EY Kazakhstan researched the opinion of students and candidates with work experience
Strengthening the employer brand is an urgent issue among companies actively fighting in the ongoing “war for talent” and the emerging “great resignation”. A positive image of a company as an employer helps not only to attract and retain talent, but also to improve the business results. According to Glassdoor, in companies with a positive employer brand, the cost of closing a vacancy is reduced twice and turnover rate is decreased by 28%.
EY People Advisory Services regularly studies the external employer brand of companies in Kazakhstan as part of “Best employer in the opinion of students and candidates with work experience” research. The research examines how employer brand is perceived by different target groups, what criteria attract job seekers and what difficulties they face in the employment process, what sources they use to know about companies, and their future career plans. This article highlights key results of the recent research conducted at the end of 2022.
Key research results
The research results demonstrate that each group of respondents sets different priorities when choosing an employer. For several years now, the rate of salary has traditionally been one of the top 3 factors of employer attractiveness. However, if candidates with work experience prioritize salary, students are more prone to choose an employer that is ready to hire students/graduates and provides convenient work schedule. Availability of benefits and corporate culture of a company secure the list of the most important criteria among candidates with work experience. Job seekers are least concerned about mismatches between their academic degrees and a position in the target company.
It is worth noting the results on benefits, the availability of which appears to be an attractive factor for 17% of students and 43% of candidates with work experience. In the post-pandemic period, the most desirable types of benefits among respondents are health-related, namely medical insurance and payment for sports. At the same time, providing meals to employees is one of the most important benefits for all job seekers. Overall, both tangible and intangible elements of the employee value proposition (EVP is a set of advantages perceived by potential and current employees as a value and reward they receive when working in a company) have an influence on job seekers’ choice.
Modern trends demonstrate that a company’s presence in the digital environment enhances its image, and external employer brand is most effectively built-in social media. The main advantage of using social media is the possibility of attracting passive candidates and communicating with the target audience in real time. According to the research results, job seekers (61% of students and 57% of candidates with work experience) primarily refer to social media services when searching for information about an employer. However, unlike students using Instagram as the primary source, candidates with work experience often surf the professional social network LinkedIn. It is an interesting observation that TikTok platform, which may seem to be more of an entertainment nature, is one of the top 3 popular sources of information among college students.
Job search websites do not lose their relevance and HeadHunter remains the most popular job search tool. Besides, students are 4 times more likely than professionals to use OLX Group service to find jobs, which may result from the necessity of finding short-term job opportunities without significant work experience. In addition to online resources, applicants also often use more traditional sources of information, such as feedback from friends or relatives and information distributed by the company to consumers or customers.
80% of respondents face certain difficulties during job search. Students often point out that the reason for this is their personal qualities: insufficient work experience and the level of knowledge or skills. Candidates with work experience, on the contrary, believe that difficulties occur due to employers’ certain actions or inactions. For example, 52% of candidates with work experience encounter difficulties because of the lack of feedback from the employer and 34% mention that the information indicated in the vacancy does not reflect the reality. This, in turn, can negatively affect the company’s image.
Despite the unstable economic situation in the country and worldwide, a large percentage of respondents are ready to move within Kazakhstan and to foreign countries for employment purposes. Students are more likely to move within the country, while candidates with work experience have plans of working overseas in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Turkey. CIS countries are becoming less popular among respondents, which could be a consequence of the current situation in this region.
Recommendations for employer brand promotion
As the research results and trends in the labor market demonstrate, it is important for companies to pay attention to employer brand management to build a correct and positive perception of a company’s image by the target group, and, as a result, gain a competitive advantage. There are some recommendations that can be followed to make this process effective:
Analyze the target audience
For the effectiveness of employer brand promotion, it is important to study the portrait of the target audience, i.e., candidates interested in a particular industry and/or company. Analysis of the potential candidates’ portrait, among other aspects, will make it possible to determine the tools used by candidates for job search, their interests, to select the tone of communication and to customize employee value proposition.
Develop Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
The effectiveness of EVP lies in its complexity. It is important to understand that salary is not the only tool of attracting and retaining employees. During the current war for talent, employers, on the contrary, seek to diversify the set of EVP and outperform their competitors through offers representing the value and attractiveness of employer.
In addition, it is crucial to perceive EVP as an “unwritten contract” between job seeker and employer, according to which the company not only “gives” something to employees, but also “receives” a certain benefit in return. This way, the balance between expectations and needs of the two parties is kept.
Improve the recruitment process
Job seekers’ perception of the company is formed throughout the recruitment process, starting from the moment the vacancy is published and ending with the adaptation period; therefore, it is important to maintain continuous communication with applicants. For example, not informing candidates about the status of the recruitment stages, the absence of feedback on its results, even in the case of rejection, inappropriate job description can damage employer brand.
Strengthen internal employer brand
Internal image of employer is the core and the driver of external image – the stronger internal brand of the company is, the better it is perceived from the outside. Employees transmit company values; therefore, it is crucial to develop corporate culture and ensure a high level of eNPS (employee net promoter score), satisfaction and employee engagement.
Measure efficiency
While building and promoting employer brand, it is necessary to monitor the effectiveness of the actions taken. By measuring HR metrics, for example, such as cost and sources of hiring, employee satisfaction rates, job offer acceptance rates, it is possible to timely react to weak areas and revise and adjust the strategy on building employer brand.
Authors:
Aigerim Ismailova, Senior Consultant, People Advisory Services, EY Kazakhstan
Shyngys Aidynov, Consultant, People Advisory Services, EY Kazakhstan