Recently the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia conducted the Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders in Greater Philadelphia Survey.  This survey was designed to gain understanding of the personal, regional and professional motivators of the area’s emerging mid-career professionals.  The survey yielded some interesting information about the professional lives of mid career professionals.  At Bellia, our mission is to increase the magnetism of the Tri-state area, the information contained in this survey is important in understanding ways to attract and retain top talent in the region.

There are three important factors when considering a new employer, particularly for those ages 30-39 .  They include company culture, opportunity to grow and work life balance.  

Company Culture

Often, when job seekers don’t take the time to learn about a company’s culture before accepting a job offer, they join a company that disappoints them.  Company culture plays an important role in whether your employees stay or go.  Your company must consider how it is perceived by potential and current staff.  Are you an organization that encourages collaboration and teamwork? How does your company get stuff done? Does your company stand behind strong core values that will appeal to job seekers?  

Opportunity to Grow

One thing that is really important to new and mid-career professionals is the opportunity to learn, develop and grow in their company.  While professional and formal training opportunities are important to potential employees, 90 percent of learning and opportunity happen on the job.  So, job seekers are looking for a management culture that supports learning and development.  Job candidates want to know that the person they report to is going to help them advance and grow in their careers.

Work/Life Balance

Work/life balance is generally refers to the idea that employees need to do more than just work.  There needs to be a balance between work and other important parts of their lives including family, friends, community involvement, healthy living, etc.  Because potential employees rank this as something that really matters to them, it is important that your company values it. When employees are bogged down with work, it ultimately will create stress and unhappiness in their jobs.  Because many employees are motivated to succeed, they often lose a grasp on this balance, so employers can help them maintain a healthy balance by offering flexible scheduling, PTO and company sponsored family activities.  When those at the top are achieving and modeling a work/life balance in their own lives, it creates an environment where it is expected from all employees to do the same thing, contributing to a positive culture.

By focusing on these aspects of your company, it will raise the magnetism of the area. By understanding what potential job seekers look for in choosing a new employer, you can make sure that you have what they want.  Not only will it create an engaging and positive corporate environment, it will attract the best candidates to your company. 

To see the full infographic/survey resuslts visit the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce here.