Better job, better life. It's not about the money (much).

The cost of living and inflation are just two factors behind the rise in salaries being demanded by prospective new hires.

Rising salaries make hiring harder, especially as the job market outpaces internal salary inflation.

Here is how to have a difficult conversation with a potential hire, emphasising what's more important than money.

Here are the four cornerstones of a job, in order of importance:

The Challenge

Does the job offer the applicants' appetite? Will they die of boredom or wilt under the expectation?

Jobs with larger organisations can seem more challenging but often come with more support and resources. Conversely, helping a startup progress from zero to one may sound sounds easier but not when you factor in smaller budgets and no one else with the same skillset to learn from or bounce ideas off of. On the plus side, you get ownership of your job and output.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to 'just do a job'. Every company needs people that will execute without needing to innovate every day.

Progression

Every job, team and company have different opportunities, pathways and potential. When a job doesn't have a linear progression route, be transparent about it. Not every role can or does.

The pandemic years might be in the rear window but the re-alignment of work/life balance is here to stay. Up-or-out culture still exists, but applicants are no longer afraid to say: That's not for me. Candidates are voting with their feet, so let them.

Progression should be apparent for individual contributors just as much as potential leaders and managers. If applicants are comfortable with this knowledge, they will be honest about their own ambitions.

Environment

Let the physical space in which you work and your people be a factor in candidates' choices. People spend a large proportion of their life at work and a poor culture fit will affect them and your business.

Not everyone wants remote working, in fact, most I've spoken to want a healthy combination of remote and face-to-face work.

Workspaces can energise, motivate and increase productivity through their design, reflects a company’s culture and to some degree dictates staff behaviour through additions like telephone booths for quiet calls, coffee stations and other meeting points.

Candidates must enjoy going working to thrive, so if your environment doesn’t motivate your candidates, they should decline your job.

Remember that interview processes should aim to replicate working life as much as possible. Candidates should meet their stakeholders and team. If you work from an office, interviews need to be in the office not online.

And finally ... Money!

Yes, there is no getting away from it. Given the financial climate, with many struggling with more expensive mortgages and food prices rising at the highest rates since records began, money is MORE important to people than at any time in the last 20 years. But if you can align with a candidate on Challenge, Progression and Environment then money will be less of an issue.?

If you're struggling to convince candidates then try getting your progression plans/frameworks into shape. When a candidate sees a defined and managed progression framework, they can visualise the salary increases and timescales.

Bottomline:

If you offer the same job, with the same salary but in a more accommodating company, a better environment, nicer people and a great boss … would they take it? - Probably, just hope they don't get a counteroffer! ??

The TAP was created by Tony Payne, Head of Talent at Travtus and HR tech designer. Hit the?SUBSCRIBE BUTTON?if you're interested in learning, sharing and hearing more from the world of Recruiting.