What do China's Young Professionals Want at Work?

To better understand what Chinese young professionals are seeking in the workplace, RTG Consulting Group's research division, RTG INTUITION, surveyed 2,000 young professionals, building on the results with two years of data based on in-depth interviews. Here's what your organization needs to know to compete for China's rising workforce.

1. Corporate Culture Matters

While the pursuit of a comfortable living is important, young professionals seek a sense of meaning and purpose over financial compensation when looking for a new job. They evaluate companies based on whether their corporate culture and values align with their own - 90% expressing a willingness to accept a lower salary in exchange for a better corporate culture.

2. Self-development is Paramount

An integral part of the culture they are looking for is the opportunity to learn and be challenged. Young professionals are willing to invest more time and effort into companies that are investing in them. Providing training, encouraging creative initiatives, and support for career development are key ways to increase engagement and retain top employees. When asked to rank priorities at work, young professionals placed personal career advancement at the top, with salary coming in sixth.

3. They Search for a Work Experience

Young professionals are perceptive of influences beyond their job description. 'Workplace experience' describes all HR, managerial, and environmental factors that impact people on the job. The onboarding process, 360 feedback tools, or company health & fitness initiatives, among others, increase the chance for a positive work experience. Companies looking to develop long-term relationships with their employees should promote a healthy work-life balance and be willing to invest in ergonomic workspaces, showing they value employees' overall well-being.

4. Openness is the Expectation

Their desire for openness in the workplace crosses many functions. Young professionals prefer a flat managerial system with transparent communication. This shift away from conventional leadership styles found in many Chinese companies, is one towards embracing greater openness and progressiveness. The majority of respondents mentioned a lack of creativity and innovation in their organization as being due to the current leadership style.  They also seek companies open to building a multi-cultural experience. 76% of respondents wish for an international culture within a domestic Chinese company, and 43% seek an international company that embraces local culture.

5. Diversity Should be the Standard

Research has long shown that diversity has a positive impact the bottom line, but many companies are behind in prioritizing inclusivity in their company culture. There are still strong cultural barriers for women working towards leadership and high responsibility roles, positions which are filled predominantly by men. 66% of women said such barriers make upper level promotions more difficult for them to achieve, and 56% of men agreed with that statement. Facing even greater barriers for inclusion, are China's LGBT communities. When asked if their company is inclusive and welcoming of LGBT employees, only 17% agreed nationwide, leaving 83% in doubt or disagreement. However, when broken down by individual city, the outlook for acceptance of LGBT individuals did not seem quite so bleak. In Chengdu, for example, 69% of young professionals felt their company is welcoming to LGBT employees.

"Young Chinese professionals entering the workforce today have different employer expectations than generations past," said Angelito Tan, CEO of RTG Consulting Group. "It is incredibly important for employers to deeply understand these nuances and create an authentic corporate culture that will attract the right talent."

To receive the full report, please email info@rtgconsulting.com

About the 2018 RTG Corporate Culture Relevance Survey

RTG INTUITION, the research and analytics arm of RTG Consulting Group, set out to determine the factors that influence company culture relevancy among China's Gen Y (born post-1980) and Gen Z (born post-1990).

Methodology:

• Survey of 2,000 young professionals across 9 Chinese Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities:
  - Shanghai, Guangzhou/Shenzhen, Beijing, Wuhan, Xiamen/Fuzhou, Shenyang, Chengdu
• 100+ qualitative in-depth interviews
  - Post-80's professionals (48% of survey respondents)
  - Post-90's professionals (52%)
  - Professionals who work for international companies (51%)
  - Professionals who work for domestic companies (49%)

About RTG Consulting Group

RTG Consulting Group comprises over 70 international consultants, across three independent divisions – RTG Intuition (research and data analytics), RTG Solutions (strategy consulting), and RTG Inspire (marketing consulting).

RTG Consulting Group is headquartered in Shanghai, with offices in Beijing, and Singapore.

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