Seeking security from jobs

For the past five months, Xiang Ying, 26, a resident of Beijing, has been a full-time jobseeker, looking for her fourth job.

"I want to find a stable job at a big company," said Xiang, whose last two employers were startups.

Xiang said somehow she has regrets about resigning from a State-owned commercial bank, the first job she got after graduating with a bachelor's degree in arts.

Like Xiang, about two-thirds of millennials worldwide said they prefer full-time jobs, showing their desire for security, according to a recent report from Deloitte. In addition, millennials favor flexible working arrangements, showed the report.

Arrangements such as flexible work hours make millennials much more loyal to their employers, the Deloitte report said.

The findings debunk the stereotype about millennials, who, for years, have been labeled as rebellious and, to some extent, disloyal to employers.

The reason that they feel less likely to leave the security of their jobs, showed the report, is that political and economic turbulence in 2016, such as terror attacks in Europe and Brexit, seems to have dented millennials' confidence.

"The events of last year were a wake-up call for business and government leaders," said Punit Renjen, Deloitte Global CEO.

"The business community can, and must, address millennials' pessimism by doing more for society. We're in the best position to address many of society's most challenging problems and lead the way in creating an economy that works for everyone."

Millennials believe highly flexible organizations would not only enable "greater productivity and employee engagement" but benefit their "well-being, health, and happiness".

Three-quarters of those offered flexible work hours or roles said they trust their colleagues, and 78 percent of them feel trusted by their line managers.

"Within the workplace, flexible working continues to be a feature of most millennials' working lives, and we hear them through our engagement survey in January 2017," said Jungle Wong, chief talent officer, Deloitte China.

"This year, Deloitte will observe the solid foundation of trust that enables organizations to increasingly offer and operate flexible working arrangements, including timing, locations and personal commitment. Respondents believe flexibility increases their accountability－which they want. They said their proven ability to assume accountability is leading to greater opportunities."

Deloitte's report was based on a survey of nearly 8,000 millennials from 30 countries.

(CHINA DAILY)