Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals

Although, for the most part, first-generation and non-first-generation students agree on the importance of individual employer benefits, the groups do differ on several, according to First-Generation Students: Influences, Outcomes, and Implications for Job-Search Success.

The greatest differences can be seen in their attitudes toward tuition reimbursement, family-oriented benefits, and benefits related to medical coverage. First-generation students valued these benefits on a greater level in comparison to non-first-generation students. (See Figure 1.)

Although more data are needed to identify what is driving the two groups’ differing views on the value of tuition reimbursement and medical benefits, first-generation students’ focus on family is evident in their preference for family-friendly benefits. For example, although both first-generation and non-first generation students rated on-site daycare facilities as the least important benefit, first-generation students still saw this benefit as more important than did their peers.

Differences among family-oriented benefits may reflect the demographics of first-generation students, especially in terms of age and culture.

The First-Generation Students Report is based on data collected through NACE’s 2016 Student Survey; data were collected from February 16, 2016, through April 30, 2016. Through NACE’s college members, this survey collected data from 23,282 respondents across all degree and year levels; the focus of this report is the 5,013 graduating seniors who identified as first generation (1,925) or non-first generation (3,088). The full report is available at http://www.naceweb.org/surveys/first-generation-students-report/ ; highlights are available in “First-Generation Students and Job Success,” which appeared in the November 2016 issue of the NACE Journal.