In a new Monster India Poll on “What Benefits Would Retain You for Long in an Organization” career advancement opportunities have emerged as a key factor for employee satisfaction.

Over 37% of professionals said it was the main reason to stay put in a company, placing it ahead of more predictable influencers such as flexible work arrangements (12%) and even salary (11%). Money is no longer the biggest motivator for employees according to the survey, 83% of the respondents said they work for passion. Only 17% said money was important.

Monster.com had earlier launched ‘Love What You Do’ brand campaign to inspire millennials to love what they do and find passion in their jobs.

Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com (India, Middle East, South East Asia and Hong Kong) said: “Career advancement is becoming a core part of employee work commitment and job satisfaction.”

Employees choose new skills over money

A clear growth trajectory mapped by a career development plan is one way for employees to hit those high notes on the job. People don’t want to walk into the office and do the same thing, day after day. They want to learn fresh skills and be given new responsibilities that will help them grow into a different role – one that aligns with their personal goals.

An organization that hopes to retain them needs to dovetail into employees’ short-term and long-term development plans and provide the counselling, training and mentorship they require to achieve any milestones.

See: How Millennials Pick and Choose Employers in India?

 Learning and development on the job is highly valued

Employees want to feel passionately about their roles. This is evident from the fact that they give learning and development precedence over money. Almost 18% of those who participated in the Monster India Poll cited on-the-job training as a prime reason to continue in an organization.

Job security wins employee loyalty

The most common and popular belief is that Indian employees look for job security, while choosing an organization. But even that emerges second to career growth opportunities in the poll. Just 22% of those questioned cited job security as a reason for remaining in the job.

Flexi time beats money on employee wish list

While a work-life balance remains important, the Monster India Poll reveals that flexi time isn’t a deal-breaker for employees today. The 1% difference may seem slight, but it is still a more important reason than salary to continue in a job.

Employees recognize that to be happy, healthy and productive, they need to build downtime into their schedule, organize work tasks in order of priority and optimize their schedule for when they are most productive.

The Monster India findings state, career advancement opportunities is a major priority for employees when it comes to making a decision about whether to stay in a job or not. Money is important, but a career where you ‘Love What You Do’ won’t always come around. Those who find it, sit tight.

This poll was conducted by MonsterIndia.com in September 2015.

Also read: India Inc. Faces the Middle Manager Hiring Challenge

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