Greater emphasis on the self

In our last blog we looked at some of the quirky perks offered by some employers in a bid to attract high quality staff. This time around we look at the other side of that coin to find out what employees look for in an employer.

A longitudinal study, which began in 2010 and was completed this year, it highlights among Gen Y (those born between 1981 & 1995) and Gen Z (those born after 1995) the most important considerations when choosing an employer. The face-to-face interviews with people born between 1982 and 2012 across UK, France, Germany, Sweden and Norway highlighted that, across all countries, that a lack of employee engagement, time spent travelling and poor career progression are the most common reasons that young people cite for wanting to leave an organisation.

The report also looked at criticisms of management, with the most common being a lack of autonomy, poor communication, lack of feedback and overly strict hours.

The report’s lead author Dr. Alexander Grous, Academic Associate at LSE’s Department of Media and Communications says that the report highlights a “greater emphasis on the self and an increase in social awareness”. Basically, that means that younger people are far less likely to put up with behaviour they feel is unacceptable. There is a fresh impetus to treat people with respect – which can often be mistaken for the ‘snowflake’ tag.

Having said all that, salary remains a crucial factor, especially in these times against a backdrop of the ongoing cost of living crisis. Many young people have raised their expectations of what they think is an acceptable starting wage.