59% of Islanders prioritise a healthy work/life balance over a high salary when looking at potential new employers.
The survey, conducted by Optimus Recruitment in Jersey, asked local people what they value in a role. It found that only 11% would name salary as their top concern.
Wage was bottom of the list for respondents, who would instead look at a firm’s ability to support career progression and the people they would be working with to evaluate whether the role was right for them.
14% of those surveyed placed progression and their team of work colleagues as the top determining factor when seeking employment.
Over 300 Islanders from a range of professions took part in the survey, which also looked at job satisfaction. Despite 70% being happy in their current role, half of all respondents would still consider moving should a better opportunity arise.
Jamie Guyer, Managing Director of Optimus Recruitment, said: “Technology and the internet have completely changed the job-hunting landscape over the last decade so we felt it was important to see what really matters to candidates now. As recruiters, we have seen a shift in what people value, with most seeking out those firms that will respect their health and wellbeing.”
“Employers invest a considerable amount of time ensuring that their salaries are reflective of employee skill-sets, experience and qualifications, so it is not a surprise that most employees are satisfied on that front. It’s therefore the non-financial components such as future opportunities, healthcare, holidays, and support with studies, that will often shape the outcome of job searches.”
The Optimus Recruitment survey also highlighted the importance of reputation to jobseekers in Jersey. 55% of respondents said that a company’s general reputation carried more weight than the recommendation of a friend or the opinion of industry experts. Responses were collated from Islanders working mostly in financial services, HR, marketing and support services, across a wide range of ages.
