Gemma Burgess, CEO of Ferguson Partners, joins Cheddar News to discuss what people are looking for in an employer, and how to convey positive work culture to potential employees.

On the Job

What People Are Looking For in an Employer

flexible work options, a positive workplace culture, strong leadership are just some things that people want to see at work, especially as the workplace continues to evolve. So we set out to ask our fellow new Yorkers, what do you look for in an employer? Here's what they had to say, potential, like some people say they're going to do the job and definitely don't put it in a lot of effort. One that's inclusive and allows flexible working, someone who's flexible with the working arrangements, someone who's inclusive, someone who cares about the people and the staff that work for them. Amazing boss who is a great mentor, ian friend, that's what I look for all the time. I want people to treat me the way I treat them. Just I mean how flexible they are. I mean, you know, they have to be just a good person. I'm always looking for quality of life, things like, you know, hopefully when I go in for the interview I can notice that for myself, I would probably say listening to work in a bias free environment. I would like them to have a little understanding, a little bit of more open mindedness, work life balance good culture, things like that. I mean obviously salary is always important, but it's important to have all the other stuff too. It's to have a place you want to work and joining us now to further discuss of what people are looking for in an employer's gemma burgess ceo of Ferguson partners Gemma, Welcome to the show. We just heard a few people talk about, what trends they're looking two and what they want to see in their workplace. What do you think of those? I think you're, the people here really hit the nail on the head. Number one flexibility seems to be one of the most craved conditions of the workplace today. Um not just flexibility, but I think just the ability to have a hybrid schedule that you use your time in the office or in your workplace for for good use for cross fertilization of ideas that you're not just sat there in the office, still on your zoom. Um, and then your usual flexible days away from the office or away from the workplace to really execute on those tasks, how important is workplace culture to potential employees? I know we heard a few new Yorkers say it was pretty important to them, but how can employers convey that positive culture? Yeah, I think it really has to start from the top. Um I think the leadership really does need to do a deep dive into what their culture is today and potentially where they want it to go to. Um, and once they come up with with, with what that looks like to really, you know, expect all of their leaders to broadcast and and live by those um that those rules so that everybody feels that they're comfortable to work flexibly or to take time out of the office to go and see their kid's soccer match or whatever the important things are for you as a farm, but it definitely needs to start at the top. I think they're just tracking it and recording it and telling people what you're doing is it is another key piece of it too. I think that's a really good advice. One individual we interviewed say they look for potential in an employer. I actually love that answer. How important is it for opportunities of growth within a company hugely important, not just the opportunity, but also the clear communication and the different paths that can be taken by individuals. You know, used to be the way that someone would go into a farm and stay there for forever. But nowadays people want to know that they can do different things, their role can evolve and their, their business will take them with them. So it is the potential, but it's also the clear communication on this and the transparency and what do you need to achieve to be able to get to the next level. And what does that mean for you as an individual? What are the top benefits individuals are looking for in an employer today? I feel like a lot has changed since the pandemic. Yeah, I think the obvious things like, you know, good, strong maternity leave and maternity leave, all of those things that are important. Um the flexibility as we mentioned previously with regard to finding that right balance between, you know, professional life and the family life. that's also key jim I'm interested, what changes have you seen in workplace culture since the pandemic hit. I think for the first time folks are able to go to the employers and say like my job is important to me, but it's not everything to me and to be able to start talking about things like work life balance and flexibility. Um Suddenly and particularly I think in in sort of new york and other cities where there's, you know, big financial services, there has been a culture of just working 24 7 and everybody sort of being okay with doing that, but now people, you know, they've been separated from their family and their friends for years at this point. Um and they've also been able to work more flexibly without having to commute. So I think now it's okay for folks to come into their employees and say um what is going to work for them and what isn't so that you can find, you know, you can still get all the work done which obviously did happen through the pandemic, but do it in a more family friendly way. Do you think this is a lifestyle, I don't want to call it a trend, but a lifestyle that's here to stay, I think so I keep getting asked all the time right now by clients as to, you know, if there's a recession around the corner, does this change how people feel about the workplace. Um and I honestly don't think that it necessarily will have that that big an impact because we've all been able to demonstrate that you can work remotely and flexibly and still get all of the work done. Um so I think it's here to stay and maybe it will ebb and flow just depending on what happens in in the markets and what happens in the job markets in particular. But I don't think we're going back to pre pandemic times to be honest. So talking about the differences we've seen since the pandemic, how important is job security and stability for those who are looking for a new job gemma? It's a great question because I was having this conversation the other day that a lot of the workforce today has only ever worked in a bull market, they haven't, you know, been through a recession, they don't recall what it was like prior to that. So I actually think the pandemic has bred a lot more entrepreneurialism within folks. I don't necessarily think people have been as concerned about their sort of next paycheck. And suddenly we've seen a number of folks leave big institutional organizations to go to startups and venture capital type firms to how do you think the wants and needs people seek in an employer differ by generation. There have to be differences between all of us. Yeah. And I think, I think some of it comes back to that sort of generational piece of whether if you've lived through, um, if you've lived through a bull bear market, then you are more reluctant to take on too much risk. But if you've only ever seen a bull market, then you're, you're pretty happy to take a chance and know that the markets out there have always been buoyant. You've always been able to find something else. Gemma burgess, Ceo of Ferguson partners. Such a fun and interesting discussion, gentlemen. Thank you so much for your time. We hope you come back soon.