India’s fresh graduates are stepping into the workforce with expectations that are reshaping the talent playbook. Their first jobs are no longer about simply “getting placed.” They are about growth, culture, emotional safety, and skills that build long-term careers.
To decode this shift, we surveyed 1.5 lakh freshers across India. What emerged is not just a fresher wishlist, but a set of signals that will shape how employers attract, engage, and retain tomorrow’s workforce. These insights fall into four big themes that leaders cannot afford to ignore.
1. The Readiness Gap: Skills Over Degrees
The biggest worry for freshers is that they’re simply not job-ready. While ambition is high, confidence is low.
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44% worry they lack job-relevant experience.
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50% admit they don’t have the right skills for industry roles.
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71% say skills—not degrees—are the most important hiring enabler.
This is a wake-up call for employers. The traditional hiring filter of resumes and degrees won’t cut it. Leaders who invest in skilling partnerships, structured training, and mentorship will be the ones to close this gap and win fresher trust early.
2. Career Choices & Risk Appetite: Stability First
Despite the startup buzz, freshers are playing their first move safe. They want predictability and structure over bold experiments.
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37% prefer MNCs for brand value and structured career paths.
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21% are attracted to startups, but only when they see agility matched with stability.
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19% opt for public sector jobs for security.
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15% consider mid-sized firms for growth opportunities.
The message is clear: employer brand strength and structured growth pathways still matter. Startups and mid-sized firms can compete by amplifying stories of learning, leadership exposure, and culture, but they must overcome the perception of risk.
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3. Workplace Expectations: Beyond the Myths
The myth that Gen Z only wants remote work doesn’t hold. Freshers view the workplace as a critical arena for learning, mentorship, and belonging.
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37% prefer full in-office roles, while 32% are flexible across models.
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Only 15% want fully remote jobs.
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37% are frustrated by a lack of feedback in the hiring process, and 30% cite misleading job descriptions.
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28% expect mentorship as part of onboarding, not as an optional perk.
For leaders, this means two things: build hybrid work models that balance flexibility with community, and fix broken hiring/onboarding processes that leave candidates feeling disillusioned before they even start.
4. The Well-being Mandate: Emotional Safety Over Everything
Freshers are making it clear: mental well-being is not a perk, it’s a baseline expectation. Career growth and culture now trump “sticking it out” in the wrong job.
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49% of all freshers—and 54% of women—prioritise mental well-being over pay or role.
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76% of women feel confident about changing jobs early if the culture doesn’t fit.
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73% overall see early exits as part of growth, not failure.
This shift means attrition is no longer a stigma—it’s a strategy. For employers, the challenge is to create cultures of psychological safety where employees stay because they feel supported, not because they fear leaving.
The Talent Blueprint for Leaders
The voices of 1.5 lakh graduates outline a new talent deal:
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Build skills, not just resumes.
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Offer structure, with room for growth.
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Fix hiring and onboarding experiences.
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Make well-being and culture non-negotiable.
