Millennials massively choose fun at work over hard cash:seven in ten European young people would turn down a boring job that earns a ton a year for a fun, moderately paying job. This is apparent from international labor market research into the mindset of millennials in the field of work, conducted by YoungCapital in collaboration with Utrecht University.
The survey surveyed 3,721 millennials between the ages of 17 and 36 in eight European countries. They were given the choice:do you go for a boring job with a thick payslip or a nice job that earns the average? No less than 69 percent prefer the fun job. The Spaniards (81 percent), the French (77 percent) and the Dutch (71 percent) in particular opt for fun for an average reward. The Germans and the British are less convinced:in these countries respectively 55 and 57 percent would pass up a well-paying, but sleep-inducing career.
When asked which contract form they consider ideal at this point in their lives, six in ten European young people prefer a fixed-term contract. In the Netherlands, this applies to half of the respondents. Only in France do young people in all age groups prefer a permanent contract.
In general, millennials are satisfied with the number of hours they work and their contract form. Of the respondents who now work under a short-term temporary employment contract, a six-month contract, an annual contract or a contract for an indefinite period, the largest group always indicates that they are satisfied with this. In the Netherlands, people are relatively less satisfied and more people would like to have a permanent contract. It is also remarkable that 18.6 percent of the people who do have a permanent contract would prefer a flexible contract.
In all European countries, young people find learning new things the most important thing when choosing an employer. Salary is in second place, followed by clear frameworks:young people like to know exactly what the boss expects of them. The criterion 'acting in a socially responsible manner' falls just outside the top three:68 percent of European young people indicate that they find this (very) important. At 58 percent, the Dutch find CSR a lot less exciting, certainly in comparison with France and Austria, where three quarters of the respondents consider it important. The Dutch do, however, attach a great deal of value to an informal corporate culture. Millennials are the least impressed with gadgets, such as a company phone or laptop. The possibility of working from home and a good reputation are also not decisive when choosing an employer.
