Table 2 Rank order, frequency, percentage and supported quotations from data
From: What constitutes an employer of choice? A qualitative triangulation investigation
Group | Key factors | Frequencies | % | Quoted examples from the data (interviews and document analysis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Organization external | Company image | 49 | 57 | “As the new changes against the employees and hence affecting the company’s image as being the employer of choice.” Interview #2 “I believe an employer of choice demonstrates a great reputation to attract the most skillful employees and to develop the current workforce” Document’s comment #35 |
Employees related | Opportunity for training and development | 40 | 46.51 | “Training and Development where employees want to develop skills so they can excel in their jobs on a day to day basis and eventually progress up the career ladder. Employees can access plenty of training and development opportunities in the company.” Document’s comment #25 “To be an employer of choice, I recommend any company to have the best training and development” Interview #12 |
Workplace environment | Work culture and environment | 39 | 45.34 | “Employer of choice that offers work culture and workplace environment that attract and retain qualified employees.” Document’s comment #81 “Attractive work environment is one of the most important reasons to become an employer of choice.” Interview #8 “I do believe our company is an employer of choice because it has a very positive working environment” Interview #3 "Being an employer of choice means that the company has carefully thought about creating an environment where people want to work and have long-lasting careers.” Document’s comment #27 “What makes our company the ‘Employer of Choice?’ It really comes down to the values and how it plays out in the workplace. Creating a ‘great culture’, creates a "great workplace", which in turn helps spread the word as the ‘Employer of Choice’” Interview #19 |
Organization external | Attracting and retaining | 36 | 42 | “The company must change to be more attractive to new hires, be more supportive to the current talents before they tend to leave and be more flexible an appreciative for experienced employees.” Interview #22 “Our employer is an employer of choice, but it should not just be an employer of choice for “now” it should maintain and develop more to attract more.” Document’s comment #33 “Young people may see our Company as an Employer of Choice, and be enthusiastic to join our workforce. However, all the efforts to recruit and select top talent may come to naught, if retention and loyalty is presumed.” Document’s comment #17 “To be an Employer of Choice, we need to be attractive for the young talents” Interview #10 |
Employee related | Satisfaction, involvement and commitment | 34 | 39.53 | “Set targets for managers and division heads to achieve a specific satisfaction level in their workplace.” Interview #1 “To become Employer of Choice, the company should show a commitment” Document’s comment #75 “At an employer of choice, employees feel as if they have the opportunity to be involved. They can make suggestions, think up new products or service innovations, serve on employee committees to plan events and work processes, and attend appropriate meetings and have input on work processes that affect their jobs.” Interview #6 |
Employee + workplace | Fairness | 27 | 31.39 | “Fairness: Perceptions of unfair treatment or a workplace that favors certain individuals over others for unknown, undefined reasons, is an anathema to an employer of choice. Employers need to fairly develop and apply policies, treat employees with the same regard and consideration, and make the workplace guidelines clear and enforceable across the board.” Document’s comment #55 “I believe our company is still an Employer of Choice. However, the management has still to do a lot to sustain this quality and capability by ensuring fairness in job and benefits to the employee comparing with other best employers” Interview #4 |
Employee related | Reward and recognition | 19 | 22.09 | “Reward well – People want to be rewarded in recognition for the contribution that they have made to the organization. They also want to be rewarded at a level which is on or above market rate. The new global package certainly moved in this direction.” Document’s comment #104 “Recognition: Employers of choice provide feedback to employees about their performance, growth prospects, accomplishments, and areas needing improvement regularly. One of the most powerful forms of employer of choice is employee recognition. At an employer of choice, recognition is regular, targeted to real successes, and used to reinforce positive, desired behavior.” Document’s comment #97 “I believe the company to still be an Employer of Choice based upon the rewards plan it provides.” Document’s comment #33 “Instead of a monetary award let employees choose their own prize: for example, dinner in a restaurant, a subscription to a fitness club, a gift certificate.” Interview #9 |
Employee related + Org. External | Opportunities for growth | 9 | 10.5 | “Undoubtedly, our company is among the most sought-after employers in Saudi. It provides career growth opportunities for ambitious young people to become their Employer of Choice” Document’s comment #16 “The company has been an employer of choice for so many years that we started to get accustomed to it. This level brings dangers of falling behind as other companies start eating at the same bite: the employable workforce. Our company is still the Employer of Choice for career growth. To be able to stay competitive as an Employer of Choice on the global employment market, the company needs to open up more opportunities of career growth.” Interview #7 |
Workplace | Team work | 9 | 10.5 | “Positive relationships with coworkers: On a larger scale, at an employer of choice, because coworkers like and enjoy working with each other.” Interview #5 “What makes our company an employer of choice is employees’ relationships. Coworkers like and enjoy working with each other.” Document’s comment #41 |
Employee related | Motivation | 9 | 10.5 | “The company should look seriously into the motivation level of employees, especially mid-aged ones, who are considered in their peak production stage and it is time for the company to get the most benefit out of them.” Interview #14 “The key is motivation whether it is through money, position, exposure, etc. If the employees feel motivated, then their employer will be the employer of choice” Interview #18 |
External Org | Concern for society | 2 | 2.32 | “Corporate Social Responsibility: Employees want to work for businesses that are trustworthy, ethical, and socially responsible and have a positive corporate culture where staff are treated fairly and with respect. Develop a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program in your business which sets out your values and principles on how you want to do business in an ethical way.” Document’s comment #73 |