It's 2024 and for Gen Z, a high salary alone isn't always enough to get them to accept a job offer. They want perks too.
A new survey of more than 27,000 workers by recruitment firm Randstad found that 39% of Australian workers would not take a job if it did not offer the benefits they wanted.
Krish Waje, 26, is a young professional living in the Blue Mountains who previously worked as a business analyst for a major technology company.
In her previous role, Waje was in the privilege city: she received reimbursement for public transportation, phone bills, free lunches and health insurance.
She estimates that these perks have saved her about $10,000 to $20,000 in total on top of her annual salary.
After she was fired, she applied for a similar role at another company but was shocked to find that the salary was comparable — nearly $100,000 — but with no perks.
Wajee He told news.com.au She “turned down” a job that offered no perks because she thought it was a sign that the workplace culture wasn't up to her standards.
She feared that without the extra things that make daily life comfortable, she would end up feeling “miserable.”
“If I feel miserable and I hate going to work, I'll start looking for another job. I'm not going to stay in that job because it's not worth feeling miserable,” she said.
Waje said employee benefits also show how a company feels about its employees.
“It builds the culture of where you work. Younger generations value extra perks. If you expect them to come to your office, pay for their transportation to get there,” she said.
Waje said that ultimately, she turned down the job because, although the salary was low, the benefits did not compensate for it.
The young worker said he wouldn't rule out accepting a job without perks, but it would have to be for a good reason.
She said she had to “improve” either her salary or her role, or she didn't think it was worth it.
After all, Waje said she doesn't work because she's passionate about her job, she works to earn money, and perks help her feel valued.
“I go to work because there are bills to pay, but company culture is a big part of it. I had the opportunity for a job with a higher salary, but I turned it down because the culture wasn't there.”
Waje said that while she thought the “money was great,” it wouldn't be enough to “stay.”
general manager Randstad AustraliaAngela Annacis told news.com.au that workplace perks were important to Gen Z.
“Workplace perks are especially important to Gen Z as they often had lower wages when they started their careers and now face greater cost of living pressures,” she explained.
“Benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free breakfast and lunch, mental health support, subsidized health insurance and training and development benefits are effective ways to help these workers navigate the challenges of cost of living while also setting them up to earn more in the future.”
Anacis said young people are increasingly considering perks rather than salary when deciding on a job.
“It's certainly true that talent is evaluating jobs more holistically and looking at the whole picture of what an employer has to offer,” she said.
“Beyond salary, they are asking what kind of work-life balance they can achieve here? What additional benefits will they receive? What are the long-term employment prospects with this employer? How does this employer address equality issues such as pay equality? And if the big picture isn't right, they will definitely turn down the offer.”
