Contrary to what Jessie J may tell you, it would seem that it is indeed very much about the money, especially where Britain’s workers are concerned.
According to new research from recruitment consultants Randstad, a competitive pay and benefits package is once again the most important thing for job-hunters.
Meanwhile, job security, which has topped the pile of what people want from a prospective employer for the past three years, has dropped to third in the pecking order.
The new figures show us that 18% of people value a competitive salary and employee benefits above anything else – this figure was 11% in 2012 and 12% in 2012.
However, only 16% of respondents now say long-term job security is the most important factor when choosing a company to work for – down from 27% last year.
It is thought that these new stats are reflective of a general improvement in the UK job market over the last year. Nevertheless, additional research showed that job and pay satisfaction levels varied significantly across different sectors.
Whilst 96% of people working in utilities are happy with their jobs and 62% happy with their pay, accountants are distinctly less satisfied bunch, with the figures standing at a respective 42% and 35%.
Mark Bull, Randstad’s UK CEO, said: “2012 was a tough year for the job market with confidence falling even further than in 2011. That was reflected in people’s priorities – salary packages weren’t as important to potential employees as the financial health of a business.
“Over the course of the last twelve months, that’s changed dramatically and the UK’s workforce appears much more bullish.” 
