What Candidates Want (And How to Build a Talent Strategy That Delivers It)

Employers are facing a critical challenge in connecting with qualified white-collar professionals. While 73% of HR leaders report struggling to find skilled talent, the issue is not simply a scarcity of skills; it is a fundamental misalignment between candidate values and corporate offers.

This article leverages robust global survey data to expose where benefits and priorities diverge, demonstrating that many organisations are failing to lead with the practical needs candidates seek most: fair pay, job security, and real work-life balance.

To secure and retain the talent needed for growth, companies must transition from competing on general offers to designing work around real candidate needs. Discover the strategic shifts required that will move your business from vying for talent to becoming the definitive destination of choice.

Bridging the Divide

In our global survey of candidates and HR leaders, 73% of leaders reported struggling to find qualified people. But a struggle to connect with skilled talent is only half the story. The challenge goes beyond hard-to-find skills. It’s about bridging the gap between what people value and what organisations provide.

GI Group Holding's survey across 20 countries found that candidates are clear about what they want. Pay and benefits came top of the list (52%), followed by job security (39%), which reflects current wider economic uncertainty, and work-life balance (32%). Flexibility is a key ask too, influencing the decision to take a role for more than a quarter (27%) of jobseekers.

Benefits are where candidates and employers are most divided. Some companies over-index in the areas candidates value less, while under-delivering on practical needs. Our survey showed that these small but significant mismatches appear across many areas and could have a huge impact on connecting the right people with the right roles. 

Organisations must close the gap by designing work around real needs, not assumptions. Lead with fair compensation, stability, benefits that fit life stages, and practical support. This is how employers become a destination of choice.
 

Where HR leaders are today 

Around three quarters of HR leaders (73%) say it is hard to find people with the right skills, and nearly half (48%) report shortages in key roles. A significant 40% say rising salary expectations are a key challenge. These numbers from our survey tell a worrying story: the current jobs market is both tight and costly, making it difficult for businesses to attract the skills they need. 

When the market is tough, leaders look inside first. Nearly two thirds (63%) have made learning and development their top talent strategy, and 46% are prioritising reskilling and upskilling. Many are now mapping workers’ skills (45%), and one in four are investing in internal mobility programmes (24%), a clear signal that transferability matters.

Technology is edging in too, with 25% saying AI integration will be a relevant talent play in the years ahead. And amid the buzz, wellbeing has not slipped off the agenda. Over a third (35%) of leaders still call out wellbeing programmes as a strategic focus, because people do their best work when they feel supported.

HR leaders understand their pressure points, but it’s not enough to turn inwards. The crucial move now is to understand candidate needs in detail, then use these insights to finetune the way they develop benefits, advertise roles, and engage talent. 
 

The benefits gap

Benefits are a deciding factor for many candidates. Jobseekers in our survey said extra paid time off would make an offer stand out for 43% of them, yet only 33% of employers provide it. Retirement plans with employer matching tell the same story, valued by 36%, offered by 28%.

Meanwhile, many offers lead with the less tangible stuff. In fact, 45% of employers put professional development funds on the table, with a smaller (but still sizable) 33% of candidates saying it matters at the offer stage. Over 42% of companies promote wellness programmes, while 31% of jobseekers highlight them as a differentiator. None of this is bad. It is just much of what is offered is secondary to what most people are scanning for in those first moments: time they can use and long-term security they can trust.

Attraction improves when what's on offer aligns with daily life. Retention strengthens when people feel supported at predictable pinch points, from having flexible time off to help with childcare or other priorities to peace of mind when making long-term plans. Commuting support, whether a travel allowance, a season ticket loan, or subsidised parking, can also make the difference at the offer stage. Close the gap on these real-life pain points, and you can improve retention, lift acceptance rates, and get more from your development investment because people stay long enough to put it to work.

How to become a talent destination of choice

Stand out by moving quickly and being transparent. Back it with benefits people actually use and with growth people can see in practice. This is the mix that earns attention at the offer stage and builds trust once people join.

Prioritise response times

Speed signals respect: 27% of candidates lose interest if they do not hear back within one to two weeks. Set a response time promise on every vacancy, keep candidates informed, and remove duplicate steps so decisions arrive while interest is high.

Don’t sleep on employer branding

Candidates are not meeting you cold. They do their research, and you should stand out for all the right reasons: 61% told us they look for stability and reliability, which reflects economic complexity and a jittery market. Reviews and ratings influence choices for around 40%, and 30% care about values and mission. Show the proof. Share stats, respond to reviews with substance, and use real stories to illustrate your values in action.

Make flexibility real

Flexibility is a reason to say yes, with 27% of candidates listing flexible work options as a top reason to accept an offer and 32% prioritising work-life balance. But make sure your take on flexibility is meaningful, not cosmetic: offer remote or hybrid options where the role allows, giving people some control over hours or offering a compressed week. For on-site roles build in practical support like team-managed schedules, compressed workweeks, or shift swapping via an app. Other options for building in flexibility include offering part-time work and seasonal roles. Judge performance on outcomes, set realistic expectations with new starters, and adjust where you can.

Building offers people choose

Our survey data supports a simple truth: hiring improves when offers match how people live. Pay and practical benefits matter most at decision time, security and time off carry real weight, and speed and clarity signal respect. Get these right, and the rest of the package will land better. 

Most HR leaders know that change is needed. And they are looking for ways to outperform the competition. This means both internal changes and a willingness to meet jobseekers where they are. Understand candidate needs in detail, align the offer by role and life stage, and keep communication plain. Do that consistently, and you move from competing for talent to being the place candidates choose - and choose to stay.
 

Partnering for Specialist Talent Acquisition

The data clearly highlights that bridging the gap between candidate values and corporate offers requires both speed and specialist knowledge. For high-value, white-collar roles - the focus of Grafton across Europe and LATAM - access to talent is not the primary challenge; understanding what motivates them is.

By partnering with an expert recruiter like Grafton, you ensure your revised compensation and benefits package reaches the exact professional audience you need. We help you accelerate response times and secure the talent your business needs to drive growth.
 

Ready to move from competing for talent to securing the best professionals?

Contact a Grafton specialist today to discuss how our data-driven insights and network can help you design a talent strategy that truly delivers.