Young British employees aged up to 25 years old value learning and development opportunities more than pay and benefits when considering a job offer. That’s according to a new study* that analysed workplace skills, hiring, and productivity of employees currently working from home.

According to the results, 28% UK employees are considering changing jobs after the pandemic is over. When asked about the most important factors when choosing a new job, the majority ranked pay and benefits the highest with the exception of young employees. The respondents aged between 18 and 25 years old ranked learning and development opportunities as the most important factor when considering a new job only then followed by the salary.

The main reason young employees dislike their current jobs is also lack of development and learning. The research showed that 28% of young employees like their job less since the pandemic started, 37% of which said it is because the work became monotonous, boring, or repetitive.

The study also showed that young employees are much more likely to have learned new skills during the pandemic, 34% of which proactively researched and enrolled into courses outside of those provided by the employer. The most popular new skill acquired by employees aged between 18 and 25 years old was IT security. Interestingly, according to a recent study by GetApp, 22% of business owners said they will require some cyber security skills from new employees that are hired in 2021.

Sonia Navarrete, Content Analyst at Capterra UK, comments: The results also show  that almost a third of UK employees are looking to change jobs after the pandemic. With this in mind, employers should look at this as a way of investing in developing this younger generation and providing them with new skills to ensure they remain engaged and stay at the job for longer.

*Study from Capterra