot to be named the most attractive employer in the country. The iconic Australian airline has been recognised for its high-flying job perks including travel benefits for its globe-trotting employees working in the exciting field of aviation, alongside its perceived adoption of technology and consistent financial performance.

Following in second and third place respectively are Epworth HealthCare and Apple, also valued for their robust financials, engaging job content in leading fields and strong public reputations.

Looking at sector performance, life sciences has emerged as the most attractive industry for the first time, ahead of early learning which remains in second place and closely followed by the technology sector, down from first place in 2018.

The research also reveals a surprising upwards trend in the popularity of the higher education sector, as five of the country's universities ranked within the ultra-competitive top 20 most attractive employers nationally.

so, why does a positive employer brand make such a difference?

Workers are continuing to battle with work-life balance issues, particularly Gen Z. It’s their top reason for leaving a job. We need to listen and do more to retain good employees by delivering the trifecta of work-life balance, long-term job security and a competitive salary.

Get employee experience right and the result is improved productivity and the ability to attract quality staff who will stay with your company.

Here are the three key areas I believe can make the greatest difference to your organisation. 

delivering work-life balance. 

Ensuring that our employees have a good work-life balance is a key factor to deliver strong performances and higher job satisfaction. Encouraging our trusted team members to switch off when they’re not actively working, improves employee well being resulting in long term improvements in performance.

Yet for many, the definition of work-life balance is hard to nail down. Often, we try to bring balance by providing the latest laptops or mobile phones in an effort to mobilise our people to work from home.

But, work-life balance is not about working at home versus working at the office, rather it is about refocusing our approach to performance to look at work outputs. To deliver work-life balance, we must ensure our businesses are offering flexibility and choice in any policy that is implemented.

Offering workers the opportunity to select the most relevant benefits will help them feel valued and appreciated. Let’s make sure we do not jump to actions and tools when we may not have done the necessary groundwork on the training, environment and structure needed to support our policies. 

cascading the experience from leaders.

A third of Australians are seeking strong leadership. Having leaders who know and live their company values help people believe in a shared purpose. Leaders need to set the culture and ensure employees understand the ‘why’ behind their business story.

As Randstad’s CEO, I try to foster this purpose of living and constantly talk about our five core values - to know, serve, trust, simultaneous promotion of all interests, and seek perfection - and by creating an environment that promotes the creation and sharing of Meaningful Moments.

This can be as simple as commenting on a workplace post when a Randstad team member receives a promotion. Anytime I speak to someone within the company, I also strive to have an interaction that is transparent and honest.

These meaningful moments, however small, amount to a powerful employee experience tool.

communicating your employee experience.

Randstad’s 2019 Employer Brand Research shows how employee experience can boost brand and talent appeal. Many companies attempt to share the experience that they offer via marketing channels.

Whilst social media and digital tools can help amplify your employer's brand, real conversion happens at the person to person level.

More than 80% of Australians agree that a positive employee experience can increase trust in the organisation as well as the likelihood they would recommend their place of work to family or friends.

Organisations that empower their people to share their experiences on a personal level will reap brand dividends. We can see this return on investment as more than three-quarters of the Australians taking part in our research believe that a positive employee experience increased brand perception.