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Susan O’Keeffe: ‘Striding out at 7am simply isn’t working for young people’

The vista for those starting out in their careers is less attractive and stable than for previous generations — but there are ways employers can appeal more to under 25s

‘The new reality is that so many people want to work, but they do not want jobs which are exhausting and high-effort and to feel undervalued and badly paid.’ Picture: Getty

Conor Gray is not a household name. But his name is in lights just now because he declared this week that young people are just not into getting up at 7am to go to work. Gray works at an engineering contractors company and was speaking at a construction industry event, designed to promote careers in the sector.

He explained that his recent ad for 35 vacancies elicited just two responses. And, for an employer, working ...