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A new survey has found Australian employers value reliability and loyalty in their workers much more than skills or experience.
According to an Australia-wide survey of employers* commissioned by The Salvation Army Employment Plus (TSAEP), employers rate reliability more highly than any other trait.
When asked to name their top three most desirable attributes in an employee, Australian businesses nominated reliability, loyalty and hard working, way ahead of skills and experience.
TSAEP spokesperson Kirrilee Trist said, “Employers selected ‘reliability’ 136 times. This is compared to ‘skills’ which was nominated just 49 times and ‘experience’ just 26 times. ‘Loyalty’ was seen as the second most valued trait, being selected 60 times. ‘Hard working’ was picked as the third best trait, selected 50 times.”
“It’s clear that employers are really focusing on positive personal characteristics when it comes to hiring workers. If you have the right attitude and you’re willing to stick with it, the vast majority of employers are willing to give you a go.”
The survey also found that Australian workers who lost their jobs during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) won’t have it held against them by employers.
82% of employers said they will hire workers who had suffered a long period of unemployment due to the GFC and 87% said they would hire someone who had been forced to take a lesser role due to the GFC.
“Around the country we talk to hundreds of job hunters everyday and we know people fear that unemployment will be held against them, even when it’s not their fault as with the GFC,” said Ms Trist.
“This survey is heartening in that it shows employers clearly recognise that the vast majority of job losses during the recent downturn were due to macro-economic reasons and not down to the individual in question.”
*The telephone survey was carried out by Roy Morgan Research and involved 308 businesses located across Australia.
Source: Salvation Army Employment Plus