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A national opinion survey of the attitudes of final year university students towards work showed that many young graduates are taking a longer term view to life.
A staggering 48% of the 1,600 students polled by employment solutions group Onetest said they would consider putting extra money into their superannuation once they start working.
“This is incredible for a group of people often referred to as the ‘now’ generation – they’re proactively thinking about their lives at ages 55 and over,” says Onetest managing director, Steven Dahl. “It means employers who make additional contributions to super may have an advantage when it comes to graduate picks.”
Graduates are also thinking now about how a family will fit into their future working life, with 74% saying that an organisation’s maternity / paternity leave package would impact on their decision. Only 26% of students saw parental leave as irrelevant.
And far from being the fly-by-the-wind “all-about-me” generation, an astounding 54% said they would commit to their employer for a minimum of five years if happy with the conditions, said Dahl.
Of the top five conditions, a competitive salary and benefits package once again topped the list, followed by a permanent position and good company reputation.
There was a move in this year’s survey towards more job security and stability, as well as further training and development, with “having fun” and networking opportunities becoming less important than in 2006.
“This all points to a ‘getting serious’ attitude developing amongst graduates, and could be a reflection of the rising interest rates, housing affordability and other economic issues hitting home,” Dahl said. “Whatever the reason, the study shows that Gen Y are astute about their futures, know what they want and are not afraid to ask for it,” Dahl said.
The majority of respondents were aged between 21 and 25 years, and respondents were almost equally male and female. The 2007 Onetest Graduate Opinion Survey is the second annual graduate survey run by Onetest and was conducted in October this year. The number of respondents was more than double the previous year.
Visit www.onetest.com.au for more information on the survey results. Onetest is an employment solutions company which combines the proven principles of psychology with leading technology to deliver customised online HR solutions that help organisations recruit, develop and retain talented individuals. www.onetest.com.au.
To arrange comment or for more information contact Renee Muir, Onetest marketing manager, on 0404 002 976.