When it comes to attracting and retaining employees, the age pyramid--and the age pyramid alone--is very often the key factor. Basically, gen Z, that eternally dissatisfied generation, is said to have diametrically different expectations from those of its predecessors, which complicates matters for employers when it comes to hiring and retaining new recruits. The 15th edition of the Randstad Employer Brand Research study does not reject this assumption, but it does provide a few clarifications, in particular to remind us that the notion of gender also needs to be taken into account.

There are significant disparities in the reasons why employees change employer. Nearly a third (31%) of those questioned cited the feeling of being blocked in their career plans. This figure was highest among men, 34% of whom mentioned this, compared to 27% of women. On the other hand, far more women than men cited unfair treatment (16% versus 8%) and a mismatch between the values they hold and those of their employer (14% versus 9%) as explanations for a potential departure.

Well-trained, therefore able to move

Whatever the gender, work-life balance is by far the number one reason. It is cited by 46% of respondents, and by almost one in two millennials (49%), according to the study, compared with 35% of older respondents.

And regardless of gender, one in four employees considers that they receive “sufficient opportunities to develop in their role”. As a result, these workers are “five times more likely to consider leaving their organisation” (29% versus 6%), notes the global human resources services giant, which warns: “This is something employers should not overlook.”

A stable market in the end

The post-covid period, which was predicted to be “tsunami-like”, has in the end not caused any major upheavals on the labour market, which has “remained stable” since 2021, “with minimal changes in job changes during the last six months of 2023”. 7% of employees surveyed left their company for another during this period (-1%), while 13% were planning to do so in the first half of 2024 (+1%).

Work-life balance

What do employees expect from their potential future employer? The answers to this question hardly vary from one year to the next: an attractive salary, job security, work-life balance, a pleasant working environment and a healthy financial situation are the top five items cited, in that order. Nothing has changed since 2022 and 2023. However, Randstad observes that “women attach more importance than men to work-life balance and the atmosphere at work.”

Transport and logistics appeal

The survey shows that the six most attractive sectors in the country are transport and logistics (36% of respondents), finance (27%), services (25%), retail (22%), industry and construction (18%) and consulting (17%). CFL is cited as the top performer in transport/logistics, Spuerkeess in finance, Post in services, Amazon in retail, DuPont de Nemours in industry/construction and Deloitte in consultancy.

Every year, the Randstad Brand Employer Research survey measures the attractiveness of companies in 32 countries. For the 2024 edition, 173,000 respondents were polled, representing more than 6,000 companies worldwide. In Luxembourg, 1,515 employees were surveyed.