Graduates want development not dough
A new study by professional services firm, EY, has found that graduates are looking for development and training over financial incentives during their job hunt.
International professional services and accountancy firm, EY, have found that graduates are less concerned about the salaries when they are looking for jobs, but rather the personal development and workplace relationships that employers offer.
Surveying over 1000 graduates, EY found that the top priority for graduates when looking for a job is access to training and development opportunities, with 35% of respondents giving this answer. It was also revealed that this has been the top priority since EY starting running the poll in 2007.
Cash incentives ranked in fifth place for graduates, with only 11% of respondents saying this was key to their job requirements. The Head of Student Recruitment at EY, Julie Stanbridge, remarked 'Money clearly isn't king for today's graduates as this drop in importance shows. With the graduate job market recovering, the class of 2015 are making longer term decisions about what their first job will bring to their career prospects, rather than focussing on the quick win.'
Stanbridge added 'It's no surprise that training and development once again remains top but there is now more debate around what quality personal development looks like for new entrants to the workplace. We are seeing moves away from structured classroom based seminars and PowerPoint slides to on-the-job learning in dynamic teams and through working collaboratively on projects.'
Another discovery made by the survey was the importance graduates were placing on their work-life balance, 13% highlighted this as a big factor in their decisions. 21% of graduates surveyed said they place high importance on the people and culture of an organisation too.
Julie Stanbridge continued 'Today's graduates are looking for job satisfaction at inspiring and progressive workplaces, with initiatives such as flexible working being seen as 'business as normal' and something to be expected rather than a perk.'
Adding 'Start-ups, especially, in the tech industry are leading the way in challenging traditional corporate cultures and norms. Larger graduate employers, however, aren't resting on their laurels and are placing more importance in creating connections with students through face-to-face interactions at universities and careers fairs, as well as through social media.'
By James Howell