SEEK recently conducted a comprehensive study of nearly 6,000 Australian job candidates. The study uncovered a number of key industry insights, including what candidates are looking for in various sectors.
Here’s a snapshot of the top three main drivers that attract candidates across the following industries:
Mining, resources and energy
Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics
Engineering
Construction
Defence
Mining, Resources and Energy
The three top drivers of candidate attraction:
Salary / Compensation - Salary remains the top driver for candidates in mining, resources and energy. But benefits such as insurance benefits, additional superannuation, equity in a business, and clothing and food allowances are also very attractive.
Job Security - Job security comes in second place. This was ranked number three in 2012 but has bumped up a place now that the Australian mining boom is over.
Work-life balance - Work-life balance comes in third, moving up from fourth place in 2012. This is thought to be due to the nature of the jobs within this sector, which require rostered work schedules and (often) interstate or overseas travel.
Manufacturing, Transport, Logistics
The three top drivers of candidate attraction:
Salary / compensation - The lower-paid nature of work in this industry may be why salary and compensation landed the number one place.
Job security - Job security actually came in as equal first place along with salary and compensation. But we have listed it as second for the purposes of this article. It’s thought that Australia’s decline in manufacturing and adoption of AI and automation has contributed to this.
Work-life balance - Work-life balance comes in third. However, SEEK reports that candidates in this sector appear to be less ‘demanding’ in this area.
Engineering
Top three main drivers of candidate attraction:
Salary / Compensation - Salary and compensation remains the top driver for engineering candidates, with such insurance and commission weighted more heavily than in other industries
Career / Development opportunities - Such as in-house training, mentoring, coaching programs and external training are strong motivators.
Work-life balance - Perhaps due to the nature of the work, which demands long hours and intense concentration.
Interestingly, the top two drivers of attraction (being salary and career progression) have lost their edge in this sector. Here, other, previously less crucial drivers have become more important.
For instance, if compensation and career development are important to a candidate, they’re also likely to consider other drivers, such as a company’s reputation, as highly important.
Construction
Top three main drivers of candidate attraction:
Salary / Compensation - SEEK advises that employers would be wise to carefully structure salary packages. Benefits such as mobile phone, allowances, and bonuses/profit-share arrangements now play a key role in candidate attraction within this sector.
Job security - Job security has moved up two places since 2012 and is now one of the leading drivers of attraction. This is thought to have come off the back of the downturn in mining and resources.
Work-life balance - Work-life balance is also highly desirable, perhaps because this workforce suffers from high rates of mental health problems and burnout.
Defence
Top three main drivers of candidate attraction:
Salary / Compensation - This remains the top driver of attraction for defence candidates. Though most people surveyed valued base salary above all else, around 65% were also motivated by other financial benefits, such as extra superannuation contributions.
Work-life balance - Work-life balance comes in second, with flexible working hours rated as particularly desirable.
Job security - Up two spots from 2012 is job security. Australia's aging workforce is thought to play a heavy part in this. That is because, as of mid-2015, the average age of Australian public service employees was 43.5 years.
To uncover more employment insights related to your industry, visit SEEK Laws of Attraction.
About Trojan Recruitment
Ready to find the best talent? Trojan Recruitment Group have decades of experience across various industry sectors, including mining, construction, engineering, defence, transport, warehousing and logistics, and manufacturing.
Over the years we've build relationships with great candidates, which means we know what they want and how to get in front of them. So, partner with us for your next role!
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