More than 75% of university students said job security was more important to them than pay and benefits, according to a recent survey by KPMG. Factors cited as being most important to the 350 students polled when choosing future employers included:

* Real opportunities to learn new skills and develop themselves personally and professionally
* Challenging and exciting work
* Working with and learning from talented colleagues.

It’s clear that students are aware of the current economic conditions. As Adam Alexander, Vice President of MasteryWorks points out, organizations can capitalize on this dynamic with new graduates by implementing a career development program to empower these new employees with skills that would allow them to build career goals and see the opportunity for them at the organization.

Says Alexander, “In addition to benefiting these new graduates, a properly implemented career development program would give the organization a ‘leg up’ in retaining and engaging these new hires over a longer period of time. Through a career development program, these new graduates would be able to better identify and plan for a proper career fit for themselves at the organization – choosing work that meets their values, sense of purpose and desire for being the best.”

With a better career fit, employees are more productive and willing to invest their own discretionary effort for their jobs. As a result, when the economy begins to rebound and the job market improves, this young talent would be less likely to search for other employment outside the organization because they can see the fit and the future opportunities for themselves at their organization.

Alexander offers this advice to employers: “Assure your managers understand the strong desire for autonomy, learning and having work with meaning. Now’s the time to listen to young talent and learn the value they can bring to your workforce.”

Adam Alexander is Vice President of MasteryWorks, a leading career development solution to large- to mid-size companies.
He can be reached at aalexander@masteryworks.com<mailto:aalexander@masteryworks.com> or 703-256-5712.