PROFESSIONALS in Northern Ireland value job security more than a job with an innovative or creative employer according to research, which captured sentiment amongst professionals as Covid-19 began to impact workplaces across NI.

The ongoing pandemic and news that the UK is now officially in recession can be expected to heighten this desire for secure employment even further.

The research was conducted among 1476 professionals across Northern Ireland by e-recruitment platform NIJobs.com, in partnership with global employer brand specialist Universum.

Professionals were asked to rank in order of importance twenty career motivations. Competitive base salary ranked number one, followed by secure employment and flexible working conditions at number three.

Innovation mattered least to professionals with a creative and dynamic work environment and opportunity to make a personal impact also appearing in the bottom three.

In a revelation that should cause some concern for NI employers; less than one in five (17%) professionals would positively recommend their organisation to a jobseeker, 53% said they wouldn’t recommend their employer at all while a third (30%) were neutral about their employer.

Commenting on the research Sam McIlveen General Manager of NIJobs said:

“Recruiters need to understand the motivations of the talent they want to attract, and this research offers valuable insights into sentiment amongst NI’s professionals.

“The pandemic and the news that the UK is now officially in recession will have an impact on what people value in their working lives.

It’s no surprise that security and flexibility are more highly prized than creativity, variety, and innovation.

“However, workers should appreciate that it doesn’t have to be a binary choice.

“Northern Ireland is home to many vibrant, successful and dynamic businesses in sectors such as IT, engineering, and food production, which continue to offer opportunities to professionals.

“While news that the UK is now officially in recession is challenging, in our most recent Job Report with Ulster Bank, we saw job listings increase in over half of our job categories.

“Of more concern is that over half of professionals wouldn’t recommend their employer to a jobseeker.

“Employee advocacy, what your workers say about you, is a cornerstone of employer branding and a cost-effective talent acquisition strategy.

“A strong employer brand ensures an organisation can attract the best available talent. In business, people are your best asset, hiring and employing talent is key to recovering and emerging successfully from this pandemic.”