There has been much deliberation about the number one employment consideration for jobseekers. Immediate manager? Salary? Benefits? Work-life balance? Corporate culture? Location? The list is long and no doubt all the characteristics carry some significance.

However, a recent survey of employment candidates in the Americas identifies career development as number one. Results show:

“What is most important when considering a new employer?”

1. Career development prospects (40%)
2. Work/life balance (21%)
3. Innovative company culture (15%)
4. Competitive compensation and benefits (12%)
5. Good rapport with manager (8%)

So, regardless of the broader economic conditions, job one for organizations looking to hire new talent is providing online tools that power career management and promotion opportunities for their workforce while communicating development as a premier message in the employer brand.

Research numbers back up the business performance value as validated in the Bersin & Associates study Building a High-Performance Culture: Seven Performance Management Practices That Work:

Companies in which most employees have high-quality development plans have 27 percent lower turnover than companies in which few or no employees have development plans. In addition, companies with high-quality development plans have twice the revenue per employee.