Work culture bigger attraction than salary hike, says a survey

In a shift in candidate behavior when evaluating a company's employability, good work culture has emerged as a bigger attraction than a salary hike, says a survey.

According to the survey by JobBuzz.in, the employer-rating platform powered by TimesJobs.com, 90 per cent of working professionals said they would not accept working for a company that offered a big salary hike but was reviewed as having a bad work culture.

"Today's high performance candidates even have two or more offers in hand and will only accept an employment offer if the company's work culture and its HR practices are appealing enough to their sensibilities," TimesJobs.com COO Vivek Madhukar said.

The report also noted that while most senior employees are likely to choose a company that actively promotes its work culture, this does not hold true at the junior levels, where it still doesn't seem to matter as much as the salary being offered.

As per the survey, 66 per cent of respondents believe top management is to blamed if a company's work culture is seen as bad.

Respondents also rated bosses and HR responsible for the company's unpopular work culture, giving 12 per cent and 11 per cent votes, respectively.

The remaining 11 per cent voted peers as the main reason for a negative work culture.

The JobBuzz.in survey further revealed that 65 per cent respondents would choose a company that actively advertised or promoted its work culture in comparison to a company that did not highlight its corporate culture.

"This survey reveals the growing importance Gen Y and Z are giving to the work atmosphere and culture of an organisation when seeking employment, thanks to wider use of employer rating platforms, more job options and social media," Madhukar added.