In this edition, the great awareness acquired by workers in the post-pandemic era of their priorities and needs emerges and the dynamic between talent and employers has shifted.

It also emerges very clearly that, with the gradual return to normality, failing to meet the expectations of the workforce could be a serious problem for organisations looking for the best talents.

The main outcomes are the following:

1. Attitude: the youngest respondents (18-34 years) aspire to a satisfying work experience and three quarters of them say that work is important for their lives. In the older group surveyed, this percentage drops to 68 per cent, where the search for a job is less linked to a need for matching with their lifestyle and happiness.

2. Values: employees want organizational values to align with their personal ones. The 43 per cent said they would not join an employer whose social and environmental values do not align with theirs, and for 41 per cent, a priority is that the employer promotes a diverse and inclusive workplace. Growing attention to corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues is confirmed as a value to attract and retain employees.

3. Empowerment: employers are facing a talent scarcity which is a long-term challenge and they  need to reassess their monetary and non-financial incentives to attract and retain great talent, especially in the context of a higher competition for skills.

4. Flexibility: expectations among the world’s workforce have changed since the onset of the pandemic and job flexibility is here to stay. Even if three-quarters of those surveyed believe flexibility of work location is important and the 83 per cent want work hours that can adapt to their lives, only some employers consider it.

5. Self-improvement: rapid digital transformation highlighted the risk of skills obsolescence and employers will need to focus on skilling and coaching to meet the needs of their workforce.

Sander van ‘t Noordende - CEO and Chair of the Executive Board Randstad N.V. said: “There’s a clear power shift under way, as people rethink priorities. Businesses need to rethink their approach to attracting and retaining staff, or face serious competition”.

You can find an analysis of the previous report here.