The new generation of professionals who will in future decades control the positions of power in executive suites and boardrooms is more loyal than was thought.
Nearly one in two "Generation X" professionals in the US and Canada would be happy to spend the rest of their working lives with their current employers. More than eight in ten care a great deal about the future of their organisation, and the same number are willing to give more than expected to ensure the success of their employer. In a new study, The Next Generation: Today's Professionals, Tomorrow's Leaders, sponsored by General Electric and Ernst & Young and released by Catalyst, some 1,200 professionals born between 1964 and 1975 were questioned.
Expect more
The authors found that, despite high levels of company loyalty, today's professionals do expect more from their employers, but not in the form of perks like gym memberships. Instead, they want policies that help them progress and manage the advancement of their careers and personal commitments.
Gender gap
There is still a gender gap. While over half the male respondents believed that it has become easier for women to advance over the last ten years, only a quarter of the female respondents agreed. And while over half the women felt that they would have to outperform men to achieve the same advancement, only one in ten of the men agreed.
What attracted them
The reasons that respondents gave for being attracted to their companies were: perceived advancement opportunities (88%), salary (78%), the organisation's reputation (77%), the possibility of a compressed working week (67%), the ability to telecommute (59%) and casual dress code (54%).
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