{"id":9508,"date":"2014-07-03T11:42:54","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T01:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leadershipmanagement.com.au\/?p=9508"},"modified":"2015-07-16T06:53:08","modified_gmt":"2015-07-16T06:53:08","slug":"employer-of-choice-new-challenges-new-dimensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipmanagement.co.nz\/employer-of-choice-new-challenges-new-dimensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Employer of Choice \u2013 new challenges, new dimensions"},"content":{"rendered":"

New data suggests that the concept of Employer of Choice (EoC) is taking on new dimensions in the minds of many as employment markets tighten and economic concerns remain front of mind for most organisations and their leaders.<\/p>\n

\u2018Employer of choice\u2019 is a term often used to describe organisations that are the preferred or most desired to work for in an industry or sector. Through the L.E.A.D. Survey, Leadership Management Australia has looked at the concept on several occasions over the past five years to identify what organisations can and should do to present as an Employer of Choice in their industry or sector in order to attract and retain talent.<\/p>\n

Latest results suggest that Business Leaders and Senior Managers have an expanding list of expectations when it comes to seeking an EoC. Family\/life friendly workplace practices has rocketed into the top five factors along with the organisation actively seeking input and feedback from its staff, presumably including its leaders and senior managers:<\/p>\n

\"EofC-table-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Middle Managers and Supervisors are also placing increasing focus and attention on family\/life friendly workplace practice. This suggests that in tough economic times, it is a person\u2019s life outside of work that suffers most in the drive to sustain or survive:<\/p>\n

\"EofC-table-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From a Non-Managerial\/Supervisory Employee perspective, little has changed in recent times with one key difference in their list of EoC factors showing up \u2013 is a place where your can have fun and enjoy working. In difficult times, being able to enjoy work and have fun is a coping strategy and enables the team to \u2018soldier on\u2019 even if things look somewhat bleak. Recognition and reward, investment in learning and development of people and having passionate and engaging management also play a prominent role in employees seeking organisation for which they would happily work and apply their discretionary effort.<\/p>\n

\"EofC-table-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Interestingly, when asked whether they feel they have the right balance between work and other aspects of their lives:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a059% of business leaders and senior managers felt they had the right work\/life balance
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a060% of middle managers and supervisors felt they had the right work\/life balance
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a065% of non-managerial employees felt they had the right work\/life balance<\/p>\n

The connection between EoC and perceptions of the right work\/life balance is clear \u2013 even in a tough\/patchy\/soft employment market, people will only continue to work for organisations that are able to provide for their needs.<\/p>\n

Employers of Choice routinely and consistently deliver on their people\u2019s needs and in return they enjoy a stable, productive, engaged and empowered workforce that is focussed on achievement for the organisation as much as for themselves \u2013 great payoffs for focusing on becoming an Employer of Choice.<\/p>\n

What should leaders and managers do?<\/strong><\/p>\n