Yes, many candidates first look at your compensation and benefits packages when they enter your organization. Just as stated in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, people first satisfies their basic needs and most often, for employees it is financial. Some graduates initially look for jobs that are relevant to their chosen courses or career. But in the long run, as they get frustrated for not being hired, they then turn to find jobs that would at least give them work experiences and income. During those trying times, they resort to working in BPOs (Business Processes Organizations. This kind of industry offers high initial salary as well as very good benefits. But you will still wonder why the lifespan or most of the BPO employees would only stay for just a year or two. These are the very same reasons why many BPOs think of so much programs that would satisfy their employees i.e. dress-down, piped-in music, free vitamins, free flowing coffees, sleeping quarters and a lot, lot more incentives. Yet still, they don't stay for good.
The reasons are because... one(1) their job is not really their first interest. People are happy when they are working on what they love. Usually, it's what they have taken during their college days. Work becomes stressful if their heart is not on it. Thus, hiring nurses for call center agents would not ensure their commitments. Right fit for the right position. Two (2) or second reason, the generation of graduates nowadays wanted diversity, challenges, travels and continuous development. Without it, they tend to get bored and do the job-hopping. With a lot of good offers, international exposures, for sure they would consider transferring organization. Unlike the generations of their parents, job security was the foremost necessity in finding a job. This results to changes in culture. Three (3) or third reason as I may say is that employees want growth and development in terms of their chosen career. When their interest, needs and values are met, you can be assured that they will stay if not for good, at least for the longest possible time.
I have seen employees staying for good or very long in cooperatives (particularly in the financial sector). In my stay in this industry (which is not very long, since 2012) I was able to identify some factors that made employees stay. During our consultancy diagnostics and by conducting climate surveys, there are two (2) vivid factors that makes the employees stay - "Family Culture" and "Social Contributions". What do I mean by these?
Family Culture - Cooperatives are owned by the members and governed by the members. Because of these traits, many cooperatives allow their employees to become members as well. Thus, they enjoy the benefits given to regular members. Their families in turn are also members, if not regular, are associate members. Since they own the organization, they care for the organization and they treat each member well like part of their families. Everybody pitch-in to make the cooperative grow. They are happy receiving dividends from their shares and they can avail loans in times of need. They are taught how to manage their finances and save. They gain the values of giving cooperation to the organization. People in the cooperatives sector, most often than not, abhor aggressive behaviors. Almost everybody are accommodating.
Social Contribution - Since the members are the most important reasons for the cooperatives' existence, most of the activities done by the organization is geared towards community development, helping people by the people. Those employees in turn learns to be happy, contributing to the organization, as well as the community at large. The feeling of growth and being able to help warms their heart and thus, they stay. I think this is also what other companies are trying to achieve in creating programs that are covered in their Corporate Social Responsibilities or CSR. This trait is second nature to cooperatives. And this may also be the reason why some cooperative employees who have left the coops returns to the same industry.
What I have learned in the cooperative sector is that Values and Principles are better influencers to ensure commitment among the organization's members.
