More than two-thirds of final year students and recent graduates would prioritise hybrid working opportunities over salary when seeking future employment, according to new research by nationalgraduateweek.co.uk.
The team behind National Graduate Event, which takes place online between the 18 and 22 October, conducted the study to uncover what soon-to-be or new university leavers are actively looking for from prospective roles and employers.
In a survey of more than 2,200 final year students and recent graduates, over two-thirds (68%) of respondents stated they are prioritising hybrid working options.
The most common benefits final year students and recent graduates are looking for in prospective job roles are:
- Hybrid working options (68%)
- Mental health support (52%)
- Training budget (32%)
- Gym memberships (26%)
- High salary (11%)
More than 18 months into the pandemic and the working world has been completely transformed, with remote and hybrid working structures in the professional space becoming increasingly commonplace. In addition to the 68% of respondents who said they’d favour hybrid working, 12% said they wouldn’t even consider a role if it didn’t offer hybrid options.
More than half (52%) of final year students and recent graduates claim they are looking for roles that support mental health, with the majority prioritising this over salary (11%).
Sharon Walpole, spokesperson for nationalgraduateweek.co.uk, commented: “Seeing that so many graduates and final year students are hoping to see hybrid working options in roles that they’re going to be applying for isn’t a surprise, especially as so many companies have changed their ways of working since the pandemic, with the majority of staff having to adapt to hybrid and remote working.
“With such a low number of students and graduates hoping for high starting salaries,” she added, “it’s clear to see that proposed salaries are not on the top of their priority list. However, instead of hoping for high salaries, we’re seeing more and more looking for wellbeing to be prioritised in prospective roles, with many hoping for both mental health support and gym memberships to be included within the role.”
In other news: A quarter of UK universities have no plans to implement blended learning, despite student demand
