Investors in People today launched its first Talent of Tomorrow report seeking to outline the components of a job that are most important to students who completed their college or university course this year. This next generation of talent showed clear preferences on everything from career progression to job security and salary.
In addition, the survey also sought to assess the confidence with which these students were entering the job market. Interestingly, 74% of this new talent pool intended to look for a job straight away, with 66% asserting that they were confident in their chances of finding a job within 6 months of completing their courses.
Although this year’s leavers are confident in their chances of finding employment within 6 months (66%), worryingly there is visible disparity in confidence levels between men and women. Of the men who responded to IIP’s survey, 74% felt confident in their chances of a job in 6 months, compared to 62% of women.
The regional trends were also revealing. Millennials and Gen Z in Northern Ireland were most likely to say they’d rather have a clear progression route than a large starting salary (82%), compared to 65% of Millennials in the East Midlands, North East, North West and Scotland.
When asked which three components of a job offer were most important, the following three areas came out as priorities for 2018 talent:
- Job security 52%
- Learning & development 49%
- Salary & career progression 36%
IIP CEO Paul Devoy said:
“The findings of our latest report are clear. For 60% of the next generation talent entering the workforce this year, career progression is more important than a high starting salary and for 50%, investment in employee development will boost loyalty. With these facts, employers are now duly equipped with the tools to carve out appealing positions for the merging talent that they need to achieve their long-term objectives.”
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
