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Candidates choosing employer brand over salary, finds LinkedIn

No amount of money could tempt half of UK workers (53%) to consider taking a role at a company with a poor employer brand, according to research from LinkedIn.

The Winning Talent report also found that one in six UK workers (17%) would take a new job with a company offering increased job security, greater development opportunities, and a higher calibre of team, even without the offer of a pay rise. 

LinkedIn director of UK talent solutions Chris Brown warned that poor employer brand impacts a company’s bottom line.

“In addition to simply attracting better employees, a strong employer brand helps retention and engagement, so the true value is even greater than this data suggests,” he said.
 
“Finding the best people remains the number one driver of success for any business. Better communicating the benefits and attractions of their business to potential recruits has to be top of the agenda for recruitment, resourcing and talent professionals.”

LinkedIn’s findings are mirrored in a recent report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). The Candidate Strikes Back looked at jobseekers’ experiences of employer brands.

More than a quarter (26%) of candidates who had a bad experience when applying for a position with a company advised friends or family not to apply at that organisation.

REC chief executive Kevin Green said that applicants are scrutinising employers as much as employers are judging them.

“One issue at the front of employers’ minds is how to attract the talent they need to be successful,” he said. “But the candidate’s voice and feedback is often absent from this discussion. Employers and recruiters are at risk of not grasping what is important to candidates when they apply for a job.”