What Young People Want in an Employer
Over a mid-week bite at a Wagga Wagga pub, a conversation caught my attention. Friends swapped workplace stories – some of supportive environments and others of micromanaging bosses and high-stress cultures. As a young person in agriculture, I could relate to both perspectives.
This sparked my curiosity: what keeps young people in agriculture committed to their jobs? To find out, I surveyed 82 people in agriculture, aged 18-35, across agribusiness and on-farm roles in Australia.
The labour market in agriculture has shifted dramatically. Workforce shortages and competition for skilled employees have tipped the scales, creating an employee’s market where workers prioritise roles aligning with their values and goals.
When asked, ‘what is the most important factor influencing your decision to stay with an employer?’, interestingly, less than 10 per cent of respondents cited competitive salary or comprehensive benefits as their top priority.
Instead, career growth opportunities emerged as the overwhelming frontrunner. As a people and culture specialist, I often hear of people feeling like they have stagnated. This mirrors research showing challenge, learning, and growth opportunities as crucial for engagement. Respondents echoed this with one saying: “I want to work for a company that invests in my development and shows me there’s a future here.”
A positive culture was also a large factor influencing someone’s decision to stay. A respondent said “a good relationship between employee and employer is integral.”
Recognition matters and one respondent said it was important to recognise and reward employees while fostering relationships is also vital: “Take time to spend time with employees during work and after work with a positive attitude. Show that you listen to your employees when they talk to you.”
Flexibility ranked high among factors influencing retention. For some, it’s about managing family commitments; for others, it’s about autonomy over schedules.
“Flexibility isn’t just a perk – it’s the only way I can make work and family life fit together,” one person shared. Policies accommodating family events or schedule adjustments can boost retention.
Others emphasised the importance of trust and autonomy over how they manage their time. Rigid workplace policies, like blanket bans on remote work, often undermine this trust. Flexibility isn’t just about accommodating needs – it’s about recognising the broader lifestyle factors that make work sustainable and fulfilling for employees.
The question, “what motivates you most in your current role”, revealed a strong sense of purpose was important. This aligns with self-determination theory, which suggests individuals are most motivated when three psychological needs are met: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Purpose directly ties to relatedness – the need to connect to something larger than oneself – and competence, as people find purpose in work that challenges and matches their skills.
Employers who show how roles contribute to broader goals inspire deeper engagement. As one respondent put it: “People want to grow, to feel seen, and to know that their hard work has a purpose.”
All these insights offer a window into employee perspectives. Listening to young people isn’t just beneficial – it’s essential. By investing in career growth, fostering trust and culture, offering flexibility, and connecting work to purpose, employers can inspire loyalty and secure a future-ready workforce.
- By Claudia Mitchell, a people and culture consultant of The Capacity Co and board member of Future Farmers Network.