Career Decisions Vary Across Geography, Generation: Study

NEW DELHI: Candidate motivations for changing jobs vary widely across geography and generation, according to a global study from ManpowerGroup Solutions.

According to the study, motivations for making career decisions and immediate job switching strongly correlate with market location while job search behaviour and preferences are more closely tied to age.

"While money still talks, today's candidates are equally interested in how work integrates with their daily lives. No longer are jobs just cash machines that facilitate the golden years of retirement," the study added.

On regional differences, the study said job-seekers in China rank company reputation highly while Mexico shows very little preference towards industry. Both use social media to research their potential workplaces much more than developed markets.

"A person's job role is an important differentiator in developed markets - as high as 76 per cent in the UK - but in markets like Mexico and China, it is as low as 31 per cent," said Jim McCoy, Vice-President of ManpowerGroup Solutions and RPO Practice Lead.

Moreover, several generational differences were revealed in the study, including Gen Y's desire for better onboarding, upward mobility and the need for employers to value corporate social responsibility.

"People with in-demand skills are making different career choices today based on lifestyle preferences and belief, which complicate traditional recruitment models and force companies to think differently about their recruitment and workforce management strategies," Kate Donovan, Senior Vice-President of ManpowerGroup Solutions said.

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