Development opportunities most important to job seekers

Philadelphia A survey released Tuesday by Right Management found that job candidates are not particularly impressed with having a good connection with one’s manager. According to a survey of over 1,300 people on LinkedIn by Right Management, managerial connection is the least important factor when considering a new employer, and most important are opportunities to learn and grow.

Forty percent of current employment candidates on LinkedIn said that career development prospects were most important when considering a new employer, followed by work/life balance (21%), innovative company culture (15%), competitive compensation and benefits (12%), and good rapport with manager (8%).

“We’ve known for some time that employees value career development opportunities over compensation and benefits,” said George Herrmann, executive VP Americas at Right Management. “But what we found noteworthy was that such little value is placed on the relationship and connection with the individual’s manager. Other research we have conducted around employee engagement reinforces that the manager’s role is paramount to foster employee pride, advocacy and commitment. The results of the current study really surprised us.”

Right Management is the talent and career management arm of employment services provider Manpower.