FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2009
Contact: Sarah Howe
202-775-9111
REPORT FINDS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 'IDEAL EMPLOYER' FOR YOUNG JOB-SEEKERS
WASHINGTON – Despite the nation's grim economy, the federal government is hiring, and according to Great Expectations, a report released today by the Partnership for Public Service and Universum USA, federal jobs are an excellent match for young job seekers interested in doing good -- and doing well.
"With the slumping economy, a lot of job seekers are giving our federal government a second look. This poll suggests young applicants will like what they see,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.
“The conditions are right for federal agencies to bring in top talent,” Stier continued. “The question is, ‘will they take advantage of this opportunity or let it pass?’”
The report, Great Expectations: What Students Want in an Employer and How Federal Agencies Can Deliver It, is based on Universum’s 2008 survey of 43,000 undergraduates that identifies qualities young people seek in employers. Key report findings from 32,000 American respondents include:
- Among students surveyed, “Government/public service” is the most popular industry choice out of 46 options. Seventeen percent of undergraduates selected the government/public service industry as one in which they would “ideally want to work when choosing their first employment after graduation.” The next most popular are health care (13 percent), education (12 percent), and marketing/advertising (11 percent).
- Five of students’ top 15 “ideal” employers— from a list of 260— are federal agencies. Jobs with the Department of State, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Peace Corps, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are all highly coveted, among students surveyed.
- Government offers the main qualities undergraduates seek. A healthy work/life balance is undergraduates’ number one career goal, with 66 percent of students citing this as a priority. Serving the greater good and job stability are tied as the second most desirable traits.
To help federal agencies put the survey results to use, the report recommends that agency recruiters:
- Understand the preferences and interests of the new generation of students they seek to hire and distinctly brand their agencies so that those students understand what they do and what they offer.
- Adjust their strategic and tactical recruiting plans to meet students’ preferences and needs.
- Meet students online and on campus (including at career fairs), and provide them with the information and meaningful human contact they seek.
According to the report, “while the economic downturn creates more favorable conditions for agencies to bring in top workers, government will need to be smart to take advantage of this opportunity. Our federal government needs the very best talent our country has to offer and those individuals will have choices even in a down market.”
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. For more information, visit www.ourpublicservice.org.
Universum USA is the Global Employer Branding Leader. As thought leaders, Universum drives the industry forward having focused exclusively on Employer Branding (EB) for 20 years. As a trusted partner to over 1,200 clients worldwide including many Fortune 100 companies, Universum helps employers understand, attract, and retain current and future ideal employees utilizing the company’s experience, knowledge and services within research, strategic consulting and media solutions. Universum’s annual IDEAL™ Employer research studies are conducted in 31 countries with over 280,000 respondents, resulting in an unrivalled knowledge base. In addition to targeted and integrated research, Universum offers a full-solution media portfolio consisting of 160 career publications in 10 countries, 10 career sites, advertisements, top company videos, and 400 events with 3,000 participants in 14 countries. This guides highly educated talent in their search to identify their IDEAL™ Employers. In the United States, Universum operates under the name Universum USA.
###
The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.
