Universum has published its Talent Insights series, which looks at what emerging market graduates are looking for in their careers and how companies can attract job seekers in these countries. For emerging markets, this means that GDP growth in some countries is above the global average.
What is the Talent Insights
The Talent Insights series sets out to learn what university graduates are inherently looking for in a future employer when it comes to looking for emerging market job vacancies. Countries in South America, Asia and Africa took part in the survey. It shows what engineering and business graduates in emerging markets see as their top career goals, what they see of their employers, how they see employers and how they search for job vacancies. The top career goals in the emerging markets are in the fields of economics, engineering, business administration, finance and finance management, and business administration.
North Africa View
In North Africa, university graduates prefer entrepreneurial and creative activities to work - work-life balance. Although the work-life balance varies from region to region, the top career goals in emerging markets are in terms of entrepreneurial activities in the fields of economics, engineering, business administration, finance and financial management, and business administration.
Turkey Findings
Turkish university graduates survey findings revealed work-life balance as very low in their list of priorities and attach greater importance to be creative and innovative at work and in leadership positions. High youth unemployment could be attributed to targeted government initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and start-up culture, but the weakening of the Turkish economy may have encouraged the younger population to think and behave more like entrepreneurs.
Innovative
The ability to be entrepreneurial and creative in a job role has been identified as one of the top priorities for graduates and students in emerging markets all around the world. In fact, 97% of millennials surveyed in Sub-Saharan Africa answered by saying they were very confident about their career prospects, compared to a global average in the survey of 84%.
Stable Job Outcomes
Interestingly, job security came third, although since the global Covid-19 Pandemic and the loss of millions of jobs, it will be interesting to see what the results would be now if the survey was carried out again. It is reasonable to assume that job security would have a significant impact on people growing up in a country with high unemployment and high levels of poverty, so it is not surprising that it came third in the survey, behind work-life balance and innovations that are likely to be more important for emerging economies.
What do Emerging Markets Graduates Look for in Employers?
The results of the study show that creative, innovative and dynamic working environments are among the most sought-after qualities for a graduate when considering potential employers. The findings, which identified work-life balance as the second most important issue for graduates from emerging economies looking for an employer, suggest that work and everyday life are merging together, with less differentiation between the two. Approximately half of respondents to the survey consider the possibility of further education and professional skills development to be a key factor in their decision to seek a role, and the results of this study suggest that graduates from emerging economies expect employers not only to offer job security but also the opportunity to learn.
A previous Universe survey found that 85% want to work in order to become part of their life identity, and therefore aspire to climb the career ladder.
Where to Look for Emerging Markets Jobs
In promoting roles in emerging markets, it is crucial for employers to attract the attention of jobseekers through online search engines, social media channels and advertising which can be targeted to attract students to the country. Emerging-market graduates already have good access to the Internet, and most if not all are more likely to use social media. Indeed, emerging-market graduates are looking for jobs on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social networks, as well as on online forums.
Video primarily offered via YouTube is a medium that has become increasingly amongst the young people in recent years, with results showing that visitors aged 13 to 24 spend 11.3 hours a week watching videos. This visual medium is also something employers should consider using a presence on and distributing via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social networks.
