PARIS, Jan 27 — For several years, the world of startups was more attractive to young people in search of work, who preferred that environment to more traditional companies. But those days seem to be over. An Advanis study for Adobe reveals that newcomers to the job market no longer aspire to join the ranks of the "startup nation.”

More than a thousand students and recent graduates in the United States were surveyed about their career ambitions in the Future Workforce Study. Only 16 per cent of them said they would consider taking a job at a startup or small company. Most respondents would prefer to pursue a career with a large corporation or a more established company. The reason? They believe that these companies are better able to withstand a potential financial crisis than start-ups.

And their concerns are not baseless; the younger generations have expressed worries that the global economy will face new clashes, at a time when inflation remains high. These fears were rekindled by the recent statements of Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, on the American channel CBS. She explained that she expected one third of the world’s economies to be in recession this year.

Despite this economic downturn, American students and recent graduates remain confident about their professional future. Nearly one in eight say they are optimistic about the current state of the job market. But they also have greater expectations than previous generations. For example, 55 per cent of respondents say they will carefully consider a company’s financial results before applying or interviewing to join it. They also look at a company’s reputation (with 92 per cent doing so), reviews posted by employees online and industry awards (89 per cent for both).

Salary remains a top consideration for Gen Zers preparing to enter the workforce. Eighty-five per cent say they are less likely to apply for a job if the company does not mention a salary range in a job posting. In other words, they don’t want to waste their time in often lengthy recruitment processes if they are not satisfied with the compensation of the position they are applying for.

And they’re not the only ones who think so. Numerous studies show that job candidates take a very dim view of companies that aren’t upfront when it comes to salary — regardless of age. The phenomenon is such that the employment website Indeed announced, last September, its intention to require American recruiters to specify the salary offered for each position they are looking to fill. A minor revolution that is being embraced by Generation Z. — ETX Studio