Salary and benefits rank as the biggest draw for both men and women when it comes to choosing an employer, but differences exist between the genders when it comes to defining other elements of employer attractiveness, according to an employer branding survey conducted by Randstad US.

“How a company is perceived as an employer impacts what types of candidates it will attract,” said Lisa Crawford, senior vice president, Randstad US. “As our research reveals, companies may need to focus on key elements, such as building culture and adopting more flexible work policies, to appeal to different demographics. Attracting and retaining talent is not a one-stop shop — particularly with a diverse workforce and multiple generations sitting side-by-side to one another.”

Forty-four percent of female respondents chose location as an important employer attribute, compared to 35 percent of men. Opportunities to advance ranked highest for men at 42 percent, compared with 36 percent of women. Additionally, 36 percent of male respondents cited the financial health of a company as very important versus 28 percent of women.

Thirty-seven percent of women respondents chose workplace flexibility as an important employer attribute, compared to 26 percent of the men respondents.

Randstad’s employer branding survey is based on perceived attractiveness of companies among 7,000 students, employed and unemployed workers between the ages of 18 and 65.