Hey Recruiters – Candidates Want More Than a Fat Paycheck

The job market is constantly changing, and the priorities of job seekers are changing along with it. A few years ago, candidates would choose career paths that offered stable and high-paying job options. Then, they'd work their way up the company ladder – collecting pay raises along the way – until retirement.

For today's job seekers, however, there's more to it than salary concerns.

Recruiting Then and Now

As we can see from the conversations above, it takes more than a higher salary to get today's candidates to leave their current jobs for new companies. They want roles that will challenge them, provide them with ample opportunities to learn new skills, and give them job satisfaction.

Help Candidates Make Good Decisions

A survey of more than 2,300 professionals conducted by job search website CV-Library found that 93 percent of employees feel "more valued when an employer offers development opportunities."

Similarly, LinkedIn's "Talent Trends 2015" report found that while 49 percent of passive candidates look for higher salaries, 33 percent also look for better professional development opportunities when considering a new job.

For recruiters, this means it is more important than ever before to understand candidates' backgrounds and skill sets. That way, recruiters can guide them to jobs that offer the right opportunities for them.

Become a 'Skill Hunter'

According to recruiting expert Greg Savage, today's recruiters must become "skill hunters." Instead of simply waiting for job boards to bring them candidates, recruiters must proactively identify the right talent with the right skills. They have to find ways to reach out to talent – and ways for talent to reach out to them.

The right software can help with this. For example, Zoho Recruit allows recruiters to post job openings that feature detailed lists of qualifications and skills necessary for the role, as well as in-depth explanations of both the job itself and the company. When you include this much detail in a job post, you make it easier for candidates to fully understand your job – and whether or not it is right for them.

Do Your Research

If candidates expect more from employers when making a job change, they expect more from their recruiters as well. Recruiters need to dedicate time to researching every aspect of a company so that they can match the right candidates with the right roles. This means recruiters should study up on everything from workplace culture and employee benefits to learning and development programs, travel opportunities, and education subsidies.

The "Talent Trends 2015" report mentioned above found that "two-thirds of professionals would take a lower salary in return for sponsorship of a recognized qualification from their employer."

It's a good idea to advertise an organization's various training programs, certification courses, and other special development opportunities during the recruiting process. These details can be published on a career site and on job boards in order to reach as many potential candidates as possible.

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For recruiters and job seekers alike, the recruiting process has changed dramatically. Today's recruiters must do more than simply help candidates land jobs – they must help them establish real careers. The only way to do that is to become a guide for candidates by conducting the right research and investing in the right technologies.

A version of this article originally appeared on the Zoho blog.

Kruthi Gonwar is a writer with Zoho Recruit.