College Students Value Social Media Access at Work (Some More than Salary)

Employers, take note: according to a new Cisco study,"The ability to use social media, mobile devices, and the Internet more freely in the workplace is strong enough to influence job choice, sometimes more than salary." The New Workplace Currency report, which surveyed 2,800 students and young professionals, gives clear guidance to employers who want to recruit top talent.

Fast Company reports,

According to the report, 40% of college students and 45% of young professionals would accept lower-paying jobs if they had more access to social media, more choice in the devices they could use at work, and more flexibility in working remotely. More than half of the college students surveyed indicated that if an employer banned access to networks like Facebook at work, "they would either not accept a job offer from them or would join and find a way to circumvent."

The report is interesting but not all that surprising, is it?  

Discussion Starters:

• What is most and least surprising from the report? (See full infographic.)
• From an employer's perspective, what are the downsides of offering the choice and flexibility that new workers want?
• As a job seeker, what is important to you? Which of the report's findings reflect your own priorities for a new job?
• During a job interview, what do you think is appropriate to ask regarding social media and mobile devices? What would you ask at a second rather than a first interview?