Survey reveals what new grads want from their future employers

If you’re eager to recruit new grads to your company, a recent survey conducted by virtual health and well-being solution TimelyMD will be of interest.

The study polled over 1,000 new grads across the U.S. and found that the majority of them (90%) have a positive outlook about their job prospects, and feel both excited and prepared to enter the workforce.

Some secured jobs fast

A lot of grads have good reason to be optimistic about job prospects. As of March, 62% of grads-to-be already had jobs lined up. Of those, 87% landed a job in their desired field, and 93% were offered salaries higher than or within the range they expected.

College students didn’t land these great jobs completely on their own. Three-quarters of new grads surveyed said they took advantage of their school’s career development resources.

Here are some areas students were helped in:

• finding the right job (53%)
• writing a resume and cover letter (50%)
• improving interview skills (35%)
• connecting with professionals in the field (30%), and
• finding the right field of interest (29%).

Main concerns

Despite the overall positive feelings about jobs, new grads are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic.

Those surveyed said, apart from salary, the next most important benefit is flexible hours (68%) and a flexible work environment (47%). They’ll need these things to stick around long-term.

And while the majority want a fully in-person work situation (58%), 24% are interested in a hybrid position, and 18% want to be fully remote.

Other than flexible work, another pandemic-related benefit new grads are after is mental health support. Seventy percent of those surveyed said the pandemic made them feel nervous to enter the workforce.

Almost all new grads (92%) said companies offering mental health benefits is a must. More than one-third said mental health support was just as important to them as a good retirement plan.

New grads are still feeling some anxiety about entering the workforce, even with a booming job market. Seventy percent are either “somewhat” or “very” stressed about transitioning from college to work.

Specific concerns include:

• finding and keeping a job (65%)
• supporting themselves financially (52%), and
• being independent and self-reliant (49%).