Young People Prefer Jobs With Mentoring Opportunity – Survey
The dearth of employment opportunities especially for young people has made available spots very competitive and highly sought after thus reducing conditions of work to secondary consideration, a recent survey has shown, however, that workplaces with mentoring opportunities hold more attraction for young job seekers.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Survey, an assessment of nearly 25,000 people aged 35 and under, is designed to help better align their needs and expectations with global governance – by measuring their perceptions of the way the world works, and examining how they feel they might become more involved.
Young people account for more than half of the world’s population, yet are under-represented in global affairs. The most recent edition of the survey reflected optimism, a desire for honesty and integrity, a sense of shared destiny that transcends borders, and a cautious embrace of technology.
Young People and Work
The survey discovered that creating work cultures that feature mentoring and an acceptance of failure can attract young people.
There is a widely-held assumption that millennials are lazy and entitled, tend to frequently switch jobs, and do not care much about work. However, the World Economic Forum’s most recent edition of the Global Shapers Survey, a measure of how young people see the world, provides a very different portrait.
The top three criteria for young people when considering job opportunities are compensation, career growth, and a sense of purpose and social impact, according to the survey. The importance of gaining a sense of purpose underscores the notion that young people actually care about others and the environment, and about having professional opportunities to learn and grow as people.
Nearly half of the survey respondents said their employers should ensure a positive work-life balance; in fact, more than one-third of those between the ages of 27 and 35 indicated that “I am willing to sacrifice work and salary to enjoy life.”
However, young people are grappling with more fundamental challenges as they try to enter the workforce. According to the survey, they feel they are disadvantaged when seeking out new jobs due to having a lack of experience, a surplus of competition, and a lack of available work.
According to survey respondents overall, the most important contribution that businesses make to society is creating jobs. However, in Eurasia, the top choice was boosting the economy and attracting foreign investment, while in North America and Oceania, the top choice was improving livelihoods.
Young people expect companies to address social and environmental problems. When posed with the statement, “companies should not be involved in addressing social problems that are not related to their business activities,” most respondents disagreed.
Respondents highlighted things businesses can do to create a youth-friendly work culture: provide opportunities to contribute to vision and strategy, offer mentoring, and ensure that failure is accepted as a learning experience. Young people are increasingly aware of what they consume and who is providing it and cautious about forming bonds of loyalty.
Millennials tend to look closely at a company’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, at how a company is covered in the media, and at its financial reports.
