EMPLOYMENT; Pg. E22

TANIA BAWDEN

ADELAIDE employers are not doing enough to retain and develop younger workers, a recruitment survey has found.

Training and development, promotion and workplace flexibility - even more than salaries - are given as the preferred reason for taking and staying in a job, an AME Recruitment Generations at Work survey has found.

The survey of more than 100 accounting, sales and marketing, human resources and commerce firms shows many South Australian companies are not being ''proactive'' in attraction and retention strategies, AME director Allison Ashby says.

''With generation X and Y workers overtaking baby boomers in the workplace, their demands need to be met,'' she says.

''With the skills shortage, it's surprising to find many firms still believe investment in training and development is a waste of money when it can help to attract and retain the best candidates.''

Other important measures include paid internet and mobile phone services, and flexible hours.

''It isn't hard to do, it's usually not expensive and it makes it so much easier to offer people work-from-home options,'' Ms Ashby says.

Incentives for graduates, particularly in accounting, are resulting in average salaries increasing up to 15 per cent within three years to retain upwardly mobile young staff, the May survey finds.

Austereo Adelaide finance manager Grace Pelle, 26, says she is ambitious - one of the key generation Y characteristics - but sometimes feels more like a Gen Xer.

''Even though I am Gen Y, I still believe in putting in the hard work before I can demand a pay rise or promotion within six months or so,'' she says.

''But I still want to move up the corporate ladder once I gain experience in this position.''

Ms Ashby says accounting firms, small and large, can groom future graduates by encouraging work experience programs, including holiday placements for students.