SEEK has surveyed over 14,700 Australians job seekers* and revealed that work-life balance continues to beat out salary/compensation in what attracts Australians to new job opportunity – but only just…in 2024, there is an increasingly complex balance of cost of living pressures, a new generation of jobseekers’ career ambitions, and a continued desire for flexibility that are all coming into play. 

SEEK’s Laws of Attraction data portal breaks down what attracts job seekers most to a role based on gender, generation, industry, location, income and more to paint a timely picture of what is making workers tick in 2024. 

• The top 4 drivers of attraction for SME workers are:
  • Work-life balance (14.6% importance score – this is ranked slightly lower for those who are looking to work for a small organisation in comparison to the total respondents)  
  • Salary/compensation (13.1% importance score) 
  • Working environment (11.5% importance score) 
  • Career development opportunities (10.9% importance score – this is ranked higher for those who are looking to work for a small organisation in comparison to total respondents)
    
• Additional insights on what job seekers want from an SME:
  • Amping up ambition – people who prioritise working at a small business for their next role, place greater value on career development opportunities than the total working population. When compared to other employees, SME employees are more focused on career development opportunities such as promotion opportunities (53%), in-house training (17%), sponsored study (31%), mentoring programs (39%).
  • Taking responsibility – in comparison to other respondents, these workers place greater importance on the social and environmental responsibility of a prospective organisation. Of notable priority, in comparison to other workers, are that an organisation values and manages its impact on the environment (45% consider a ‘must-have’) and provides staff with volunteering/charitable opportunities (29%). 
  • More super? Super! – more than 1 in 3 of these workers consider a potential employer offering additional super in a role as a ‘must have’. This is prioritised 15% higher than those who are looking to work in a larger organisation in their next role. 
  • Under review – an employer offering salary review periods is of particular importance to these workers, with over 60% considering it a ‘must-have’ when evaluating a job opportunity. 
  • Flexibility of time is king – unlike their counterparts who are looking to work in larger organisations, these individuals place greater value on offerings that provide greater flexibility in their time e.g. flexible working hours (46% consider a ‘must-have’) and the ability to work part time (42% consider a ‘must-have’). 
  • Location, location, location – the location of work is also of greater concern to these workers, which correlates with a deprioritisation of the ability to work from home in comparison to those looking to work for larger organisations. A workplace being close to home and easy to ride/walk to is top of mind for these workers, with 51% and 40% considering it a ‘must-have’ respectively.

ABOUT SEEK’S LAWS OF ATTRACTION 

SEEK’s Laws Of Attraction is an interactive data tool designed to uncover the drivers that attract job seekers to a role. From salary to flexible work, it provides a comprehensive and timely resource to understand what people really value when they look to join or stay with a business or organisation.

This is the latest update to the Laws of Attraction portal, with new data from January 2023 – February 2024 created through an extensive ongoing survey of more than 14,700 job seekers looking to change roles in the next two years. 

With SEEK’s Laws of Attraction, you can browse 12 drivers of attraction to a role by industry, age, gender, seniority and work type – then compare results across a variety of factors.