Ireland’s 2019 graduate pool are looking for the optimum work/life balance, according to new global talent market research by employer brand specialist, Universum.

The research, carried out via 22 educational institutions in the Republic of Ireland and three institutions in Northern Ireland, collected data from almost 11,000 third-level graduates across business, engineering, natural sciences, medicine, humanities, social sciences and law.

Top Career Goals

Gen Zs are those who have entered adulthood post-2010.   They are entering the employment market and embarking on careers at a more economically buoyant time than many of their millennial peers, and their differing career priorities are reflected in the research.

Gen Z graduates in business, engineering, IT, natural science and medicine all prioritise work/life balance over job security, according to the research.

When asked to identify their three most important career goals, 67% of business graduates, 58% of engineering graduates and 67% of natural science and medicine graduates all rated having a work/life balance as one of their top three goals.

This is compared to 55% of graduates in business, 48% in engineering and 57% in natural science and medicines, who value job security as one of their top three considerations when applying roles.

Outside of work/life balance and job security, the other career goals cited by graduates varied across the different disciplines.

Business graduates rank promotion opportunities to leader or manager as a top priority. Graduates in engineering and IT rate the ability to be creative and entrepreneurial as a top career goal. Natural science and medicine graduates cite a desire to feel dedicated to a cause or serving a greater good.

Generational divide

Respondents who classified as ‘Gen Z’ overall expect a higher salary than their ‘Gen Y’ counterparts — Gen Z graduates in business, engineering and IT command a 4% higher salary per year on average.

When it comes to the industries Gen Z’s would like to work for, financial services, banking, and management consulting come out on top. Gen Y graduates also rate management consulting and financial services as preferred industries, in addition to media and advertising.

Graduate Recruitment Efforts

When asked to identify the companies that impressed them most with their on-campus recruitment activity, Gen Z respondents cited KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, Google and Aldi. Gen Y graduates were most impressed by the recruitment efforts of PwC, Accenture, Apple, Deloitte and Jameson (Irish Distillers).

Survey respondents were also asked to identify their ideal employer, and Google topped the polls among graduates in business, engineering, IT and humanities. Business graduates also selected Apple and KPMG. For engineering and IT graduates, Microsoft and Apple rank highly and humanities graduates view the Department of Education and RTÉ as ideal employers. The Health Service Executive (HSE) and pharmaceuticals company Pfizer and medical technology company Boston Scientific were among the most ideal employers for natural sciences, health and medicine graduates.

Comment

General Manager of IrishJobs.ie, Orla Moran said:

“Today’s Irish university graduates have more career opportunities than ever before.  With Ireland now at full employment, employers are required to go the extra mile in their recruitment efforts, and in particular, graduate recruitment.   One obvious example of this is the ever-increasing investment being made by graduate employers in their on-campus recruitment strategies and efforts to grow their general visibility amongst their level students.

A key part of developing a successful employer brand strategy is understanding what their point of difference is, where they can stand out from the crowd and most importantly, how they can articulate their employer brand to the right cohort of talent.    

“One of the key trends to emerge from the research is graduates’ emphasis on work/life balance.   It is up to employers to ensure they are meeting this demand.   In other words, the old-school ‘we worked long hours when we were young’ attitude that lingers in certain industries may undermine their recruitment and retention efforts into the future.

“Flexible working hours and remote working are two of the most common ways in which employers can support a good work/life balance and these are measures that can be implemented across businesses of all sizes.

“Equally, many graduates want to know there is a definitive progression path within a business. Employers should be really clear about the opportunities, both current and future, that a position in their company could offer, as this could compel a candidate to accept their role over a competitors’ offering.

“It is also interesting to note the differing priorities of graduates emerging from different disciplines.   For example, business graduates aspire to leadership opportunities in corporates, meanwhile IT graduates aspire to entrepreneurial roles.   These are important distinctions to make ahead of engaging with Gen Zs, and in ensuring that your employer brand strategy resonates with the right cohort of young people in what is already a very competitive field.”