what drives talent in the united states.

Do you ever wonder how certain companies become household names and every time you hear a jingle, see a logo or go online you see their name? Brand loyalty and recognition, and awareness are much coveted and respected honors in the United States.

To help companies work on brand awareness and learn what drives talent toward certain brands/companies, Randstad each year conducts its survey — the Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) — a reflection of employer attractiveness for the U.S. markets largest employers known by at least 15 percent of the population.

The goal of REBR is to provide valuable insights to employers to help them shape their brands. Some of the top companies in the U.S. shared data and information on how they succeed in gaining brand recognition and loyalty. More than 5,000 people in the U.S. were surveyed.

what did we learn in 2024? we explore some key takeaways:

• An attractive salary has resumed pole position in the U.S. this year. Last year, an attractive salary and work-life balance shared the top slot. This is to be expected as employee values shift from year to year.
• Equity has landed in the top 5 for the first time in the 24 years of our REBR survey. It replaces strong management.
• About two-thirds of the workforce feel their employers meet their expectations.

• Some disparities exist when it comes to attractive salary and benefits for women and older generations, mostly Baby Boomers. The sentiment may be skewed by the fact that these particular demographics were not as likely to be compensated equitably in their opinion.
• Changing jobs has increased in the U.S. by about 2 percent and another 3 percent planned to switch jobs within the first six months of this year (2024). The reason: a better work-life balance. This is the same across all generations.
• For women, too low compensation is near the top as the reason for changing jobs.

What this intel tells us is the dynamics surrounding job preferences across generations is evolving and employers need to tailor recruitment and retention strategies. In addition, if employers do not adapt, they are more inclined to lose employees whose expectations are not met. Addressing development needs and reskilling/upskilling come into play when in relation to overall workplace satisfaction.

perception of employee offer in the U.S.

Understanding the gap between what employees want and what they think employers offer provides valuable insights into building an employer brand. Furthermore, benchmarking against what employees perceive being offered by their current employer gives more context to the gaps that need to be bridged.

equity as an employer driver

Equity in the workplace has become more prominent and a must have versus a nice to have in the past several years. EDI&A (equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility) is part of every company and efforts to be inclusive and embrace differences don’t go unnoticed. Companies who invest, grow and protect their brand and reputation succeed.

According to the REBR results, overall and for all sectors, U.S. employers are doing fairly well on equity.

• About 48 percent of Americans identify as a minority, a proportion notably higher than in other markets.
• Males and younger generations tend to rate their current employer more positively, while Baby Boomers express the least satisfaction with equity in their current workplace.
• Minorities and non-minorities generally rate their current employer the same, except for when it comes to equal opportunity hiring, where minorities are more critical.

which of the following statements do you consider to be true for your current employer?

Companies that participated in our survey had a satisfactory performance across all equity drivers, which is a good sign. When it comes to generational differences, younger ones rate their employer even more favorable and Baby Boomers cite the least satisfaction.

About half of the U.S. workers identify as part of a minority group, including gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity/nationality, religion, disability or another defining characteristic. This is markedly higher than in other markets, and should be an area employers pay closer attention to. Minorities frequently cited facing career obstacles because of their identity more than their peers.

equity

AI gains traction

In the U.S, AI is becoming a common workplace tool. Already 1 in 3 workers say they use it on a regular basis. It is even more commonly used with younger generations and the highly educated.

Some statistics:

• Only 6 percent of the workforce is impacted by AI, but the anticipated impact is more expected to be widespread in the coming years.
• About 72 percent of the workforce expect AI to affect their job at least in some way in the next five years. This applies to younger generations and the highly educated.
• Expected influence of AI on job satisfaction is predominantly positive.
• Almost half the workforce has a positive outlook on the impact of AI.
• About 9 percent expect a negative influence with AI.

To sum it up, workers who use AI regularly are overwhelmingly positive about it. This translates to a potential strategy for employers to leverage positive feedback from users when introducing new AI applications to gain buy-in from those new to AI.

impact of artificial intelligence on jobs

About 1 in 3 workers use AI regularly, with higher adoption rates among younger generations (average 37 percent) and the highly educated (47 percent). 72 percent anticipate that it will have some impact in the next 5 years, especially among younger generations and higher educated. The perceived impact of AI is predominantly positive, especially among regular users (74 percent).

who’s at the top in 2024?

The top companies in the U.S. are large and truly are household names for the most part. Why do they tank in the top consistently? They invest in EDI&A, AI and its tools, believe in upskilling/reskilling, offer more than competitive compensation packages and offer an amazing work-life balance with a lot of flexibility for all generations. They also offer stability, a convenient location and have good reputations.

top employers to work for in the U.S.

why people leave for greener pastures

What factors drive people to look for a new employer or seek a new role depends on the generation and the key drivers a company excels in. Some workers prefer job stability and a financially healthy company and others prioritize work-life balance and better pay/compensation.

The biggest reason in the U.S. people leave an employer was not a satisfactory work-life balance for 39 percent of the women surveyed and 35 percent of the men. Compensation too low jumped this year, particularly among women at 37 percent and about 35 percent for those with lower to middle education levels. Compensation that is too low cited as the most significant factor for Gen X (36 percent) and Boomers (42 percent). And receiving a more attractive offer and switching jobs is common among older generations (average 43 percent), while it's less common among Gen Z (23 percent).

reasons to leave an employer

As one of the top talent companies in the world, we want to be your partner on this journey. Randstad is here to help you navigate the ever-changing world of work. Get in touch so we can find you the best talent to meet your needs today and tomorrow.