18 Aug The Results Are In: Offering Growth Opportunities Will Set Your Organization Apart

Growth opportunities are what drive candidates to join a company

100 people answered my LinkedIn survey: What’s your biggest reason for joining a company?

Nearly half of the respondents mentioned their biggest drivers were growth opportunities. Following were company culture, company purpose, and finally compensation and benefits.

Now, 100 responses are definitely not representative of the whole working population, but it definitely shows a shift in candidate preferences.

The result is far from the antiquated concept that candidates are driven by salary expectations — this is probably because of millennials, who now make up over one third of the working population. Growth opportunities, learning, and development are important factors that go beyond the paycheck and are what ignites people’s passion and keeps high-performing employees engaged at the office.

Growth opportunities come in all shapes and sizes — financial, professional, career, and personal. All categories spur employees to go the extra mile and enjoy working for your firm as opposed than just a title and a paycheck. In fact, paychecks seem to be the last reason why respondents were inclined to join an organization.

Anyway, moving on. What do the aforementioned categories for growth opportunities actually mean?

Financial growth 

Financial growth, as the name implies, is money-related. And it’s not just about increasing employees’ salaries when promoted or for doing their job. 

Some financial questions: Are you rewarding employees for referring top candidates? Are there bonus opportunities for exceptional performance with customer service, collaboration, product innovation, and other key business KPIs?

Professional growth

If your organization doesn’t have a budget for financial incentives, it becomes even more important to provide other growth opportunities. Bridge survey data found that offering career training and development would keep 86% of millennials from leaving their current role. If those millennials find that a job lacks growth opportunities and paths for leadership development, 67% of respondents wouldn’t hesitate to leave that job. 

Many professionals with a growth mindset want to figure out if there are opportunities for career advancement in the company they help build each day. Opportunities for professional growth are pivotal for talented candidates who are looking to advance in their careers. Regular check-ins are important for employee development and employees want more frequent feedback sessions, but according to a Gallup poll, only 15% are actively requesting it. 

Training to deepen knowledge on certain subjects and enhance skills, opportunities to rotate between teams and work on special projects, and assignments to serve key committees or meet important clients are all interesting incentives for building and fostering engagement.

Personal growth

Personal growth opportunities are also important for both tenured employees and new hires alike. Incorporating team building events, fun, and recognitions into the work environment and company culture all boost motivation, energy, and loyalty among employees. This can be done with a slim or hefty budget alike.

Organize virtual happy hours on Friday, have a weekly or monthly all-hands so that employees can share their projects and achievements, or small contests with prizes for reaching key business objectives. 

Conclusion

High-quality candidates bee-line toward organizations that provide opportunities to develop and grow on a holistic level. They want increased responsibility, to be challenged, and the chance to impact the company. They also enjoy the work because it makes a difference to others, whether it be colleagues or the community. 

To identify and hire talented candidates — especially in demanding competitive labor markets — recruiters and hiring managers need to ask precise questions and have an eye on what to listen for in candidates’ responses.

Found these useful? Let me know in the comments section 🙂