Are you in touch with today's college students, your leaders of tomorrow?

By Jim Swoboda

If we said that government agencies occupied 4 of the top 10 spots on Universum's** "2007 Most Desirable Undergraduate Employee ranking", would you believe it?

Well, that is exactly what the data shows.

Today’s young adults are the some of the first graduates coming from families who have seen the demise of the promises made by corporations in regards to job security, pensions and other corporate benefits. Corporate loyalty is rapidly becoming a relic from the past.

When looking for a job, today’s students are chasing a couple things: experience or money

More and more, the experience seekers are choosing to work for the public sector. With the Peace Corps and Teach for America in the top ten, clearly more than just a paycheck is driving decisions

For those who are chasing the money, many of the top 25 companies have been doing very well the past several years and the names on the list will not surprise you.

So, what does this list mean to you? We would suggest several things.

First and foremost, recognize that today’s motivators may not be the same as what motivated you early in your career.

Second, as you are competing for talent to keep your organization successful, we would wager a bet that you did not know you were competing with the Peace Corps or Teach for America. By understanding what is attractive about these organizations, namely prestige and community service, you can support a work place the offers your team members the opportunity to do both as well. These organizations enable today’s new hires to impact a person’s life and make a difference in the world. This is something that CultureMD embraces wholeheartedly and believes should be part of any organization's culture.

Third, offer your new leaders of tomorrow real projects with real accountability right out of college. By giving them the opportunity to make an impact quickly demonstrates trust and respect both of which demonstrate that you value your people.

Lastly, fully understand the power of a well-defined and practiced culture. If your team members know what is expected of them and that what they do makes a difference, they are more likely to choose to work for you and hopefully, stay with you for many years.

The top 25 from the survey follows below.

**Universum is an international research and management consulting company. The company has offices located in Stockholm, London and New York.   (http://universumusa.com)

Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:33:03 EST