Shaping the perfect workplace: what do candidates look for?
Free snacks, coffee, and pet-friendly office space are only a few benefits that employers use to attract talented hires nowadays. Even so, Insoft‘s HR partner Rimantė Bičiūnė notes that employees‘ needs are ever-changing, and companies who fail to address them risk losing their appeal among industry experts.
Spotting the #1 green flag: employee satisfaction
Five days a week, we spend about 50% of our waking time working. Naturally, then, the environment in which we perform work tasks and interact with colleagues plays an important role in our general well-being. “Even the coolest benefits, premium insurance packages, and excessive team building events can’t make up for such downsides as unhealthy workload and disrespectful colleagues“, stresses R. Bičiūnė.
According to her, hints that indicate a stressful, unhealthy work environment shine through during the different phases of the application process. Formal communication between managers and their team members, avoidance of eye contact, and behavioral shifts when someone enters/leaves the room is the most obvious red flags here. On the other hand, careful observation can also reveal green flags. According to Insoft‘s HR partner, some of the best indicators of positive work culture are informal communication, openness, and occasional friendly banter or jokes. „I see plenty of that at Insoft. People who work here truly care about their colleagues and respect each other. The company itself plays a big role here by initiating regular team building events as well: every Monday the whole team gathers at a common breakfast table, and every Friday individual teams get together for lunch“, she notes.
However, R.Bičiūnė also warns that, alongside employees‘ well-being, companies also need to focus on long-term satisfaction. Growth prospects play a key role here. “Career opportunities within Insoft are a major benefit to our current employees and our applicants alike. The company pays a lot of attention to maintaining a favorable system for ambitious employees that allows junior specialists to grow into mid- or even senior roles", emphasizes Insoft‘s HR partner.
Reflecting on the most attractive benefits for employees, she also notes that companies often fail to communicate from the very beginning. This is especially relevant when hiring programmers and other experts in the IT sector, who usually choose between several job offers. In such cases, the odds are with the employer who offers better work benefits.
Adapting to evolving needs is not an advantage, but a necessity
According to R. Bičiūnė, global affairs have always had a great influence on the priorities of employees. The pandemic announced in 2020 and the war that started in 2022 are two main events that have prompted many people to look at their personal needs and everyday life differently. They inspired a strong shift towards benefits focused on well-being, such as reimbursable psychotherapy sessions or valuable insurance packages.
The need for flexible work is not going anywhere, either. This question remains in the top three most popular questions that candidates ask. At Insoft, employees have a lot of control over where and when they work. However, R. Bičiūnė notes that it‘s very important to find the right balance between working from home and in the office. According to her, failing to do so can weaken the relationship of the employee with their colleagues and the work environment.
Addressing the changing needs, Insoft‘s HR partner also emphasizes that monitoring the market and knowing what the employees live by is crucial. At Insoft, that is done with the help of an employee satisfaction survey. Collected data reveals employees' opinions, moods, expectations and work benefits that they like/dislike. Based on the results, it‘s easier to make positive changes that shape a healthy and motivating work environment and an attractive employer image on an international scale.