By Andi Anderson
AgCareers has released new research focusing on talent sustainability in agriculture, highlighting salary transparency as the leading factor for attracting job seekers.
The organization’s mission includes improving how talent is recruited, retained, and developed across the agriculture and food industry.
The Application Motivation Survey, launched in late 2024, aimed to understand what encourages or discourages candidates from applying to job postings. According to the results, listing salary and benefits in job advertisements was the top factor influencing candidates to apply.
Bonnie Johnson, Marketing & Communications Manager at AgCareers, emphasized, “Many of the key findings in this research point clearly to pay transparency as an essential aspect of any job advertisement.”
The data shows that only 32% of job seekers would apply to a posting without salary information—meaning that employers may lose nearly 70% of potential applicants by omitting this critical detail. Compensation also ranked as the most important factor when job seekers choose between employers or consider switching jobs.
In addition to salary, job description and location were two other essential elements in a posting. Candidates preferred postings with clear responsibilities and searchable locations. AgCareers also found that an employer’s brand and reputation matter significantly, with 93% of job seekers rating it as important when deciding where to apply.
This research underscores how crucial it is for agriculture and food sector employers to offer transparency, clarity, and branding when recruiting talent. Employers are encouraged to refine their job ads with detailed compensation, roles, and location information to better attract top candidates.
The full AgCareers Application Motivation Survey Report is available for free and includes insights into employer branding, application trends, and communication strategies.
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Categories: Iowa, General