Push and pull factors: how to use job motivators

Writing a great job posting is not as easy as it might seem. You know – one that attracts the best talent. Especially in times when staff are scarce, your job ad needs to stand out from the rest. It needs to be unique and engaging because that’s what’ll make the difference between attracting average talent and attracting the absolute best. But how do you go about doing that?

By using the right push and pull factors. Those are the job motivators that inspire the perfect candidate to click Apply. Read on to find out all you need to know about using push and pull factors in your job postings.

 

What are push factors?

Push factors have to do with employee retention. They stem from an underlying unhappiness with people’s employment – they’re what pushes people to look for another job. Think of a lack of opportunities, poor management, stress, underpayment, or a poor work-life balance.

Employee retention is just as important as employee attraction. And what pushes people away from their current jobs, might just be what you need to offer to pull them in.

 

What are pull factors?

Pull factors are the perceived or actual benefits of moving to another organization. They persuade people to click on that Apply button. Well-known pull factors are opportunities to grow, an excellent working atmosphere, flexible working hours, a good work-life balance, a good salary, and a permanent contract.

 

How do you discover the push and pull factors for your job ad?

Push and pull factors differ per job and company. Flexible working hours, for example, are difficult to offer when the work is done in shifts. The pull factors you offer in your job ad also need to correspond with reality. Your current employees can shed some light on the subject here. Ask them what keeps them at your organization. What is it that your company offers that will pull others in?

 

Know what pull factors you need to use in your job ad

Adding the right pull factors to your job opening can mean the difference between writing a good job description and a great one. But how can you be 100% sure that you mention all the right job motivators? That’s where Textmetrics can help. We cooperate with the Dutch businesses Jobdigger and IG. They continuously research the market to discover what motivates people to apply for a job.

At Textmetrics, we use this data to determine what the top 15 job motivators for your job are. If you match these with the pull factors your current employees mentioned, you’ll know just which ones you need to include to write a great job ad.