Attracting Emerging Markets Job Seekers

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, 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 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 emerging markets are 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 entrepreneurial activities in 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 on their list of priorities, and they attach greater importance to being 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. Still, 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 worldwide. In fact, 97% of millennials surveyed in Sub-Saharan Africa said 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. However, since the global COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of millions of jobs, it will be interesting to see the results now if the survey is 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 study results 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 crucial issue for graduates from emerging economies looking for an employer, suggest that work and everyday life are merging, with less differentiation. Approximately half of respondents to the survey consider the possibility of further education and professional skills development to be a critical 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 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, employers must attract the attention of job seekers 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 and online forums. 

Video primarily offered via YouTube is a medium that has become increasingly popular amongst 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.