Recruiting talented workers in today’s job market is difficult, if not impossible. Research shows that understanding the type of worker you want to hire can help you tailor your offering to attract people who are most likely to succeed in a position.
While it’s true that some people live to work and others work to live, how people are oriented towards their jobs is a bit more complicated than the old cliche.
There are three main types of workers, according to research developed by Yale School of Management professor Amy Wrzesniewski. Understanding which type of worker you need to hire to fill a role may be helpful as you try to decide how best to attract top talent in this tight job market.
Here are the three main approaches to work, according to Wrzesniewski.
Job Orientation
Workers who are job-oriented are part of the work to live crowd. They view work as a means to an end. They work to pay bills and support their lifestyle, but may not find the actual day-to-day tasks deeply fulfilling.
Recruiters who want job-oriented workers have the opportunity to attract dependable employees by providing support for their personal lives and interests. Job-oriented people spend their free time pursuing personal interests. Whether it’s raising a family or developing a non-job-related skillset, these workers tend to appreciate perks like an unlimited paid time off policy,
Hiring remote workers can be tricky, and it’s smart to look for remote work on a resume when evaluating applicants.
Be sure to highlight the support your company offers for job-orientated workers. A four-day workweek and flexible scheduling can help tip the scales in your favor if you are competing with an organization that expects a bigger commitment from its workers.
Some companies that require a lot from their workers, but also understand that some of their best employees are job oriented, offer major benefits like longer paid sabbaticals after a certain number of years of service. While this type of perk may not attract other types of workers, for the job-oriented, a months-long sabbatical offers the opportunity to pursue outside interests in a more immersive way.
Career Orientation
Workers who want to advance by climbing the career ladder are career-oriented. They have their eye on the next promotion and are motivated by the possibility that they’ll receive a bump in status, responsibility and pay.
In many cases, frontline workers are career-oriented. They may start in an entry-level position, and over the years, work their way into a management role. In the medical field, career-oriented workers may take decades to develop specialized skills that make them crucial to the organization.
Recruiting career-oriented frontline workers can also be a challenge. It helps to provide aids that make their day-to-day work easier, such as an easy way to keep track of hours worked. Employers often use timesheet templates to make tracking time worked and processing payroll seamless.
Careerists may be more willing to forgo short-term life balance if they believe there are long-term rewards waiting within a company. They may be happy to stay with one organization, but are also willing to make a lateral move to a different company if there are more opportunities for advancement elsewhere.
If your company culture thrives with careerists as employees, it may be beneficial to showcase an internal promotion policy that favors current employees over outside applicants when a position in upper management opens up.
Calling Orientation
Workers with a calling orientation see their job as part of their identity. Their work is integral to their lives and may provide personal fulfillment or an outlet for self-expression.
Hiring someone who is calling-oriented can be especially challenging. Resumes and cover letters can offer clues. Look for someone who can demonstrate that they’ve assisted previous employers with realizing a vision that propelled the business forward. These individuals are integrators, and they are critical to the future success of your company.
Hire an integrator if your open position requires a calling-oriented worker. Integrators are detail-oriented and they have a deep understanding of how completing small tasks correctly can help complete a bigger goal.
An integrator can work with other employees and is adept at solving conflicts. They provide mentorship to less experienced employees who show potential and are willing to provide coaching to help the company move closer to achieving a goal.
It can be tough to compensate someone fairly when they give so much of themselves to their job. While it may be tempting to attract someone who works because they have a calling to a specific position with pay, doing so may not be the most efficient way to hire the right person.
When you need to fill a role that requires a worker who considers their job a calling, it can be helpful to offer built-in support for burnout, which is common with this type of employee. It may be difficult for someone with a calling to shut their “work brain” off so they can rest and recover at the conclusion of a big project or after meeting a major milestone.
Who Do You Want To Hire?
It’s crucial to understand the three different orientations to identify who you want to hire to fill a specific role.
Job orientations are about an employee’s attitude toward their work, not their job title. You’ll find calling-oriented workers in entry-level positions and job-oriented workers in upper management. Creative professionals may live with the stereotype that they are “called” to their work, but more often, they simply want to leverage their talent to get a fair paycheck so they can pursue their true calling outside of work.
A company or organization can’t be all things to all people. With an understanding of the different orientations toward work, it’s easier to recruit and hire people who will thrive in a position while helping to move the organization closer to its big-picture goals.
