Young workers loyal - study

Pretoria - A PricewaterhouseCoopers study (PwC) into the "millennials" has debunked certain myths about this generation.

One of these is that they are disloyal towards their employers and will change jobs in the blink of an eye.

The study, involving 4 200 graduates in 44 countries, in fact shows that three-quarters of the young people expect to have only two to five employers in their lifetime.

Gerald Seegers, head of human resources at PwC, reckons had this survey been conducted a couple of months later the results might have been different.

"The survey makes it clear that more of the millennials are seeking stability. Had we done it later, many might have been only too glad to have had a job."

The millennial generation refers to those born in 1980 and after who entered the workplace from 2000 onwards.

In South Africa, 73% of the participants thought that they would not have more than five employers in their lifetimes.

Altogether 30% of the international participants indicated they would want to stay in the same organisation, but would like to experience different roles and sections.

Only 17% of the participants expected to remain within the same organisation and the same section.

Almost half of the South African millennials expected to occupy different positions in different organisations.

Every South African participant had a cell phone, 52% had an MP3 player and 12% had a palm-held computer.

In South Africa the most important "fringe benefit" was flexible working hours, then came training and development, and then financial support for housing.

- Sake24.com

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