Study Says Filipinos Tend to Quit from Their First Jobs within a Year
According to a study conducted by the American global employment website, Monster.com, some 42 percent of younger Filipinos in the employment industry tend to leave their first jobs within a year.
Most typically, the lack of professional growth, eagerness to earn bigger salary, and the need for more challenging workplace are the key reasons why fresh graduates leave their jobs in less than a year.
According to the study, fresh graduates believe that their biggest challenges in their first jobs are the following:
• Lack of knowledge in the labor industry (41%)
• Issues with their employers (32%)
• Lack of preparation for “work life (30%)
On the other hand, employers believe that new local employees may be expecting too much when it comes to compensation.
The employers claimed that the biggest mistakes committed by fresh graduates during interview are the following:
• Focusing too much on compensation (26%)
• Turning up late (24%)
• Not doing enough research on the company (24%)
Employers further noted that discussion regarding salary during the initial interview is “unprofessional”. Fresh graduates should instead focus on having better understanding of their roles in the workforce according to employers.
Monster.com’s Managing Director for Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Sanjay Modi, confirmed that fresh graduates’ main concern is money.
“But young talent would be smart to play down their salary hopes and instead focus on what they can gain from experience in their first job. How can they contribute to the bigger picture, what skills can they learn, and what path might they have to grow?”
He also added that employers must be aware of fresh graduates’ desire for leadership support positions.
“Fresh graduates are aware that being given the opportunity to expand their responsibilities and competencies can lead to bigger and better-paying roles, which will help employers to retain and develop talent in the long-term,”
Moreover, internships are also important for employers. At least 54 percent of students nowadays completed at least a single internship before landing their first job. Thus, the same helped them gain knowledge and experience in their chosen career paths.
Also, employers revealed that they care most about the applicants’ qualifications which are as follow:
• Relevant experience to the role (68%)
• Qualifications and education (58%)
• Well-written and easy to read resume (45%)
The said study surveyed a total of 1,115 fresh graduates and employers in the country.
As of July, 2017, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that the employment rate in the country was estimated at 94.4 percent.