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Pay is no longer what matters most

Graduates in finance agree about the thing that matters most in their search for a new job. And it is something that previously did not even make the top 10, says managing director behind the survey.

18. Dec 2023
2 min
English / Dansk
A good balance between work and leisure time is high on the list when graduates in finance go job hunting. Photo: Claus Fisker

A good balance between work and leisure time.

This is now the most important value for graduates in finance in their search for a new job. That is the result of a recurring survey made by the analyst firm Universum.

“Today, there's a growing trend to consider life as a whole, and not just the traditional career path elements of pay and career advancement. Now, there's a significant emphasis on ensuring a lifestyle that balances work, family and leisure,” says Jesper Dansholm, Managing Director at Universum.

This puts work-life balance on the very top of the list for the first time in the 24 years Universum has carried out the survey.

Thus, it is also more important than a high pay, a good working environment and possibilities of professional development.

“If we take a look at 2015 and earlier years, the work-life balance didn’t even make the top 10 among the total of 40 different qualities that we asked our respondents about, says Universum’s managing director.

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“People have truly discovered the worth of flexibility, including what it means to work from home. The coronavirus pandemic gave them some freedoms, and they are not giving them back.”
- Jesper Dansholm, Managing Director, Universum Denmark

Coronavirus pandemic was an eye-opener

He explains that a development has taken place, especially after the coronavirus pandemic, which has moved work-life balance and flexible working conditions up the list.

“People have truly discovered the worth of flexibility, including what it means to work from home. The coronavirus pandemic gave them some freedoms, and they are not giving them back,” says Jesper Dansholm.

He notes that Universum's survey also shows that not just those established in the labour market consider softer values to be highly important. The same is true for students.

“The landscape has changed. It is no longer so much about handling specific tasks or taking part in an exciting project at Danske Bank or Jyske Bank. This means a lot less today than the culture and flexibility offered and the kind of people you’ll be working with,” continues Jesper Dansholm.

Young people want time for their private life

This is something Finansforbundet has noticed too. When Charlotte Lindgren, Senior Career Consultant, speaks with members, they often tell her that a good balance between work and private life is of great importance to them.

“But it may be difficult to achieve when times are busy,” she says.

Charlotte Lindgren has also noted a trend, especially among younger members, of choosing or rejecting jobs for the sake of having flexible working hours that will allow time for your private life and community with others.

“It means a lot to them, and they prioritise jobs that consider it,” she explains.

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