Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals
When it comes to employer benefits, STEM students are most interested in receiving guaranteed annual salary increases and 100 percent employer-paid medical insurance, according to results of NACE’s Class of 2015 Student Survey.
Survey participants were asked to rank their top five most preferred benefits. Figure 1 shows the percentage of all votes that each benefit received, which serves as a measure of general preference.
Other top benefits sought by Class of 2015 STEM graduates include a company-matched 401(k) program, tuition reimbursement for advanced education, and more than two weeks of vacation in the first year of work. This is consistent with the benefit preferences of the Class of 2015 overall.
Benefits of minimal importance among all STEM majors included an employee assistance program, an on-site day care facilities, and a telecommuting option.
Results from Class of 2015 STEM graduates are featured in a soon-to-be-published report from NACE, Students in Demand: An Insight Into Class of 2015 STEM Graduates. The report will be released in March.
Figure 1: Benefit preferences of STEM students, by major
| Benefit |
Computer Science |
Engineering |
Engineering Technology |
Math |
Biology |
Physical Sciences |
| Percentage of all votes |
| Guaranteed annual salary increases |
12.1% |
12.8% |
12.5% |
14.3% |
12.0% |
14.7% |
| 100% employer-paid medical insurance |
11.0% |
11.0% |
10.1% |
13.2% |
13.6% |
12.7% |
| 401(k) tuition match |
10.9% |
14.1% |
10.9% |
8.6% |
11.6% |
9.1% |
| Tuition reimbursement |
8.1% |
11.2% |
9.3% |
9.7% |
12.5% |
11.1% |
| More than two weeks of vacation |
9.5% |
7.9% |
7.3% |
7.8% |
7.7% |
7.5% |
| Dental insurance |
5.6% |
5.5% |
7.3% |
7.3% |
7.8% |
5.9% |
| Bonus/commission plan |
6.5% |
6.4% |
9.3% |
4.1% |
5.6% |
5.2% |
| Casual dress policy |
8.3% |
4.7% |
6.9% |
3.8% |
3.7% |
6.8% |
| Life insurance |
3.9% |
4.7% |
5.6% |
8.1% |
5.3% |
5.5% |
| Family friendly benefits |
3.5% |
5.3% |
3.6% |
7.0% |
5.6% |
4.2% |
| Frequent performance reviews |
4.7% |
4.9% |
4.0% |
4.6% |
4.9% |
4.6% |
| Flextime policy |
4.2% |
5.0% |
5.6% |
3.8% |
2.7% |
2.3% |
| On-site fitness center |
5.0% |
3.1% |
2.4% |
2.4% |
2.4% |
6.2% |
| Telecommuting option |
4.0% |
1.3% |
3.2% |
3.2% |
1.4% |
1.3% |
| Employee assistance program |
1.6% |
1.6% |
0.8% |
1.6% |
2.8% |
1.6% |
| On-site day care facility |
0.9% |
0.7% |
1.2% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
1.3% |
Source: Students in Demand: An Insight Into Class of 2015 STEM Graduates, National Association of Colleges and Employers