90% of New Recruits Choose Role Over Salary; Hiring Standards Revealed

The conventional wisdom that new job seekers only pursue high salaries and work-life balance is being shaken. According to a recent survey, they are found to consider job fit and long-term career growth potential much more important. This suggests that young job seekers, known as the MZ generation, place greater value on investing in their future rather than short-term satisfaction. In a 'Job Preparation Status' survey conducted by 'Jasoseol.com,' a new recruitment platform operated by Remember&Company, targeting 1,636 new job seekers, a remarkable 90% of respondents attracted attention by answering, "I would join the company if the job is suitable, even if the salary is not fully met." This clearly demonstrates a tendency to value satisfaction and meaning derived from the job itself, beyond mere financial compensation. This trend was also prominent in questions regarding the criteria for selecting a final company to join. While 'salary (35.8%)' remained the top priority, 'job fit' took second place with 22.8%, proving its significance. This was followed by 'company name value (14%)', 'work-life balance (10.6%)', and 'growth opportunities (6.7%)'. 'Work-life balance,' often considered a core value of the MZ generation, recorded a lower ranking than expected, suggesting that job relevance and personal growth are top priorities. What's even more interesting is new job seekers' willingness for long-term employment. When asked about the desired length of service for their first job, 59.6% responded that they would work for '3 years or more,' which was the highest. This was followed by 'less than 3 years (18.8%)', 'less than 2 years (14.3%)', and 'approximately 1 year (7.3%)'. This result shows that new job seekers have a strong desire to plan a long-term career through stable employment, rather than simply joining for experience and easily moving on. They clearly tend to view their first job as an important stepping stone for their future career. This survey confirms that new job seekers highly value their career growth and choose companies from the perspective of job essence and long-term outlook. It is time for companies aiming to attract excellent talent to understand these changed values of job seekers and rethink their recruitment strategies. Rather than merely emphasizing high salaries or benefits, it would be effective to seek ways to specifically present applicants' growth potential along with detailed and clear job information.