_VOIS 10-country study reveals what job seekers really want from their next role!

As we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve all heard a lot of hype about the so-called ‘Great Resignation’ and the global talent war. You’d have to be living on Mars, not to be aware of the big shift to hybrid working and the change in employee expectations about where and how they work.

Earlier this year, we decided to measure job seekers' expectations and views in the countries where we operate. We wanted to find out whether career aspirations had shifted since the pandemic and how people’s career goals had changed.

5,286 adults in 10 countries (Albania, Egypt, India, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Spain, UK, Turkey, Germany) were surveyed by __VOIS (Vodafone Intelligent Solutions) in April 2022. ?

At _VOIS, we employ more than 26,000 people across our centres with an ever-growing number of new roles as we grow our organisation, so it’s important to us that we understand what job seekers are looking for and what is motivating them to apply for – and stay in -jobs.

We are proud of our ground-breaking employee policies, our competitive pay and our innovative technology – but we were intrigued to know whether these are the things which matter in today’s post-pandemic world!

Our in-house research team compiled a survey with questions to find out people’s top career goals, what would make them happiest at work, and whether their priorities have changed since the pandemic. We surveyed more than 5,000 job seekers in 10 countries, and here’s what they told us!

·??????Good salaries are a must, but work-life balance and job security are the biggest career goals for job-seeking adults, over leadership roles and international careers?

·??????25% of those surveyed also want a job that serves society?

·??????More than half (57%) re-evaluated their lives as a direct result of the pandemic, and almost the same number (55%) would not wish to return to a pre-pandemic working model

Top Career Goals Since the Pandemic

While a good salary tops the list of priorities for 61% of respondents, when it comes to career goals the number one objective is work-life balance – which has seen an increase in popularity since the pandemic, rising from 46% to 51%, followed by job security which rose from 43% to 45.

A quarter (25%) of respondents also say they want a job that makes them feel they are serving the greater good, rising from (22%) pre-pandemic.?

The chance to help society at large is now more important to job seekers than being creative and entrepreneurial, managing people, having an international career and bein----------------------------------------------------------g intellectually challenged in a role, compared with how they felt before the global pandemic. Generation Z respondents aged 18-24 were the only age group where the desire to be a leader remained at pre-pandemic levels, with 17% of respondents putting this high on their list of career goals.

Once in a well-paid job, the study also reveals that 48% of job seekers in 10 countries said they would be happier if their employer allowed them flexible hours, while 29% would be happier with free skills training and 22% would be happier with paid leave for hobbies.

Job retention?

When it comes to job retention, one third (36%) of job seekers surveyed say that after salary, career growth opportunities would make them want to stay with their current employer, followed by flexible working options (32%), health benefits (27%) and learning opportunities (23%).

Work-life balance is more important the older you get

Overall, the importance of work-life balance has increased since the pandemic across all age ranges. An average of 46% put it amongst their most important career goals before the pandemic, rising to 51% across the age ranges in the post-pandemic world.?

Business and leadership expert Dr Alan Watkins, who specialises in workplace wellbeing and performance, said: “Today’s workforce values job security and flexible hours, and want to work for more empathetic, purpose-led employers. This study confirms that employees have re-evaluated what they want from their jobs and what will make them feel most happy at work. Companies wanting to retain their workforce and attract the best new talent will need to take note – just as the world has changed since the pandemic, so must corporate culture.”

Gary Adey, Director at _VOIS said:

“Employers are well aware of a shift in priorities driving the ‘Great Resignation’ and global talent war. In order to attract and retain the best possible candidates, we need to listen carefully to what job-seekers are looking for and be prepared to adapt and evolve our approach. This study shows the changing range of priorities job seekers now have in order to keep them engaged and happy at work.”

_VOIS introduced its Future-Ready working solutions in 2021 as employees returned to work in the office, following the pandemic. Hybrid and remote working patterns are based on the principles of trust, balance and flexibility, that were created using employee feedback.

Our survey also asked respondents to share their views on _VOIS as an employer, with some fascinating insights.

·??????Leading reasons to join _VOIS are Innovation, New Technologies, and Market Success.

·??????What Gives _VOIS our edge? Salary, Benefits, and High Future Earnings.

·??????What differentiates _VOIS from other competitors? Flexible working, Professional Training, and Job Security.

While we’re delighted that our reputation as an employer of choice is reaching global job seekers, we will also be drawing on the results of this survey to continue to evolve our approach to meeting the expectations of our employees and potential candidates in today’s world. Watch this space!