Ever wondered why your wonderful job vacancy isn't flooded with applications?

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By Kerryn Humphreys, CJS Editor

We often hear the reasons why a person doesn’t get the job: wrong qualifications, not enough skills or simply doesn’t fit the existing team. But we rarely think about reasons why someone might not even apply in the first place, reasons why an employer may be discounted or a job which on the surface sounds good doesn’t quite fit the bill for the applicant.

In June we received a press release* entitled: “Britain’s Green Exodus: One in five refuse to work for a company that isn’t sustainable” and it made us wonder what our recent graduates and new starters are looking for in job advertisements and employers. Being well past that point in our careers we asked a few for their thoughts.

Obviously they’re heading into a countryside, conservation, green career so being sustainable is “a given” and working with people of a similar mindset, aims and ethos was fundamental. It’s a sector with a wide range of employers and probably more NGOs than many other areas but is there any specific motivation behind what sort of employer they might prefer? “I like the idea of working for a charity as it gives me an extra level of motivation for work that I think I need - knowing that I'm helping someone or something, even on very loose terms.” Smaller charities were thought to offer “low pay but good connections to colleagues”. There were concerns about working for charities though, as already mentioned, around rates of pay but particularly on job stability; private companies that “do not require/rely on grant funding” were thought to offer a more reliable future. Whilst fixed term and short term contracts were generally not seen as desirable, they were deemed useful on just starting out, the length and type of contract would play a part in deciding to apply or not. Career progression was also an important element being “key for job satisfaction” and that an apparent lack of progression opportunities may lead a candidate to lean towards a similar vacancy where growth and progression is a possibility.

In terms of benefits, flexibility and working from home was seen as a prerequisite, especially by those with disabilities or certain health conditions. Training and support were also essential with future professional development and certified CPD mentioned as being key for all jobs, an awareness of what budget is available and ability to discuss how that could be used was an important aspect. It was thought that being supported in their work would benefit both employer and employee with one respondent saying: “Having support early on, regardless of role, will help people be more productive as they feel more settled and confident in themselves and their ability.”

The range of non-work related benefits was surprisingly large, ranging from charity discounts to “pay for prescription charges, dental and optical advantages” with one respondent saying the length of the lunch break could influence their decision to apply. Everyone wanted to see honesty and transparent policies and practices especially around Equality Diversity and Inclusion policies and targets. The ability to see the impact of the charity in general and projects specifically was also a welcome bonus particularly when this involved visits to see the results in person.

“Being able to easily see the impact of an organisation is a massive plus. I will always research organisations, so them being upfront and engaging helps,” said one candidate when asked what might persuade them to overlook less favourable aspects. When it comes to not even considering an advert or applying the main factor was the reputation of the employer. Advertising unethical roles and having a bad reputation with negative reviews on rating sites and LinkedIn particularly from current and past employees “would put me off completely”. A feeling of a poor culture in the team would stop some from accepting a post if offered.

The take home for employers is:

• Be honest
• Share your wins (and losses)
• Offer training and let staff know what’s available
• Be flexible in working practices and benefits – ask employees what they’d like.
• Support your staff – they make or break your reputation and that’s the make or break of recruiting new faces.

And finally, if you are advertising a job, everyone likes to be able to see your website and read reviews and most like to apply directly through your own website. One respondent stated: “I prefer to apply directly through a company website, when you can only apply though job searching sites I get a bit put off.” So make sure that “apply here” button goes to your website!

With huge thanks to the London Wildlife Trust Youth Programmes for helping us with the research and allowing us to talk to some of their trainees.

* Read more about the Green Exodus here.