But do the highest achieving graduates really go for the business with the best perks? What actually attracts them? In their recent survey, Universum found out. The group looked at the responses from 88,000 people in 10 countries: Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Of these respondents, over 18,000 were studying at the top 200 universities listed in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2015–2016, making them a great reflection of the highest achievers and their interests. Here’s the data.
Everyone Wants Money
In a response likely to surprise no one, both high achievers and the other students polled put “high future earnings” as their top priority in their employers’ attributes. This highlights just how broke millennials are, and how well aware they are of that fact.
High Achievers Want Good Leaders/Mentors
The biggest upset between what high achievers and the regular achievers want out of an employer: Leaders. High achievers put “Leaders who will support my development” as their number two priority, while the other students made it their fifth most important attribute, even putting it after their own leadership opportunities, which they ranked fourth. High achievers, it seems, are those that value the wisdom they can gain from industry leaders above their own power.
Not Attractive: A Lot of Stuff You’d Think Would Be
From Universum:
Employers Must Provide a Roadmap
Universum breaks down the proper employer response to this data, citing another study in the process: It’s different for every company, of course, but that company’s unique goals and values will need to be enforced and highlighted through these road maps. By showing that they value a new hire’s interest in work/life balance and strong mentorship, a business can snag the most impressive high achievers out there. The organizations most successful in attracting these candidates will have robust training plans in place and clear roadmaps for supporting employee advancement.”