What 2 things did a top performer want most in their job search?

It is no secret that the workplace landscape as we knew it has changed drastically since 2020.

The more I work closely with leaders and teams, the more we continue to engage in ongoing conversations on what they are challenged with and what they are seeking.

Employers are pulling out all the stops trying to attract talent to carry their mission forward. They often do this by adding more perks that are easily accessed when they are in the office such as free lunches, food trucks, free massages, and even yoga. Some companies are going to the extreme and offering luxurious vacations by private jet, cash prizes of $10,000, and even a Model S Tesla all being raffled at random to vaccinated, in-person staff at global real estate group CoStar (source: NY Post).

I recently interviewed a top-producing job candidate who happens to be in the millennial generation and has consistently been headhunted by major brand names. I scheduled some time to speak with her and ask her what she wanted most at this time in her life and what wasn’t as important to her.

After much self-reflection and thought on what was most important to her, there were two companies that her decision came down to in the end. The company that won her heart and her talent was the one that gave her what she wanted most in her life today: Time & Development.

She was made a very generous offer from the other company, but when it came down to it, she wanted a good salary that represented her abilities in the market and a company that valued what she wanted most. In this case, it was her well-being and the ability to create her own schedule and work from wherever she chose. Additional considerations included an organization that would offer options for development and career growth.

According to a recent Gallup survey, work-life balance and well-being have increased in importance notably since 2015, with 53% of employees citing them as "very important" compared with 61% of today's workforce.

I think what I have learned most is the more I speak to both passive and active job seekers, it is not a one size fits all candidate approach. Hiring managers need to understand what is most important to each candidate they interview, and if they want to have a chance at adding them to their team, they will need to be flexible in creating an employee package that fits what is most important to each candidate.