Young workers more satisfied with their employers than overall workforce

Yet research showed they are more likely to be thinking about leaving.

Young workers worldwide present an unusual paradox for employers: They are more likely than the overall workforce to be satisfied with the organizations for which they work, yet also more likely to be considering leaving them. These insights come from Mercer’s What’s Working™ survey, conducted among nearly 30,000 workers in 17 geographic markets during the fourth quarter of 2010 through the second quarter of 2011. In Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and China were among the markets surveyed.

According to the survey findings, workers age 34 and younger are more likely than their older colleagues in all 17 markets to be pondering an exit from their employer. In response to the question, “At the present time, I am seriously considering leaving my organization,” the youngest workers (age 16–24) recorded scores of agreement that average 10 percentage points higher than the overall workforce worldwide, while scores for workers age 25–34 average five percentage points higher. In India and Singapore, workers age 16-24 scored twelve and fourteen percentage points, respectively, higher than the overall market scores, while in Hong Kong those 25-34 years of age scored seven percentage points higher than overall market score.

Yet despite this propensity to leave, when asked about overall satisfaction with their organizations, younger workers registered satisfaction scores higher than the overall workforce in most markets. Scores for employees age 16–24 were higher in 14 of the 17 markets worldwide by an average of five percentage points. Scores for employees age 25–34 were higher in 11 of the 17 markets by an average of two percentage points globally. Once again, this trend is particularly prominent in India and Singapore where employees age 16-24 scored seven and twelve percentage points, respectively, higher compared to overall market scores across all age groups when asked about overall satisfaction with their organization.

These same two age groups also are more likely to recommend their organization as a good place to work. Scores for employees age 16–24 were higher than the overall workforce by an average of seven percentage points globally, and their scores were higher in all 17 markets. Meanwhile, scores for workers age 25–34 are higher in 13 of the 17 markets by an average of three percentage points above the overall workforce scores. In Singapore, employees age 16–24 scored fifteen percentage points higher and employees age 25–34 scored six percentage points higher when asked if they would recommend their organization as a good place to work.

“This pattern of higher satisfaction among younger workers held true for many other key issues addressed in our survey, including pay, performance management and careers, making their desire to leave their organizations all the more at odds with traditional views of loyalty, retention and engagement,” said Brenda Wilson, Mercer’s Asia Pacific Leader for Talent Management Consulting, Human Capital, according to a Mercer report.

“These findings present a real dilemma for employers," added Ms Wilson. ”Do they simply accept that young talent is going to leave no matter what the organization has to offer, or do they invest time and resources in an attempt to change the views and employment habits of their younger workers? Strategies, of course, will vary by organization, but it is essential to first have a clear understanding of an employer’s value proposition and then analyze what steps can or should be taken to increase the tenure of young workers.”