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Tuesday 22 March 2016 4:02 pm

UK workers much less interested in salary when job hunting than their global counterparts and much more interested in the job description and type of work

By: Hayley Kirton

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You may think you can lure top talent to your company by offering them wads of cash, but, if you're recruiting for your UK office, you might be disappointed.

A study out today by ManpowerGroup Solutions has discovered that jobseekers in the UK are among the least likely to be motivated by salary, with only a quarter (27 per cent) ranking this as an important factor when looking for a new job, compared with a global average of 54 per cent.

Workers in China and Mexico are much more money-motivated, with 81 per cent and 73 per cent respectively rating the compensation on offer as one of the most important things they look for when making a career decision.

Instead, UK workers are far more interested in the type of work they'll be asked to do, with three-quarters (76 per cent) rating this as an important factor when making a career decision, compared with a global average of 56 per cent.

"As the talent shortage grows, making it more difficult to find candidates with the right skills, businesses should understand exactly what job seekers look for," said Kate Donovan, senior vice president of ManpowerGroup Solutions. "People with in-demand skills are making different career choices today based on lifestyle preferences and beliefs, which complicates traditional recruitment models and forces companies to think differently about their recruitment and workforce management strategies."

Jobseekers in the UK are also less likely to venture onto social media in a bid to find their dream job, with only one in five (18 per cent) using this as a way to gather more information about potential employers, compared with a global average of 30 per cent.

Other factors where UK workers strayed from their overseas colleagues included preference on geographic location, which 53 per cent in the UK ranked as important compared with 39 per cent worldwide, and opportunity for advancement, which 28 per cent in the UK rated important compared with 35 per cent worldwide.

Jim McCoy, vice president of ManpowerGroup Solutions, added: "From bold new strategies that involve collaboration within industries, to old-fashioned boots-on-the ground tactics, employers need to customise their outreach to attract and retain the best talent across the globe."

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