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A large number of reports show that workers value their well-being at work. But this crucial subject is often overlooked during recruitment processes, leading job candidates to take the bull by the horns, according to a new report from Apec.
The majority of job-seeking executives find it difficult to obtain information about the working conditions and culture of the company for which they could potentially work. In detail, they have difficulty evaluating the recognition shown to employees within the organization (62%), the workload to be expected in the position they are seeking (59%) or the atmosphere within the team to which they belong (56%).
A benefit for the employee but also for the company
As important as they are in the eyes of employees, these subjects are far from being systematically addressed by human resources managers or managers during job interviews. When they are, it is often at the initiative of the job candidate. Thus, the autonomy given to employees is mentioned in 37% of cases by job seekers during recruitment, compared to 23% by the company. In 40% of cases, this aspect is not mentioned at all.
But the least discussed topic during job interviews is labor relations within the company. However, the effects of a good atmosphere are far from negligible. The more fulfilled employees are in their professional environment, the more free they feel to implement their ideas. This contributes to a company’s capacity for innovation and performance. Conversely, when the atmosphere is bad, the office becomes the place for all internal quarrels. Exchanges between employees become tense or almost non-existent, which can lead to progressive disengagement and therefore slow down collective productivity.
A lever of attractiveness for businesses
It is therefore not surprising that working in a peaceful and caring environment is a prerequisite for many workers. More than 40% of those surveyed by Apec say they have already left a company because of conflicting relationships with colleagues or superiors. In comparison, only 23% of them resigned due to excessive workload.
To avoid getting to this point, many job seekers find out, in advance, about the quality of life within the company they are considering joining. But because they cannot count on human resources managers, they develop alternative strategies to obtain the information they need to make a choice. They therefore contact current or former employees of the company to obtain their feedback. Some, especially the youngest, conduct the survey on the Internet, through the opinions of employees on rating sites like Glassdoor or Indeed, or even on LinkedIn.
It therefore appears essential that organizations integrate the strong demand for transparency of assets on their actions and efforts regarding quality of life at work into their hiring process. “For executives, this is essential information to make informed decisions when considering a change of company. Ultimately, sharing this information is also in the interest of companies to ensure the sustainability of recruitment.“, notes Apec in its report*.
*The analyzes in this Apec report are based on a qualitative survey, carried out in May and June 2023 by the company Viavoice, as well as a survey, carried out in October 2023 by the company Bilendi with a sample of 1,000 executives from the private sector, in and out of employment.