Work’s rewards more than just the financial

In the increasingly competitive market for good employees, Generation Xers have the pick of places to work, not just within Perth, but also the national and international markets.

But it takes more than just money to attract them, with many Xers focusing on the experience, guidance and feedback they can get.

And cordial relationships with fellow employees also rank highly on the ‘must-have’ scale.

Minter Ellison lawyer Troy McKelvie said structured advancement and salary were two major considerations, but that a lot of firms provided these, so the next thing to consider was where you would be happy.

“You make up your mind on where you are going to enjoy your work and wake up wanting to go to work, and I think having nice people to work with is one of the most important things,” he said. “People that you get along with and are decent and willing to help out with their advice and experience.”

Public Transport Authority project officer Rachael Westheafer said what she sought in an employer had changed from when she finished university, with flexibility now a far more important consideration.

“The good thing about working in government is you can have a day off when you want to, and you also have the option to purchase extra leave,” Ms Westheafer said.

She added that innovative employers who were willing to change their business and constantly improve were also attractive.

Small business owner Patrick Simpson said from a retail point of view a lot of people looked for incentives.

“Commissions for sales and that sort of thing provide an incentive for people, as do training courses where only the people who do well get the opportunity to be upgraded in the company,” Mr Simpson said.

Lawyer Michael Rudd has worked with Minter Ellison for seven years since graduating, and said he initially chose the firm because he liked the people.

“When you are a graduate having never worked in a professional environment and you do a bit of work experience, it is hard to judge all these different employers, but I guess I just went with my gut because the people seemed really nice and genuinely interested in me,” Mr Rudd said.

“The hardest thing now for us with employers is that a lot of people focus on salary – what they are going to be paid and whether it recognises the effort that they have put in.

“I know everyone here works sometimes 60-70 hours a week and those times you begin to question if you are getting as much as you put in and if you could be working somewhere else where they would pay you 50 per cent more.

“But then there is the question of whether you will enjoy it.”

For Pritchard Francis structural engineer Richard Di Perna, exposure to different work within a firm and contact with upper management appealed in an employer.

“I got thrown in the deep end when I started and exposed to a wider range of issues within the business practice, so I wasn’t stuck in a corner doing one thing,” Mr Di Perna said.

“You get exposed to the range of the business, and that’s what appealed to me, and as a small to medium employer I have direct contact with a director all the time, so I’m learning from the best or the top.”