Research On The Expectations Of Employers And Young Employees

The world is changing at a fast pace and companies must keep up or step aside. Thus, the importance of work motivation and innovation is undeniable. Companies have to direct their attention to “ordinary” employees, who, provided the suitable motivational framework, can become “exceptional”. But what do employers expect from their young employees? What does the young generation want in a job? Is there a gap between employers and employees? In order to answer these questions, we conducted two studies. The first is a qualitative research, using content analysis as research method, in which we analyzed 100 online recruitment advertisements for entry-level positions. Only jobs that require higher education were taken into consideration. The employer requirements collected from the ads were divided into technical and personal characteristics and then analyzed. The second study and aims at identifying the young generations’ expectations. It uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The studied population consists of 3rd year students. Questionnaires were sent out to universities from different geographical areas and two focus groups were conducted in order to identify the expectations of the young generation of employees. The results of the two studies are discussed. One of the main research findings is that there is an inconsistency between what employers and young employees want. The main discontent of students refers to the significant importance given by employers to work experience, even for jobs where it would not be necessary.