Job Attribute Preferences of Incoming University Students and Newly-Hired Employees in the Context of the Romanian Labour Market

The purpose of this study is to investigate which job and organisational attributes incoming first-year students prefer in a job, and whether their preferences differ from those of newly-hired employees. Factor analysis of the job attributes reveal four underlying factors: job itself, firm attributes, compensation and rewards, and supportive work environment. Results show that students’ perceptions differ from those of employees only with regard to the importance of firm’s attributes. This study also examines whether preferences for job attributes differ when students’ growth need strength, academic achievement, and gender are taken into account. Results indicate that students with high growth needs place greater importance on job attributes centred on job itself, but lower importance on job attributes concerning supportive work environment. Furthermore, female students rate job attributes pertaining to supportive work environment significantly higher than male students.