Eskridge & Associates: Class of 2008 ~ A Change in Work-Life Balance issues?

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16 years ago

Are the attitudes of college graduates who earned their degrees this year different from their predecessors? Is there a reshuffling of values among the Generation Y members as they search for work after college? The 2008 Graduating Student Survey of the National Association of Colleges and Employers has some interesting answers to these and related questions.

In a forced ranking of selected factors in their search for an employer and first job, the current graduating class presented the following responses in order of importance:

Opportunity for advancement
Job security
Good insurance package
Friendly co-workers
Location
Opportunity for personal development
High starting salary
Recognition for good performance
Opportunity for self-expression and creativity
Clearly defined assignments
Casual atmosphere (non-competitive environment)
Embraces diversity
Company active role in community
Signing bonus
Company is a recognized name

Attributes such as opportunity for personal development and allowance for self-expression and creativity, two characteristics held in relatively high esteem in similar studies, ranked sixth and ninth. The findings also dispute previously held notions of the importance of salary, and attribute that finished seventh. While the opportunity for advancement ranked first among both women and men, gender differences in other attributes were distinguishable.

To characterize the findings, Ed Koc, NACE Director of Strategic and Foundation Research, dubbed the Class of 2008 the “oldest young generation.” Readers can review the full 2008 report at: http://www.naceweb.org/public/koc0508.htm

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Bob Eskridge (bob@eskridge-associates.com) is the President of Eskridge & Associates (www.eskridge-associates.com) which specializes in the placement of physicians in both locum tenens and permanent opportunities nationwide. Bob has five industry certifications. He is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), Certified Temporary Staffing Specialist (CTS), a Certified Physician Recruiter (PRC) and a Certified Employee Retention Specialist through the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS). He is also a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) through the American Staffing Association.

Bob Eskridge is also President of Eskridge Worldwide Travel (www.eskridgewwtravel.com) providing travel services for physicians as well as Eskridge Consulting (www.eskridgeconsulting.com), a practice helping others to realize their childhood dreams of becoming physician recruiters.