Young professionals now prioritise pay and job security

Young professionals in Finland increasingly value salary, security and permanent employment over interesting duties and workplace atmosphere, Yle reports, citing an online survey by recruitment company Academic Work.

Salary has become the most important aspect of a job, according to Jasmine Juokslahti, an expert in talent strategy at Academic Work. Previously, respondents placed greater importance on interesting tasks and a good working atmosphere.

“A major change took place during the coronavirus pandemic,” Juokslahti said.

More than 4,500 young professionals across Finland responded to the survey in March and April. The largest groups consisted of professionals in technology, business and IT, although respondents also came from other fields. The survey has been conducted for 10 years.

Young professionals are prepared to negotiate their salaries and find out in advance how much different roles pay. However, Juokslahti said they are not simply looking for the employer offering the highest salary.

They also want employers to act fairly and transparently. Most respondents called for salary ranges to be made public, she said.

Young workers want meaningful office time

The location of work has also become more important. Young professionals do not want to spend time on long commutes, but they do want to go to the office to meet colleagues and learn.

“Young professionals want to meet people, and a sense of community is extremely important. The workplace community may even be the most important community they feel they belong to,” Juokslahti said.

They want to come to the office voluntarily and for a clear purpose. If the working day consists only of Teams meetings, young employees do not understand why they should go to the office.

They value a sense of community and psychological safety more than free breakfasts, table tennis tables and games consoles.

Economic uncertainty has changed attitudes

Juokslahti said the biggest change over the past six years has been the growth in young people’s desire for security.

Before the pandemic, young professionals believed that there would always be work for capable people. Short gaps in a CV were not seen as a problem, and workers were more willing to take short-term jobs or leave to surf in Bali, she said.

Economic uncertainty has since changed attitudes. Young professionals are now willing to stay with the same employer for longer.

“They want to move forward on their own terms, but feel that a longer period with the same employer provides security,” Juokslahti said.

Technology and defence attract young professionals

The survey also examined the employers considered most attractive. Technology companies and the IT sector were prominent on the list.

Young people do not want to work only for companies that use artificial intelligence, but for those leading its development, Juokslahti said.

Several Finnish employers were among the most attractive, including OP, Nordea, S Group and Kesko. Popular technology companies included Kone, Vaisala and Wärtsilä.

The security and defence sector has grown in popularity since 2022, Juokslahti said. The list included the Finnish Defence Forces, Patria and Iceye, which appeared as a new entry.

Academic Work’s YPAI survey examines the workplace expectations of highly educated professionals at the beginning of their careers in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. This year, it received 13,759 responses in total, including 4,699 from Finland. Engineering students were overrepresented among the respondents.