The most important factor for employees globally when choosing a job is long-term job security, whereas in Hungary, remuneration is the top priority, according to an international study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the Stepstone Group, The Network, and their Hungarian partner, Profession.hu, released on Tuesday.
Analysts found that for those under 40 internationally, long-term job security is the most important factor when choosing a job. For those under 30, career and development opportunities ranked second, while for those aged 31–40, work-life balance was the second most important factor.
In the statement, Ádám Kotsis, a partner at BCG, was quoted as saying that their surveys conducted in 2021 and 2023 showed a significant shift in the priorities of employees, coinciding with the widespread adoption of AI-based software:
long-term job security has risen from seventh to first place.
The study also revealed that globally, respondents aged 41–50 considered work-life balance to be the most important factor, followed by the level of pay. For those aged 51–60 and older, the quality of relationships with colleagues was the top priority.
Contrary to global results, Hungarian respondents ranked long-term job security third, work-life balance second, and remuneration first.
The age-specific breakdown in Hungary showed that for employees aged 31–60, remuneration was unanimously the most important factor when considering a job, while for those aged 21–30, job security and stability were paramount.
The statement highlighted that work-life balance is a factor where both international and Hungarian respondents have shown similar views year after year, ranking it among the top three factors since 2018. Therefore, employers should pay special attention to this factor.
HR Director of Profession.hu Lili Simon-Göröcs noted in the statement that the quality of the selection process is also crucial for the successful recruitment of new candidates.
This is because 68 per cent and 43 per cent of Hungarian respondents indicated that negative impressions during the job interview or bad experiences during the recruitment process would definitely lead them to reject a job offer.
The joint global study was based on responses from more than 150,000 employees in 188 countries, collected in an anonymous online survey conducted between October and December 2023.
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