Young employees seeking 'training and flexible hours'

Organisations are most likely to attract young people to security check (SC) cleared roles by offering them development opportunities and flexible hours, a new study has indicated.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) surveyed more than 4,000 graduates born between 1980 and 2000 across 75 countries - an age group that it states will account for 50 per cent of the workforce by 2020.

It found that 22 per cent of them valued training and development as the greatest benefit they could derive from an employer, with another 19 per cent citing flexible working hours.

By contrast, cash bonuses were the main priority for 14 per cent of respondents, while just four per cent said that they would prefer higher wages with no benefits at all.

Moreover, 52 per cent described career progression as the biggest attraction to an employer, compared to 44 per cent who instead listed competitive salaries.

Jon Andrews, a partner at PwC, explained: "Millennials want more than 'just a job'. They expect rapid progression, a varied and interesting career and constant feedback."

He added: "There are significant implications for employers as they need to adapt to ensure they remain attractive to this new workforce."

PwC's report showed too that young workers were realistic about the opportunities available in the current economic climate, with 72 per cent claiming to have made some form of sacrifice to get into work.

It also revealed that only 18 per cent expected to remain with their current employer for the long term, while around a quarter believed that they would work for as many as six organisations over the course of their career.

Furthermore, the study uncovered general optimism among young people over their prospects, with 67 per cent anticipating that they would be better off than their parents' generation, although this fell to 51 per cent for UK respondents.

This reflects the tough circumstances currently facing young British SC cleared workers, with 20.7 per cent of the UK's 16-to-24 year olds not in work or full-time education between September and November 2011, compared to a national unemployment rate of 8.4 per cent.