Why younger employees prefer mobility over money

A good salary is important for the youngsters, but many of them would prefer a job that allows mobile connectivity to the workplace and provides social media freedom, a study has found.

Moreover, this trend is more prevalent in India when compared to the global average, found the survey conducted by global networking technology giant Cisco.

According to the study, the expectations and priorities of the next-generation of the world's workforce is not solely tied to money, and factors like freedom to access social media and use of mobile devices are becoming more important to them.

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The study revealed that globally one in three college students and young employees, under the age of 30, would prioritise social media freedom, device flexibility, and work mobility over salary while accepting a job offer.

In India, 57 per cent of employees surveyed said they would accept a job offer that paid less but offered device flexibility and remote accessibility.

More than two of five college students (40 per cent) and young employees (45 per cent) would do so globally.

The study also found that the importance of mobile devices has increased substantially even in the day-to-day life of youngsters, when compared with the money.

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In the survey, about half of college students and young employees (49 per cent) said they would rather lose their wallet or purse than their smartphone or mobile device.

The second annual 'Cisco Connected World Technology Report' surveyed more than 2,800 college students and young professionals in 14 countries, including India.

The study also found that the ratio of people preferring their primary work device to be mobile was very high in India.

"India (81 per cent) and China (85 per cent) (are) rated highest amongst the nations who expect their primary work device to be mobile (laptop, tablet, smartphone)," it said.

Commenting on the findings, Mahesh Gupta, Vice President, Borderless Networks, Cisco India & SAARC said: "The mobile revolution in India has considerably influenced the way employees communicate at the workplace.

"It's well understood now that employee friendly IT policy which enables employees to go mobile can also serve as business enabler and a corporate differentiator," Gupta said.

The study also found the next-generation to be giving more importance to work flexibility, mobility, and non-traditional work styles.

As per the survey, seven of 10 college students (about 70 per cent) believe it is unnecessary to be in the office regularly, with the exception of an important meeting.

The ratio has increased considerably since 2010, when 60 per cent employees believed it was unnecessary to be confined to offices.