When building the workplace of the future, it’s important to attract leaders who want to be part of your company’s journey. Finding a new manager who shares your vision and is committed to building successful teams—teams that are thriving and performing at their best—isn’t always easy. So what’s really at the top of managers’ wish lists when they start looking for a new job?

TNG Lead recently released a report in which they asked executive candidates in various recruitment processes what they personally consider important when looking for a job. The survey was anonymous.

At a time when the skills shortage is being felt even at the management level, 94 percent of all managers feel that recruitment processes are too slow. This primarily concerns the initial feedback from the recruiter—that is, receiving a quick response as to whether one’s application is even being considered for the advertised position. But even if you move on to a job interview, the time that follows can be filled with both anticipation and anxiety. As many as 49 percent also feel that it takes too long to receive a response after an interview.

So, we can learn to streamline recruitment processes and that direct communication is crucial to a positive candidate experience. But beyond this lesson, what do management candidates look for in a new employer?

Job candidates are actively looking for their own “super boss.” According to 76 percent, the most important factor when choosing a new employer is having a good boss. Furthermore, 71 percent say that benefits and salary are important factors. An interesting observation is that 44 percent of candidates would have liked to see the salary range listed in the job posting. This is a very unusual practice in Sweden but is common in other parts of the world. Are we in Sweden ready to take this step to create clearer recruitment processes for the leaders of the future? And what is it that makes salary levels still a taboo to publish?

One factor that is particularly important is the opportunity for professional development. 72 percent of management candidates want the opportunity to advance in their careers, which places demands on the new employer in the form of internal career development plans.

Not entirely unexpectedly, a work-life balance is important. 59 percent believe it is important, and we have previously written a number of articles on the topic of remote work. Read, for example 9 out of 10 want to continue working remotely, and this poses a challenge for leadership and The hybrid workplace isn’t black and white.

One question asked in the survey was: Do you think you have ever been passed over in a hiring process due to factors such as age, gender, ethnic background, name, weight, appearance, sexual orientation, or disability? A startling 80 percent believe so, and 69 percent suspect they were passed over because of their age. Another finding, perhaps best known as a cliché in recruitment circles, is that 84 percent of candidates have been told they are overqualified.

A faster pace, better communication, working to reduce prejudice, clarifying career paths and benefits packages, and ensuring that the company’s managers are truly exceptional. That’s a brief overview of what management candidates are looking for. Simple, isn’t it?

About the survey

Over 1,200 respondents, including more than 200 people who currently hold or have recently held a managerial role (CEO, manager, or team leader), participated anonymously in TNG’s survey, which was conducted as an online questionnaire in 2022. The job seekers came from platforms such as Careerbuilder, Blocket Jobb, Arbetsförmedlingen, LinkedIn, Facebook, and others, and represent a random sample of job seekers in Sweden in fields such as economics, technology, IT, finance, marketing, customer service, sales, administration, HR, procurement, and logistics.