Unfortunately for local employers, when recent graduates were polled in their ideal workplace, it was the likes of Google, Apple and Amazon that topped the list. Big shoes to fill, to say the least. However, the research isn’t completely redundant, revealing exactly what graduates look for in a good employer. 

Somehow, the question shifted over the past few years, and it not only matters what a potential employee can do for a business, but what a business can do to attract employees. 

According to research gained from 17,000 university students in Australia have begun to prioritise workplaces that can offer secure employment; a by-product of the turbulent career market through the pandemic that saw thousands of Australians stood down. 

In April of 2020, mere months into the pandemic, underemployment hit a historic high of 13.8 per cent, reducing the working hours of 1.8 million people. Just one month later in May, 870,000 Australians had lost their job to Covid-19 aftershocks.

Unsurprisingly, students are looking to protect their future with jobs that are pandemic-proof, an obvious choice for many students who have only ever known a workforce with Covid-19. 

That’s not to say, however, that employers should put all their eggs in one basket in creating the ideal workplace, says Jim Evans, Senior Consultant of employer branding company Universum.  

“What matters most to students in Australia is finding employers that offer the golden mix of security, environment, and development,” said Mr Evans. 

Various employer attributes that employees seek remained the same from last year and likely the year before that, including employment security, high future earnings, and a friendly work environment. 

What did change in 2021, however, is the desire for high ethical standards, which landed forth on the list. 

“This year’s survey showed students are strongly drawn towards employers who adopt an ethical culture and demonstrate respect for their people,” said Mr Evans. 

Rhianna Simpson, hailing from Bourke, has attended the University of Newcastle for the past two years. She says that she’d like to think her morals drive her career choices. 

“Ethical and sustainable practices are the qualities in a business that are going to ensure there is a job market for us to enter. I don’t want to support or represent any behaviours that work against that,” Ms Simpson said. 

The shift in preferences is reflective of what is undoubtedly perceived as a proactive generation who have led the charge on various social causes and campaigns.

“I definitely think we’re more informed about issues like the planet, abuse of power and authority, and lack of workplace gender equality. We’ve seen how they’ve caused issues for individuals at work,” she said. 

Still, dollar signs can’t be beaten, with high future earnings the second top priority on students minds when entering the workforce. Despite the troubling financial effects that the pandemic had on various industries, students are still optimistic of their income, with the expected income in some industries having grown by almost ten thousand AUD.

No, local employers may not offer the same sleeping pods as Google, but what they do offer is the benefit of distance from the epicentre of the virus. 

The recent rebound of the local industry has seen the job market across the Western Plains boom. For some, the best employer is the one that’s hiring.