Talentum Press Release April 15, 2010
Talentum's Employer Image Study 2010: the retail trade rose to become the most popular employer
Retail outlets are considered the most attractive employers among office personnel. According to Talentum's most recent employer image study, large daily retail outlets are more attractive as employers than the export sectors, which are sensitive to changing conditions. The retail trade is considered to be constantly developing and, for the top companies, a field which is becoming internationalised.
The public sector, a traditionally safe workplace, is currently appreciated among employees because of the overall beneficial nature of work assignments. An important attraction is also the different challenges offered by the public sector compared with the business world. During the past ten years job seekers' emotional threshold for moving from the private to the public sector has clearly fallen.
The ICT field, which was considered to be more appealing ten years ago has fallen below other fields in popularity, but, despite this, individual companies like Nokia (fourth), Google (11th) and Microsoft (15th) are still among the top 15.
The Desire to Change Workplaces is at an All-time High
Senior management's desire to change jobs is, according to a study, at an all-time high. The desire to change not only companies but professions is also on the rise. The desire for change is almost double compared to previous trends. Among senior managers 13% are actively mapping out possibilities for changing jobs and 74% are on the lookout for new job possibilities. Mapping out available employment opportunities has grown in all channels: in newspapers, on the Internet, by asking friends about possibilities and by directly contacting potential employers.
Traditionally a recession decreases people's desire to change jobs. Among senior managers, however, willingness to take the risk has grown. There is a desire to change jobs if the new position offers a possibility for interesting and developing work. The most important basis for choosing a new job was found to be the employer's plans for developing their activities.
Students' Expectations Have Lowered
The retail field does not appeal to students as much as it does to personnel who are already working. Students' favourite workplaces are still Nokia, the public sector, Kone, Fortum, VTT and Google, which has already risen to number six on the list. Students' interest in employers is affected by the desire to begin their career with a job that relates as closely as possible to their major area of study. Students primarily look for work in an interesting field, while senior managers look primarily for an interesting company.
Students' demands and expectations with regard to employers have become lower across the board, and they are even ready to accept more modest work. A majority of students, about 70%, would also be ready to move overseas to get work. Ten years ago the corresponding figure was 50%.
Employers' Ethics are being Weighed
Tightening laws and consumers' expectations are quickly making ethical and environmentally responsible operation of companies a weighty - and even mandatory - competitive factor.
The consideration of a company's ethical values has also become relevant in assessing the employer. Sixty percent of senior management and 70% of students consider the ethical standpoint in their assessments. Ethical values have risen to be as important a criteria for choosing an employer as one's own positive experiences as the employer's customer.
Talentum's Employer Image Study was realised for the fifteenth time in March 2010, and nearly a thousand (985) people with technical, commercial, community and legal educations responded. The study was carried out for Talentum by Kuulas MillwardBrown.
Additional Information about the Study:
Kari Tervonen
Lead Researcher
Kuulas MillwardBrown
kari.tervonen(at)kuulas.fi
+358 50 437 0677
Markus Gotthardt
Sales and marketing director
Talentum Oyj
markus.gotthardt(at)talentum.fi
+358 40 342 4333
