This Year's Grads Know Exactly What They Want in a Job and Are Determined to Get It, According to Adecco Survey

MELVILLE, N.Y., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent graduates are secure and quite clear in what they want and expect from their jobs—and they are willing to move around to get it, according to a recent survey by Adecco Staffing US, a division of the world's largest staffing firm. The survey shows that only 3 percent of recent grads plan to stay at any given job for more than five years, while 33 percent of respondents plan to stay at a job for only three years or less.

According to the telephone survey conducted by Braun Research, Inc. on behalf of Adecco, the respondents were also more likely to move on from a job quickly rather than give it a chance. In fact, nearly a quarter (21 percent) of recent graduates said they would stay at a job for only three months if they discovered they didn't like it.

Though this new generation of job seekers appears to be certain in their goals and expectations, many of them admit Mom and Dad still lend a helping hand in support of their careers. For example, more than a quarter - 30 percent - report that their parents are very involved in their job search process; 13 percent say their parents have used their own personal network to get them a job; and 11 percent say their parents help them locate or research job listings for them. Surprisingly some even take parental involvement one step further; a shocking 8 percent of respondents have had their parent accompany them to an interview and 3 percent have actually had their parent join them in the interview room.

The support grads receive from their parents is also financial. The survey shows that more than half (55 percent) of respondents continue to rely on their parents' help for basic living expenses and needs. These include cell phone bills (32 percent), food (21 percent), Internet access (20 percent), health insurance (20 percent) and rent (17 percent).

"It's great to see the drive in this year's graduates for finding their dream jobs," said Joyce Russell, president of Adecco Staffing US.  "While it's important to remember that a career is developed over time, through a combination of the right job opportunities, training and perseverance, with hard work and the proactive attitude today's grads have, they are sure to be a positive addition to the American workforce."

Additional survey findings include:

• Peer pressure is a factor in career-related stress. According to the survey, 70 percent of respondents feel some kind of pressure to keep up with their peers when it comes to their career. In fact, 41 percent say they feel pressured when their peers make more money than they do and 38 percent say seeing their peers are a higher level of career than they are makes them feel this way. For many, social media channels are contributing to that stress - 20 percent say seeing their peers update their social media status about their career adds to the pressure they feel.
• New grads are very willing to consider relocation. Of the respondents, a very high percentage - 94 percent - say they would be willing to move to a new city for a job. The top incentives for doing so include job offers with higher pay (73 percent), a job offer from their dream company (59 percent), or a job offer in their dream city (51 percent).

"It's inspirational to see the optimism of this year's graduates," said Russell. "It's been a challenging few years for many in the U.S. workforce, but graduating seniors have arguably been among the hardest hit, so it's reassuring to see their enthusiasm about work and their careers."

About Adecco Staffing US
Adecco Staffing US is the nation's leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. It is the pre-eminent workforce management partner for Fortune 500 companies and career advisement expert for American workers, serving all of the key industries and professions that drive the US economy forward. Adecco has more than 900 career centers and, on any given day, connects 70,000 talented workers to the best job opportunities across the country, making them one of America's largest employers. Visit adeccousa.com for more information.

About Adecco Group North America:
Every day we provide our clients with the talent they need, and help solve the business challenges they face today – and will encounter tomorrow. Our clients rely on us for a wide range of workforce solutions including:

• Contingent staffing and direct hire recruitment for large enterprise organizations across all skill sets
• Workforce solutions and consulting including Managed Services Programs (MSP) & Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
• Career transition and leadership consulting
• Specialty staffing, project solutions and consulting services

Additional information is available through our websites at www.adeccogroupna.com and www.adeccousa.com.

About the Adecco Group:
The Adecco Group, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is the world's leading provider of HR solutions. With more than 33,000 FTE employees and a network of over 5,500 branches, in over 60 countries and territories around the world, Adecco Group offers a wide variety of services, connecting around 700,000 associates with more than 100,000 clients every day. The services offered fall into the broad categories of temporary staffing, permanent placement, career transition and talent development, as well as outsourcing and consulting. The Adecco Group is a Fortune Global 500 company.

Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN).

About Braun Research, Inc. (BRI)
BRI is a well-respected and internationally recognized firm that employs techniques and standards approved by leading survey research academic organizations in the world. BRI is an active member in a number of respected organizations throughout the industry, including The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), Council on Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR) and Council on American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO).

Methodology
This Adecco 2012 Graduation Survey was conducted via telephone within the United States by Braun Research between March 29 and April 2 and surveyed 500 college graduates of four-year degree programs between the ages of 22-26. Results have a margin of error +/- 4.37 percent.  For complete survey methodology, contact Vannessa Almeida at the number below.

SOURCE Adecco Staffing US