Supportive Company Culture, Pay and Job Security Among Top Motivators for Job Seekers, According to Aerotek’s New Job Seeker Survey

Hanover, Md. (June 14, 2023) - U.S. job seekers who take the time to research the hiring company value a positive and supportive company more than pay, research from trusted staffing and workforce management solutions partner Aerotek shows.

Aerotek’s Spring 2023 Job-Seeker Survey of 1,520 workers who applied to jobs this year revealed how light industrial and skilled trades job seekers are considering new opportunities and what they are expecting from employers. Job seeker preferences on job descriptions, pay information and hours provide insight at a time when employers are struggling to find skilled talent.

Top 4 important motivators when deciding to accept a job (all job seekers (1,453))

Motivator | Percent of those surveyed who viewed the motivator as important

Top 4 important motivators when deciding to accept a job (those who research jobs before applying (948))

Motivator | Percent of those surveyed who viewed the motivator as important

According to Aerotek research, 88.34% of recent job seekers identified pay as an important motivator. However, of those that research companies before applying 91% say a positive and supportive company culture is important when deciding to accept a new job. 

Job Seekers Still Want a 40+ Hour Work Week

According to a recent Monster survey of 868 workers in March, 61%,of workers say they’d rather have a four-day workweek than the traditional five, and 33% say they’d quit their job for one with a shortened week. 

Aerotek’s survey, on the other hand, found demand for a 40+ hour work week remains strong among its job seekers. Aerotek serves sectors including manufacturing, robotics and automation, facilities and maintenance, distribution and logistics, construction and other industries.

Preference for a 40+ hour work week is strong across all ages:
• 18-24 = 61% of respondents in favor
• 25-54 = 69% of respondents in favor
• 55+ = 68% of respondents in favor

Pay Information and Detailed Job Descriptions Matter, but a Company’s History of Layoffs Is Less Important

Not listing pay information in a job posting (40.86%) led the reasons why a job seeker would avoid applying for a job. However, job descriptions that don’t provide enough information wasn’t far behind (37.5%). 

While 23.29 percent of respondents said they had been laid off in the past six months, only 33.41 percent state that they agreed they would avoid applying to a job with a company that has a history of layoffs. 

For the complete analysis of the survey data, view the report here. To learn more about Aerotek, please visit Aerotek.com. 

About the Research
Aerotek’s Job-Seeker Survey was conducted as an independent online survey. 1,520 job seekers were asked about their career ambitions and employer preferences. Respondents were 18 years of age or older, located in the U.S. and completed the survey between April 10 and May 1, 2023. The survey targeted job seekers who were applying for work in calendar year 2023 and seeking jobs in the sectors Aerotek serves including manufacturing, robotics and automation, facilities and maintenance, distribution and logistics, construction and other industries.

About Aerotek
Our People Are Everything™. For more than 35 years, Aerotek® Inc. has built a reputation for providing the highest-quality staffing and workforce management solutions. With deep expertise in the manufacturing, logistics, construction, aviation and facility management industries, we partner with more than 13,000 clients and 200,000 light industrial and skilled trades contract employees every year. Our people-focused approach connects quality talent with meaningful work and continuous opportunities. Headquartered in Hanover, Md., Aerotek operates a unified network of over 250 offices across North America. Aerotek is an operating company within Allegis Group, a global leader in talent solutions. To learn more, visit: Aerotek.com | 1-888-AEROTEK.