Health benefits, job creation and gender equality top the list of must-haves for Canada’s newest members entering the workforce, finds a study conducted by Randstad Canada.
One in three say health benefits are the most important employee benefit they expect. It’s more important for gen Y (36%) than gen Z (27%), and considerably more for women (40%) than men (23%).
Read: Entitled or industrious? What millennial workers are really like
There are also a number of benefits that they want from their employer:
- work flexibility (four-day weeks, compressed schedule, telework, etc.) (29%);
- training and development (17%);
- individual performance bonuses (10%);
- a stock purchase plan and profit-sharing program (4%); and
- tuition reimbursement assistance (4%).
When it comes to giving back, 82% of young adults say it’s important that their employer do so. But it’s how that’s most interesting: creating new jobs locally (31%) was cited as the most impactful way for their current or future employer to support the community—ranking more than twice as important as charitable giving or environmental responsibility.
Gender equality topped the list of expectations when it comes to fostering diversity, with nine in 10 emphasizing its importance. And it’s official—loyal workers are a thing of the past. Both gen Y and gen Z say loyalty is a trait least likely to be associated with their generations.
“In today’s diversified employment market, it is important for employers to understand what motivates and inspires both gen Y and gen Z,” says Faith Tull, senior vice-president, HR, with Randstad Canada. “By knowing what drives this emerging group of workers, organizations can shape their talent attraction strategies and position themselves as an employer of choice.”
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