Share

Government jobs not as attractive as in the past - survey

Johannesburg – Government jobs are no longer as attractive as they have been historically, a survey revealed.

According to Universum Global’s survey on employer attractiveness for students and young professionals, released on Friday, government departments and parastatals have declined in attractiveness from the previous year.

The survey collected responses from 46 981 student and 22 321 professionals across different areas of work such as engineering, science, humanities, law and business, among others. Respondents vote from a list of companies on who they view to be the most attractive employers, Universum explained.

The survey showed that even though government employers are still among the most attractive, this is starting to slowly decline.             

For example, among students, in the category of business and commerce the South African Revenue Service (SARS) moved down three places from sixth to ninth place in terms of attractiveness. Similarly, Transnet which ranked third in 2016 dropped eight places to 11. Eskom dropped from position 11 to 20.

Among professionals, Transnet dropped six places from 4, ranking 10th in 2017. SARS also dropped six places from 9th position to 15.

“Traditionally associated with job security and good development opportunities, many government departments and parastatals have consistently been attractive to students,” explained country manager at Universum South Africa Jenali Skuse.

The decline in attractiveness reflects negative media attention some departments received over the year, she explained.

Among private players, the survey also revealed that Google was dominant across most fields. Among professionals, Google ranked first in the fields of business or commerce, humanities, engineering and technology and placed fifth in natural sciences.

Among students Google ranked first for the category in engineering and technology. It remained firmly in top five for business and commerce and humanities.

Findings showed that students are interested in international careers as well as jobs that offer work-life balance, security and stability. The survey also picked up high mobility among experienced employees.

Research manager Winani Ndlovu explained that it was expected to see a low mobility rate by these employees given the high rate of unemployment and a greater need for security and stability.

“Unfortunately getting a job is a need and like all needs, once satisfied individuals start looking into satisfying the next need in the hierarchy.”

Less than half (48%) of experienced employees indicated their intention to change employers within a year. “They are still looking for employers that would offer them professional training and development with leadership that will support their development,” she explained.                               

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.84
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.36
+0.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders