College Grads Say Salary Is Less Important than Facebook Freedom at Work

[The Straight Story]

College Grads Say Salary Is Less Important than Facebook Freedom at Work

One in three college grads said that access to social media sites like Facebook and the ability to choose their own devices was more important to them than salary when considering a job offer. This according to a study of 2,800 college students and young professionals worldwide conducted by Cisco. More than 40% went so far as to say that they would accept less money for a job that was down with social media at work on a device of their choosing if it also included telework.

The study was intended to determine what the Millennium Generation wants from employers and what they consider to be an equitable work/life balance. Not surprisingly, they overwhelmingly wanted flexible work hours and remote access, with about one-third of college students saying that once they begin working, it will be their right – not a privilege – to be able to work remotely with a flexible schedule.

But the shocker was how strongly these young adults felt about limitations on their social media time.

Over half of college students globally (56%) said that if they were offered a job at a company that banned access to social media, they would either turn it down, or ignore it.

http://hothardware.com/News/College-Grads-Say-Salary-Is-Less-Important-than-FacebookFriendly-Work-Policies/

[NeedleCast]

1. I Don't Mind That Attitude

My dad was a hard worker that made a very good living as an attorney, but it was a job he hated. He worked as a corporate attorney, mostly for utilities as deregulation began and more companies were entering the utilities market. Most of his cases involved fighting for or against various rate changes and jurisdictional issues. He didn't like a lot of his clients and he didn't like the boring cases...but he did make a lot of money doing it and provided a great childhood for our family. I'll admit I don't have that same work ethic. I'd rather make less money and enjoy my work more.

I like the organization I work for (usually), like the people I work with and mostly like the job I do. I've rejected one promotion to a project manager type position because I don't want the extra responsibility that comes with the pay raise. I make good money and have a pretty low pressure job.

So I say good on these students. Life is about more than just a soul draining eight hours a day in a cubicle.

It's about letting people know you just got an iced coffee.

[HappyMe]

2. Not surprised.

More jobs for people who, oddly enough, will actually do some work at work.

[HopeHoops]

3. Houston, we have a problem.

:spank:

[liberalmuse]

4. Very interesting!

I suppose they should be picky while they have the luxury. Good for them! There is no reason employers should ration bathroom and other breaks, and get away with the restrictive, creativity-killing work environments that have been in place since time began. My daughter could not abide working in a cubicle and quit her well-paying job. I didn't understand it, then, but do now. She went to a maritime academy to study sailing and now makes more money working on ships, and gets to travel, which is her dream. Meanwhile, her mom sits in a dark, dingy cube all day, getting yelled at on the phone and hating her job, but does not have the luxury of picking and choosing at her advanced age. I hope these kids change things for the better - the old order needs to die. I should mention there are internets (cell phone - not so much) on the ship. :)

[catabryna]

5. I'm confused...

These days, college grads are increasingly concerned about getting a job that pays a good salary thus enabling them to pay back their student loans. However, when they are offered that job, they'd rather have access to social media than the salary needed to take care of their basic needs? These are mighty high expectations.

When you are at work, you are there to work. When you are at home, you can spend that time doing whatever you want.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. The link doesn't specify, but some employers bar social media even at home

I was told that I had to close any and all personal accounts (twitter, LinkedIn, facebook, etc..) because of compliance reasons. Apparently, if my every uttering on the interwebs couldn't be monitored by compliance, I was a danger to myself and others. Wasn't just me - this was a company wide policy for all licensed employees.

It was ridiculous, but it happens.

[catabryna]

16. Refusing a job for this reason is a choice I can understand.

I would not accept a job that made demands on what I could, or could not, do during my off-time.

[Initech]

19. Now that's a job I would turn down.

If my employer feels the need to monitor my every move at home... fuck 'em!

[MilesColtrane]

6. Just another reason why a Constitutional Convention may not be a good thing.

We could end up with a 28th Amendment; the right to dick around on the job.

[HappyMe]

7. lol!

However will they cram 15 minutes work into 7 hours?!

[progressoid]

8. No problem. I'm sure companies can find Indians that will do it at half the pay anyway.

[hughee99]

9. I wonder if those in college felt different

once they graduated and started getting their student loan and other bills?

[TwilightGardener]

11. What does Facebook have to do with work? Am I just a clueless geezer, or what?

I don't see what your fun hobbies have to do with your workday. Is it OK if I start bringing in a novel, or knitting? I guess if it's on a computer "device", it's OK? Weird.

[Javaman]

12. that is until they have a mortgage.

ah the beauty of youth.

[LynneSin]

13. Wow I weep for the future

And one day some facebook junkie is going to replace someone like me because a company can pay them way less just as long as the kid has facebook.

Thankfully at our work place that site is banned and that means we won't hire any of these idiots.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

23. Even workplaces that ban it can't stop it.

People will still access it from their phones. Our workplace tried to ban personal phone use but then realized it was unenforceable because they'd have to send 75% of the workforce home. I say let people access their phones, websites,etc.and if their work performance isn't up to par then address that rather than having a blanket ban on electronic media.

[LynneSin]

27. Trust me I've worked with enough college graduates in my life time

and if our college grads were slacking off they would be gone pretty quickly.

And in this cubicle work world people will know if you are slacking off.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

29. They should be gone if they slack off consistently.

But to me, 5 seconds to answer a text doesn't necessarily mean their work performance is bad. (We have a union where I work, so people have to be disciplined in steps anyway, they can't just be let go that quickly)

[LynneSin]

30. Sorry, if a kid can't put the facebook down for a few hours and do work...

then they have bigger issues than employment problems.

[hifiguy]

36. That's the truth. nt

[GoCubsGo]

14. They should go work for my former employer.

One of my former co-workers, who survived the lay-off, and who is still employed there, spends her days on Facebook complaining how she hates her job. This woman has no degree, and is lucky to still be there, despite multiple arrests for crack cocaine. (Yes, she slept with her boss, which is likely the reason she didn't lose her security clearance and job.) You cannot comprehend how much this absolutely galls me, as I watch my own life crumbling to shit.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

15. just another sign that money is worthless. The kids are already in another mindset.

[bigtree]

17. you can't get these folks off of those pages at work

disciplining them doesn't do a thing -- maybe some sort of compromise makes sense. It sure eats up time . . .

[LynneSin]

28. oh you can - just fire their ass

There are probably a dozen other college grads out there who are more than willing to put facebook away and do the job.

[dmallind]

18. This issue tends to bring up both generational and "collar" conflicts

I have no interest in social media myself, but I am typing this on work time, as are many others no doubt. I do not feel I am cheating them nor do they seem unhappy in my performance. A couple of people within earshot are discussing college football, similarly doing no useful work at the moment (although I suspect most people would rate their non-work as more acceptable than mine - but that's another topic). Some people here shut their doors and are heads down from 8-5 asnd others are frequently socializing for non-work purposes. The same gamut is run everywher I have worked. The following are my general observations. NONE ARE INTENDED TO BE UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE - ONLY OBSERVED ANECDOTAL TENDENCIES.

- Age is a factor but is a concatenary pattern. Under 30 and over 55 or so tend to do more social non-work related activities. No idea why unless the older cohort is just more confident and relaxed than the middle
- Socioeconomic background, regardless of current "rank" seems to be a major influence. The more blue-collar the person, the more "work time is work" seems to apply
- Internal motivation seems to be counterintuitive. The ones who seem to be more passionate about the company and its success, or their own, are more likely to be surfing the web or chatting from time to time. The ones who see work as a necessary drudging evil somehow seem more likely to stick it out without breaks
- Nominal authority is a factor - the further from the front line, the more OK with periods of non-work. This seems to be the case irrespective of how strict are management policies or how intrusive is supervision
- There is a link between flexibility in pastime and flexibility in hours. I've almost never seen a "work time is for work" type come in on weekends or stay late willingly, where it is quite common in those more peripatetic workers. While the obvious retort that this is because they didn't finish their work in regular hours certainly applies some times, it also applies when the off-hours work is not related to regular workload. These workers see flexibility as a give not just a take
- Job expectations and KPIs are a major factor. Mine for example are reduced inventory, better fill rates, reduced material costs, higher OEE, subordinate internal and external education, shorter lead times, smaller batch sizes and so on. We get these by analysis, by project teams applying improvement techniques, negotiations, mentoring etc. Flexible timing is easy. If your job is to every day take 500 blanks that the upstream workcenter cut from steel bar, tap holes in them and pass on to the milling work center downstream to meet the scheduled 5pm daily pickup, then you are more likely constrained to work the same set hours and stick at the job from start to finish.

[redqueen]

22. +1000

[Lance_Boyle]

20. No, you are not going to connect your personal devices to the networks I manage.

Now get off my lawn and go tweet yourselves.

Youthful morons.

[mike_c]

21. recent studies suggest that college students are "addicted" to social media...

...and other forms of electronic entertainment. One recent study at the University of Maryland led to the conclusion that:

American college students today are addicted to media, describing their feelings when they have to abstain from using media in literally the same terms associated with drug and alcohol addictions: In withdrawal, Frantically craving, Very anxious, Extremely antsy, Miserable, Jittery, Crazy.

http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/sociss/release.cfm?ArticleID=2144

[Celeborn Skywalker]

25. Yikes!

I'm young and do enjoy facebook and texting, etc. but I hope I never get to the point where I'm experiencing withdrawal. I still enjoy my camping trips and hikes where it's just me, maybe some friends or family, and mother nature. I love being able to leave the electronic media behind.

[Fumesucker]

44. It ain't just college students..

And it's not just social media, the internet in general is addictive for people who enjoy ingesting great quantities of information.

[dionysus]

24. facepalm

[Initech]

26. Not me. I'm going back to school. I want to make sure I get a salaried job when I'm done.

[Phentex]

31. Ex-employee now wants her job back...

I don't have a problem with a person managing the front desk and using Facebook IF (and it's a big fat IF) the regular duties are being fulfilled. I realize there is some down time. But when said person told me that she didn't have time to do critical tasks when I knew she'd been on Facebook (or surfing elsewhere) all day, then I knew she could not be trusted with anything. The corker was when I knew she was looking for jobs while at work.

Six months later, she's calling asking for her job back. I'm guessing her new job meant she actually had to work. :eyes:

[Lance_Boyle]

42. I have a problem with it if I manage the network.

Facebook is a massive vector for various exploits targeting Windows PCs. Allowing it on network-connected devices is just asking for trouble. I have zero problem with it if the employee is using his/her personal smartphone and his/her personal 3g/4g connection for it. But not on my networks. No way, no how.

[Phentex]

46. I understand that, especially...

"is just asking for trouble." :thumbsup:

My point was she blamed her mistakes on not having enough time to do her work.

[Marrah_G]

32. Yikes- that's not good

[freeplessinseattle]

33. my district manager freaked after catching me studying algebra

This was nearly 20 years ago, at a Sunglass Hut kiosk. Not a customer for miles, no more cleaning to do, and I was stressing about an upcoming test.

She exploded, told me that if I have nothing to do then I need to just think about how I am going to approach my next sale.

In my defense I pointed out that when you are at Sunglass Hut you aren't even allowed to think about anything but Sunglass Hut there is a specific rule in the handbook that says no daydreaming, so how would she know if I was plotting my next sale or fantasizing about algebra?

She, of course, didn't like me talking back and had no good answer, but needless to say I doubt they allow Facebook now if alegbra's frowned upon. Who knows though, maybe you can even text at work now, though probably controversial in sales jobs now.

[sibelian]

34. I can't decide if this is ridiculous or life-affirming.

On the one hand at least they aren't fiscally focussed and have more interest in other people than their own wallets.

On the other hand, the average facebook interaction is so incredibly inane...

[Lance_Boyle]

45. Facebook has very little to do with an interest in other people.

It is almost entirely about narcissism. It's about how many people are reading YOUR comments, and how YOU can be the center of attention. Twitter is worse.

[WI_DEM]

35. So being able to access their FB account is more important to a large segment than salary?

[Johonny]

37. This makes total sense

I think most people understand the difference in living between making a nickel and a dime isn't worth your personal freedom.

You might blow Herman Cain for 10 million dollars, but not for 30 K a year job. You can find a 30 K a year job without the BJ. You can find a 25 K a year job that allows you the freedom to use the internet as the average person your age does.

[woo me with science]

38. Oooh, great. Let's give the companies an idea!

Why on earth would you frame this as an either-or choice anyway? :eyes:

[Enrique]

39. not credible to me

a survey conducted by Cisco? whatever their purpose is, its not to measure attitudes accurately.

[fishwax]

40. how dare they not value money above all else

:bounce:

[LanternWaste]

41. Obviously they have correct priorities

Obviously they have correct priorities-- they value responding to a Facebook post about a friend's epic hangover over providing for themselves and their families.

(Six of one, half a dozen of the other...)

[fishwax]

43. I'm not convinced that's what they value

[NeedleCast]

47. I'd Be Really Curious To Know What Percentage Of People on DU Posted From Work

Complaining about the work ethic of "kids these days."