News & Events

Survey finds graduates 'demanding'

Date posted:

17th April 2008

Workplaces may have to change their practices to suit today's young employees, it has been claimed.

A new survey has outlined the desires of today's graduates, finding some interesting trends in what they would look for in a job, according to Personnel Today.

The research, which involved 306 UK graduates and was carried out by consultants Accenture, discovered that among the most important employer attributes were the salary, formal training and flexible hours.

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds said they had not yet found a job and another two-thirds said that they expected to work less than 40 hours per week.

Accenture's managing director of talent Peter Cheese said that employers may have to change their practices to suit today's changing graduates.

"Generation Y is entering the workforce with strong values and demands that employers haven't had to address with previous generations. To be relevant to these jobseekers, employers must find ways to satisfy their needs for balance, fun, mentoring and opportunities to grow and be challenged," he said, according to Personnel Today.

A study by researchers from the University of Ulster and De Montfort University published earlier this month found that graduates in jobs for which they are over-qualified are often unhappy and poorly motivated, according to Onrec.com.

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