An attractive employer? What the data really reveals

Many employers overestimate their own appeal because they rely on gut feeling rather than on attractive employer data. What management considers important often differs from what the target audience is actually looking for. Target audience data highlights that gap in black and white and explains why even strong job vacancies still fail to attract enough top performers.

You may recognise this situation: you have a good team, decent terms of employment and a pleasant working atmosphere, but applications are few and far between. This is rarely down to the organisation itself. It comes down to the difference between how you see yourselves and how candidates perceive you.

What exactly does ‘employer attractiveness data’ mean?

‘Attractive Employer Data’ is the combination of labour market data and target audience research that enables you to measure what actually attracts candidates to your role and region. It’s all about hard data: where they search, what they click on, and which conditions tip the balance for them.

This data comes from two sources: public figures on labour shortages and occupations, and behavioural data from ongoing recruitment campaigns. At FosFor, we combine data from hundreds of campaigns with target group research, ensuring that our advice is based on evidence rather than assumptions.

There is a significant difference compared with a standard approach to recruitment. Whilst many employers simply publish a job description and hope for the best, a data-driven approach assesses, for each profile, which message attracts the highest-quality applicants.

Why do employers misjudge their own appeal?

Employers are mistaken because they measure their appeal based on their own frame of reference, rather than that of the candidate. You look at what appealed to you at the time or what your current staff value. The candidate you haven’t yet recruited, however, prioritises completely different things.

A second reason is visibility. The best professionals do not actively apply for jobs; they are passively seeking employment. If your message does not reach them at the right time and through the right channel, your employer brand simply does not exist for them, no matter how good your organisation is.

Thirdly, confirmation bias comes into play. You remember the candidates who responded enthusiastically and forget the hundreds who simply scrolled past your job advert. Without any metrics, that silent rejection remains invisible.

“We keep seeing that employers think workplace atmosphere and team spirit are their strongest assets, whilst the data shows that job security, commuting time and opportunities for growth are what make the difference,” says a recruitment strategist at FosFor. “Only once you measure that can you make adjustments.”

What data shows what candidates really value?

Research into employer preferences consistently shows that salary and job security are the most important factors influencing choice year after year, followed by a pleasant working atmosphere and a good work-life balance (Randstad Employer Brand Research, 2024). Many employers, however, focus primarily on atmosphere and culture.

The labour shortage makes this mismatch more costly. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), there were still hundreds of thousands of unfilled vacancies at the end of 2024, with the greatest pressure in engineering, construction and industry (CBS, 2025). The UWV confirms that technical and logistics professions are among the most persistent labour shortage occupations (UWV, 2025).

The table below illustrates this gap: what employers often emphasise versus what candidates, according to labour market data, consider to be more important.

This does not mean that atmosphere is unimportant. It means that you can only capitalise on it once you have demonstrably met the basic needs of your target audience. A good target audience analysis for blue-collar vacancies shows that order.

How can you use data to measure your attractiveness as an employer?

You can gauge your appeal by comparing your self-perception with behavioural and market data, and translating the difference into your job advertisement and choice of channel. You do this in five steps, from internal approval to a tested message.

1. Record your self-image. Write down the three reasons you think candidates choose you.
2. Collect labour market data. Look at labour shortages, salary ranges and competing vacancies in your region and profession.
3. Analyse your target audience. Find out where your target audience is, when they’re online and what factors they take into account.
4. Test your message. Run campaigns from different angles and measure which version attracts the most high-quality applicants.
5. Update this on a weekly basis. Compare the figures by channel and tailor the message to what works.

You don’t need any expensive software to get started. There’s plenty labour market data that you can use without expensive tools. The benefit lies in having the discipline to measure rather than relying on gut feeling. See also what data-driven recruitment means in practice.

What are the benefits of taking a data-driven approach to your employer brand?

A data-driven approach primarily results in a more accurate self-image and a message that aligns with what your target audience is looking for. This translates into more relevant applicants and less wasted advertising budget, as you stop basing your approach on assumptions.

In practice, FosFor fills vacancies within 3 to 8 weeks on average and handles the entire pre-selection process, so that, as a client, you only interview the 2 to 4 best candidates each month. That saves both time and frustration. Please feel free to take a look at our measurable recruitment results by sector.

This approach is suitable for any niche target group, from engineers and operators to maritime professionals and top salespeople. Would you like to see how we use target group data to identify the right candidate? Then read more about our data-driven approach and the TEAM framework.

The key insight: your attractiveness isn’t a fixed fact, but something you can measure, assess and improve. Those who dare to look at the data rather than simply insisting they are right will consistently attract better candidates.

Frequently asked questions about ‘attractive employer’ data

How much does it cost to have my employer appeal assessed?

The exact price depends on your role requirements, target audience and the number of channels. Data-driven recruitment marketing is generally more cost-effective than traditional recruitment and selection or secondment, as your advertising budget is used in a targeted manner. Request a no-obligation consultation for a bespoke quote.

Why don’t my job vacancies match what candidates are looking for?

This is usually because the text is written from the company’s perspective rather than the candidate’s. Employers emphasise the working atmosphere and the company’s history, whilst target audience data shows that job security, salary and commute time carry greater weight. Test your message against the data and rewrite it based on the results.

Which labour market data is reliable and available free of charge?

The UWV and CBS are reliable, publicly available sources of information on labour shortages and shortage occupations. Annual employer surveys provide guidance on candidates’ preferences. Combine these with behavioural data from your own campaigns to gain the clearest picture of your target audience.

How quickly will I see results from a data-driven approach?

You often start to see the first signs of a campaign’s success within days, as you can gauge which message and which channel are generating a response. At FosFor, vacancies are filled within 3 to 8 weeks on average, with weekly adjustments based on the latest figures.

Is this also suitable for small SMEs?

Yes. Data is particularly valuable for SMEs, as they cannot compete with the biggest budgets. By targeting your audience precisely and testing your message, you can get more out of a smaller budget than with a broad, untargeted recruitment approach.